Purpose
The purpose of this call for proposals is to establish the selection procedure for the funding of research projects in the fields of biomedical research, health management, and social and health care, proposed by research groups at institutions under the Regional Health Authority, to be carried out in 2026.
Research Team
1. The research team will consist of a principal investigator, a co-principal investigator (CoPI), if applicable, and up to nine collaborating researchers.
2. The principal investigator must be employed by the Health Care, Hospital Care, Primary Care, and Emergency Medical Services divisions, or by centers under the Central Services of the Regional Health Administration that provide health care, or by the Regional Center for Sports Medicine (CEREMEDE).
Researchers holding affiliated positions shall be considered staff of the Regional Health Administration for the purposes of this resolution, with the center where they provide healthcare services serving as their affiliated institution. In the case of mixed research groups, provision is made for the appointment of a CoIP who will belong to an entity, agency, or institution other than the Regional Health Authority or CEREMEDE, as applicable.
For these purposes, a “Mixed Group” is defined as a research group composed of personnel employed by the Regional Health Authority, CEREMEDE, or CHEMCYL, and personnel employed by other public or private entities that conduct research, provided that the requirements set forth in point 3 are met.
3. The research team will consist of personnel employed by the Healthcare Management Offices, Hospital Care Management Offices, Primary Care Management Offices, and the Emergency Medical Services Management Office, Central Services, and centers under the Central Services of the Regional Health Administration that provide healthcare services, as well as staff from CEREMEDE and CHEMCYL. However, up to 50% of the team may consist of researchers employed by other public or private entities based in the Community of Castile and León, and, within this quota, one researcher employed by public or private entities based outside Castile and León may be included.
4. Staff members who are currently undergoing professional specialization through the residency program may participate as principal investigators or collaborators, provided that the content and duration of the project are consistent with the remaining duration of their residency. Similarly, professionals hired on a temporary basis may be part of the team provided that the duration of their contract aligns with the project timeline.
5. In the event of a violation of the provisions set forth in the preceding points, the corresponding application will be rejected.
6. No researcher may be listed on more than two projects under this call for proposals. Neither the principal investigator nor the co-principal investigator (if any) may be listed as such on more than one project. In the event of a violation of this provision, the researcher will be excluded from all projects in which they are listed. If the researcher excluded for this reason is listed as the principal investigator or CoIP in any project, that project will be excluded in all cases.
7. In cases where a researcher is excluded pursuant to paragraph 6, if such exclusion results in a violation of paragraph 3 of this resolution, the principal investigator shall be notified so that, within a maximum of 10 business days, he or she may make the necessary changes to the research team to ensure that at least 50% of its members are researchers affiliated with the Regional Health Administration.
Amount, Budget Allocation, and Eligible Expenses
1. The maximum financial contribution allocated for the implementation of research projects is one million six hundred twenty thousand euros (€1,620,000), to be drawn from line item 05.22.467B01.64000 of the Regional Health Administration’s 2026 budget, distributed by category.
This resolution outlines the following categories of research projects in the fields of biomedical research, biotechnology, health management, and social and health care, allocating the total funding across three categories in accordance with the classification set forth below:
a) Category “A” research projects related to hospital care.
The maximum financial contribution provided for the implementation of research projects in this category is one million one hundred eighty thousand euros (€1,180,000).
Category A, Group I—740,000 €
— Salamanca University Hospital
— Burgos University Hospital
— León University Hospital
— Río Hortega University Hospital
— Valladolid University Hospital
Category A, Group II—€440,000
— Ávila Regional Athletic Club
— El Bierzo Athletic Club
— Palencia University Athletic Club
— Segovia Regional Hospital
— Soria University Regional Hospital
— Zamora Regional Hospital
— Santiago Apóstol Hospital
— Santos Reyes Hospital
— Medina del Campo Hospital
b) Category “B” Research Projects related to Public Health Emergencies, CEREMEDE, and the Central Services of the Regional Health Administration.
The maximum financial contribution provided for the implementation of research projects under this category is forty thousand euros (€40,000).
c) Category “C” Research Projects in Primary Care.
The maximum financial contribution provided for the implementation of research projects in this category is four hundred thousand euros (€400,000).
The financial allocation assigned to each category for the implementation of research projects may be adjusted based on the applications submitted; thus, if funds are not fully utilized in any given category, they will be transferred to the immediately preceding category (from C to B, from B to A-Group II, and from A-Group II to A-Group I), until the maximum financial allocation for this call for proposals is exhausted.
This call for proposals is subject to the condition precedent that adequate and sufficient funds are available to finance the obligations arising from the grant during the corresponding fiscal year.
Furthermore, if budgetary resources permit, the funding allocated for this call for proposals may be increased by amending this resolution and completing the necessary audit procedures.
2. Funding for each research project may not, under any circumstances, exceed twenty thousand euros (€20,000).
The funds allocated to each project will be distributed based on the budget approved by the Regional Health Authority until the budgetary appropriation is exhausted. The grant awarded to each selected research project must be charged to the 2026 fiscal year and must be spent during that fiscal year.
3. This funding will be used to cover the following expenses, provided they are directly related to the implementation of the project:
a) Expenses for bibliographic and inventory-tracked materials essential to the implementation of the project, excluding computer software.
b) Expenses for consumables. Computer and reprographic supplies and office supplies shall not exceed 10% of the total budget.
c) Expenses related to travel and per diem necessary for the project’s implementation, up to a maximum of 7% of the total budget. These expenses must comply with the limits established in Decree 252/1993, dated October 21, of the Regional Government of Castile and León regarding allowances for services rendered by self-employed personnel of the Administration of the Community of Castile and León.
d) Expenses for the publication and dissemination of results. These include: manuscript review costs, publication costs in scientific journals—including those related to publication in open-access journals—costs associated with inclusion in open-access repositories, and conference registration fees, supported by evidence such as abstracts, posters, or presentations.
e) Expenses for services provided through technical assistance and external collaborations (external expenses) directly related to the project.
4. Under no circumstances may compensation be provided to members of the research team or to staff of the Regional Health Administration for the performance of their duties.
5. All materials and equipment purchased with project funds shall be included in the inventory of the facility under the jurisdiction of the corresponding Regional Health Administration
.
6. Expenses related to inventory items included in the research projects of the Burgos University Healthcare Complex will be incurred by the concessionaire in fulfillment of its obligation to make temporary investments.
Application and Supporting Documentation
The application must be submitted by providing the following documentation:
a) Application (Annex I), signed by the principal investigator and, if applicable, by the CoIP, listing the research staff members of the team.
b) Research Project Proposal (Annex II). The timeline included in the proposal must be aligned with the year 2026 and with the provisions of the Second Point, Section 4, of the resolution.
c) Curriculum Vitae for all team members participating in the project, using the template provided in Annex III or the CVN template from the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (http://cvn.fecyt.es), which must contain at least the information listed in Annex III.
d) Document certifying that the manager of the principal investigator’s budget center agrees with the research project’s funding application (Annex IV).
e) A favorable report, a certificate of request for an evaluation report, or a certificate of request for a “no need” report from the relevant Research Ethics Committee (REC). The documentation to be submitted must comply with the provisions of Section 5, point 3 of the resolution.
The application will be available on the Castilla y León Regional Government’s electronic portal (http://www.tramitacastillayleon.jcyl.es), and all supplementary documentation listed in this resolution will be available on the Castilla y León Regional Government’s website and on the Castilla y León Regional Government’s Health Research Portal, http://www.saludcastillayleon.es/investigacion/es.
All documentation must be submitted in Spanish. Formats other than those specified will not be accepted. Submission in any other format will result in the project’s exclusion.