The mission of the International Liver Transplantation Society (ILTS) is to promote and disseminate multidisciplinary scientific advances in liver transplantation worldwide.

ILTS Research Funding Grants are designed to support cutting-edge research in liver transplantation. These grants are designed to foster innovation and advance scientific studies that have the potential to:

• Significantly improve clinical outcomes,
• Refine surgical techniques,
• Enhance donor organ management,
• Optimize immunosuppression strategies, and
• Advance long-term patient care in the field of liver transplantation.

Through this program, ILTS seeks not only to support excellent science but also to promote global equity in liver transplantation research by fostering the development of investigators working in resource-limited environments. A total of three grants, each valued at USD 15,000, will be awarded annually. Two grants will be awarded through the standard competition, and one additional Global Access Grant to foster research from countries with less developed research infrastructure will be reserved for investigators working in World Bank defined Low-,  Lower-Middle- and Upper-Middle Income Countries.

Categories:

1. Basic or Translational Science: studies involving cell culture, animals, or human tissue/blood samples.
    

2. Clinical Science: studies involving patients or patients-derived data, either via existing/new datasets or observation/intervention.

3. Global Access Grant: Recognizing the disparities in access to research funding, infrastructure, and mentorship across different regions of the world, ILTS is committed to promoting equity in liver transplantation research. The ILTS will support promising early-career investigators who are conducting research in World Bank defined low to Upper-middle income countries with limited research resources. The purpose of this award is to provide talented investigators with an opportunity to compete within a peer group facing similar research environments, while maintaining the same high standards of scientific quality expected of all ILTS-funded projects. Applicants for this ILTS grant must meet all general eligibility criteria for the ILTS Research Funding Grants. Where applicable, eligible applicants will be given the option during the application process to indicate whether they would like their application to be considered for the Global Access Grant.

The ILTS Grant Review Committee reserves the right to determine the number of awards in each category based on scientific merit.

Eligibility Criteria:

• The candidate must be an ILTS member in good standing at the time of application and be within the first five years of their initial faculty appointment. Candidates who have not yet received a faculty appointment are not eligible.
• The candidate must submit a short Curriculum Vitae, NIH Biosketch (old or new format), or European Council Research CV.  All are acceptable, but no more than 5 pages.
• The project must be original and not have overlap with existing funding.
• Applicants who are principal investigators on major grants (e.g., NIH R series, international scientific foundations) are not eligible.
• Applicants may only submit one ILTS grant application each cycle.
• Applicants must remain ILTS members in good standing throughout the funding period.

Additional eligibility requirements for Global Access Grant applicants specifically applying to the grant for investigators from low and Upper-middle income countries:

• The Principal Investigator must have their primary academic or clinical appointment in a country classified by the World Bank as a Low- and Upper-Middle-Income Country at the time of application.
• The majority of the proposed research should be conducted within that country.
• International collaborations are encouraged, provided that the applicant remains the Principal Investigator and scientific lead of the project

Research Topic: The research topic must fall within the field of liver transplantation, whether in the clinical, basic science, or translational arenas. A PI may only submit one project to the competition per award cycle.

Research Project Composition: 

The research project should include the following components and submitted as a single PDF file.  Proposals not meeting these criteria will not be reviewed.

1. Cover sheet containing which category the applicant is applying to (clinical, basic or translational), whether a Global Access Grant, their name, current position, institution, title of project, status of IRB and or animal use approval at the time of the application submission.
2. Abstract: A concise structured summary of the project, limited to 200 words.
3. Specific Aims Page: A clear and focused outline of the project’s objectives.
4. Project Description: A detailed narrative (maximum of 4 pages, single-spaced, 11-point font, 0.5 in margins) organized into the following sections:

• Significance: Describe the importance of the research and its potential impact.
• Innovation: Highlight the novel aspects of the proposed work.
• Research Approach: Provide a comprehensive plan for conducting the research, including methodology and expected outcomes.
• Description of PI role in the project and future plans (up to 0.5 page of the 4-page limit).

5. Budget table and budget justification with itemization of anticipated expenses and amount of grant support, with explanation of any additional costs that will be shared from other source (1 page)
6. References: not included in the page limit and should be listed separately with in text citations.
7. Resources: A short description of the available resources (environment, instruments, core facilities) must be included (maximum of 1 page).
8. Letter of support from mentor, department chair, or division chief (1 letter, maximum 2 pages) addressing the applicant’s independence, feasibility of the study and institutional commitment.

Mandatory Documents for ILTS Award Disbursement: For studies involving human subjects, evidence of Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval must be provided before the award can be initiated. Similarly, for studies involving animals, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) or similar animal regulatory oversight approval is required prior to the start of the project. Documentation must be received within 3 months of the initial grant award.  Failure to comply may result in revocation of the grant.

Evaluation of Proposals: The submitted projects will be evaluated by a selection committee created by the Co-Chairs of the ILTS Grant Review Committee, that includes a member of the ILTS Council and a member of the ILTS Executive Council.  Each grant will have at least 3 reviewers.

Each member of the review committee will independently score each project. The evaluation will consider the following criteria: Significance, Innovation, Investigators, Approach, Environment, and the potential impact on the field. 

Funding: ILTS will provide a USD 15,000 grant to support the project. No indirect or overhead costs are allowed. Up to $1,000 should be budgeted for travel, complimentary registration, and a ticket for the Gala Dinner to attend and present at the ILTS Congress 2027 in Montreal. 

Grant Period, Progress Report, and Final Report: The funding must be utilized within a period not exceeding two years from award initiation.  

A progress report (maximum 3 pages) detailing the advances made must be submitted 6 months after receiving the grant. Additionally, a final report is required no later than 12 months from the start of the grant, however if a second-year grant extension is awarded, an interim report is required at 12 months and a final report by 24 months. A request for a no-cost extension beyond 12 months will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Reports will be evaluated by the ILTS grant review committee leadership. 

Awardees will be recognized at the ILTS Congress following selection. 

Awardees will subsequently be expected to present the scientific progress of their funded project at an ILTS Congress after approximately 12 months of active project funding. If award initiation or disbursement is delayed, the presentation may be deferred to the subsequent Congress to ensure that investigators have had sufficient time to generate meaningful scientific progress  The ILTS will provide $1,000 for  travel, complementary registration and  ticket for the Gala Dinner  

Timeline: 

• October 1st: Call for Submission opens.

• December 15: Submission deadline.

• January/February: Review period

• March: Award notification

• May: The awardees will be recognized at the ILTS annual meeting.

• July 1st: Research start date

• January 1st: 6 month progress report

• 1 year mark: final report vs. request for no cost extension into year 2.

Publication policy: 

Publications arising from this work must acknowledge ILTS Research Grant support.