In order to promote young scientists in the field of dementia research in Germany, the Frankfurt Hans and Ilse Breuer Foundation has been awarding up to three PhD scholarships per year since 2006. Funding is provided for doctoral projects that are carried out at one of the ten DZNE sites and that are dedicated to researching, alleviating and curing Alzheimer's disease or similar diseases of old age. Possible topics include fundamental research, clinical research and health care research including the development of innovative health care concepts.
The Foundation has followed the recommendation of the Scientific Advisory Board, which includes renowned fundamental researchers, health care researchers and scientists working in industry, and has awarded an Alzheimer's 2023 Doctoral Fellowship. Adrían Martí Pastor (*1997 in Valencia, Spain) from the Institute of Neuronal Cell Biology and DZNE Munich with Prof. Thomas Misgeld was selected. He is dedicated to the study of mitochondrial diversity in the central nervous system. Mitochondria are small organelles that provide much of the energy required by cells. They are also central to many metabolic processes, store calcium and can trigger cell death.
The fellow will be funded with EUR 2,300 per month for 36 months and will also receive an annual lump sum of EUR 1,000 for books, conference or travel expenses. The fellowship is not paid out to the fellow himself, but goes as third-party funding to the respective research group in which he is conducting research. This has the advantage for the scholarship holder that he or she receives a contract with the DZNE that is subject to social security contributions. In addition, all benefits of the DZNE for employees can be claimed.
Since its establishment in 2000, the non-profit Hans and Ilse Breuer Foundation has been promoting basic scientific research into Alzheimer's and other dementia diseases - in addition to its commitment to helping those affected and its own dementia center StattHaus Offenbach. Since 2006, the foundation has awarded the Alzheimer's Research Prize, which is endowed with 100,000 euros and has so far honored 24 prize winners. Also since 2006, the foundation has already awarded 36 scholarships to young scientists. In 2020, on the occasion of its 20th anniversary, the foundation additionally offered for the first time a special prize for outstanding publications in the research field of dementia for young researchers from the DZNE, with which the foundation has been working closely since 2020. A further award of the prize followed in 2022.