Project Pitching Competition
BioGENext Project Pitching Competition 2026
The BioGENext Project Pitching Competition is a new initiative organized within the BioGENext Conference 2026 to support promising biomedical and biotechnology research projects developed by early- and mid-career researchers.
The competition aims to identify innovative scientific ideas with strong translational potential and provide researchers with resources needed to advance their projects toward real-world applications.
Selected applicants will present their projects during the BioGENext Conference 2026 and compete for sponsor-supported research awards.
Why Participate?
Three winning projects will each receive an award equivalent to $5,000 (in UAH), provided by one of our sponsor-partners as a deposit for purchasing reagents or laboratory equipment from that sponsor's product portfolio.
Awards are provided by competition sponsors and can be used to obtain:
Research reagents
Laboratory consumables
Scientific equipment
Other research-related products available within the sponsor's portfolio
For participants representing LLCs or individual entrepreneurs, the stated award amount includes all applicable taxes and mandatory payments in accordance with the current legislation of Ukraine.
Who Can Apply?
Applicants must serve as the principal investigator (PI) or project lead and have authority to make project implementation decisions.
We especially encourage early- and mid-career researchers to apply and welcome submissions from applicants at different stages of their scientific careers, including PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, research group leaders, and researchers without a PhD degree who have at least four years of research experience.
Competition Guidelines
Early- to mid-career researchers are encouraged to apply. Eligible categories:
PhD Students
Postdocs (PhD, including research group leaders)
Researchers, not holding a PhD degree, who have at least 4 years of research experience
PI status: Applicants must be the primary lead of the research group dedicated to the project with the authorization to make an execution-path decisions on the project
Demonstrated grants portfolio: applicants must demonstrate current or past (in the past 5 years) stewardship or previous application (even if not successful) for peer-reviewed, competitively awarded governmental or international funding
Demonstrated scientific project management skills: Applicants should provide evidence of scientific project management and research leadership experience. This may include:
Publications (not necessarily related to the submitted project topic)
Product development or launches
Conference presentations delivered by the applicant
Patents or intellectual property contributions
Leadership roles in academic or industrial R&D projects
Applicants are encouraged to provide up to 5 representative publications or other supporting materials.
Individual or Team Applications: Projects may be submitted by an individual researcher or by a research team. There are no formal restrictions regarding team size or academic degree composition.
The competition will be conducted in two stages.
Stage 1: Application Review
Submitted applications will undergo pre-evaluation by the competition scientific jury composed of academic and industry experts. The list of jury members will be available on the BioGENext Conference platform.
Stage 2: Live Project Pitching
Based on the evaluation criteria, the top 10 projects will be selected for live on-stage pitching during the BioGENext Conference 2026. Project presentations will be evaluated by the jury composed of academic and industry experts as well as representatives of the sponsor companies.
Each winning project receives a fixed award equivalent to 5,000 USD from a designated sponsor.
The award is provided as a sponsor-supported research purchase and may be used to obtain reagents or laboratory equipment relevant to the winner’s research project from the sponsor’s available product portfolio.
Additional conditions:
The award is non-transferable to other researchers, projects, or institutions.
The award must be utilized within 12 months following the announcement of the winners.
The award should be used within a single purchase transaction.
Purchased materials will be transferred to the recipient institution through a charitable donation agreement signed between the sponsor and the institution affiliated with the winner. Applicants are therefore encouraged to ensure in advance that their institution is able and willing to sign such an agreement if the project is selected. An institution's inability to accept the awarded materials in accordance with these procedures will invalidate the winner's right to claim the award.
Applicants must submit a completed application package in English, including:
Applicant information and eligibility details
Grants portfolio summary
Scientific project management experience
Project abstract
Description of the research background and problem
Proposed methodology
Expected scientific or industrial impact
Project roadmap
Research infrastructure description
References relevant to the project topic
Up to five selected publications or other supporting materials
Applications should be submitted as a single PDF file to info@biogenext.org by August 1, 2026.
Download the application form and detailed guidelines below.
Applications Open: June 2026
Submission Deadline: August 1, 2026
Scientific Evaluation: September 2026
Pitching Day: October 9, 2026
What language should the application be submitted in? Applications must be prepared and submitted in English.
What language will be used for project pitching? Project pitching presentations during the conference can be delivered in either Ukrainian or English.
Who can apply? The competition is open to researchers, including PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, research group leaders, and scientists with at least four years of experience.
Do I need to be the Principal Investigator (PI)? Yes. The applicant must act as the project's Principal Investigator and have the authority to make project implementation decisions.
Can I apply if I have never received a grant? Yes, you should provide a portfolio of grants you received or applied for within the past 5 years. This is necessary in order to demonstrate the applicant’s current or past experience in application for or further management of peer-reviewed, competitively awarded governmental or international funding. Note: It is acceptable if your competitive grant application was submitted but not funded.
What other evidence of research leadership should I provide? Applicants must demonstrate scientific project management skills. You are encouraged to provide up to 5 representative materials, such as: peer-reviewed publications (not necessarily related to the submitted project topic); patents or intellectual property contributions; leadership roles in academic or industrial R&D projects, or product development/launches.
How many projects will be selected for Pitching Day? The top 10 projects from the scientific review stage will be invited to present during BioGENext Conference 2026.
What can the award be used for? The award can be used to purchase reagents, laboratory consumables, equipment, or other research-related products available within the sponsor's portfolio.
How much funding can a project receive? Three winning projects will each receive support equivalent to $5,000 USD (in UAH) provided by one of the competition sponsors.
Can the award be transferred to another person or institution? No. Awards are non-transferable and must be used by the winning project according to the competition rules.
What can the award be used for? The award is provided as a sponsor’s deposit. It can be used to purchase research-related products, including reagents, laboratory consumables, or equipment, directly from the designated sponsor’s product portfolio.
How will the prize be transfered to the recipient? ⚠️ Important: Purchased materials will be transferred to the recipient institution through a charitable donation agreement signed between the sponsor and the institution affiliated with the winner. Applicants are therefore encouraged to ensure in advance that their institution is able and willing to sign such an agreement if the project is selected. An institution's inability to accept the awarded materials in accordance with these procedures will invalidate the winner's right to claim the award.
Do I need to register for the BioGENext Conference? Yes. Registration on the BioGENext Conference platform is mandatory for all applicants.
How will projects be evaluated? Projects will be evaluated based on scientific excellence, innovation, methodology, feasibility, translational potential, and expected impact.
Will the review process be anonymous? Yes. During the pre-selection stage, applications will be evaluated in an anonymized format without applicant names or institutional affiliations.
Where can I submit my application? Completed application forms should be sent to info@biogenext.org by August 1, 2026.
Ready to Apply?
To participate in the competition, applicants must first register on the BioGENext Conference platform.
Application forms should be sent to info@biogenext.org by August 1, 2026.
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