Call for Projects
Ongoing 3rd Call for Projects
Following two highly successful selection rounds, we are pleased to announce that the third and final selection round for exciting community projects within our DIIC community has begun. A total of €500,000 is available for this call, to be distributed among at least two projects, offering the opportunity for up to 1.5 years of funding for the project with a maximum grant amount of €250,000 each. As part of the third selection round, a kick-off event will take place on April 15, 2026, at the Department of Anatomy of the University Hospital of Tübingen in the form of an idea camp organized by the BioMedTech Association. Participation in this idea camp is a mandatory component of the third call for proposals. Further information can be found under General Conditions and Minimum Requirements.
What we are looking for?
The DIIC community aims to effectively translate current research topics on perioperative support and solutions for the smart, connected operating room of the future into clinical practice. To this end, we are seeking innovative projects that contribute to the overarching goals of our community and address integration and innovation in surgery. A key focus of the 3rd selection round is on clinical translation as well as closing remaining gaps within the DIIC community. In general, the following thematic priorities are relevant for the projects, with the networking of devices in the operating room environment playing a central role. At least two of the thematic priorities must be included. Another key criterion is the aforementioned focus on unmet needs within the DIIC community as well as clinical translation. For the latter, at least one clinical partner must be included in the project outline or the project itself.
Thematic Focus Areas
| Networking and interoperability of different devices in (specific) medical scenarios | |
| Automation and design of workflows in the field of networked operating rooms | |
| Collection, management, and use of data in the field of networked operating rooms | |
| AI-based approaches in the field of networked operating rooms | |
| Basic concepts for securing regulatory frameworks in the area of networking in the operating room | |
| Issues and concepts of human-machine interaction with regard to networking in the operating room | |
| Scalability and transferability of approaches to surgical networking | |
| Clinical translation and clinical added value of approaches to surgical networking |
Partners
Funding Duration
Funding Amount
Funding Scope
Funding Details
DIIC Kick-Off: Idea Camp on April 15, 2026
The Kick-Off event for the third selection round will take the form of an idea camp organized by the BioMedTech Association on April 15, 2026, in the Department of Anatomy at the University Hospital of Tübingen. Participation is limited exclusively to members of our DIIC community. Participation in the idea camp is mandatory for at least one of the individuals involved in order to submit a project outline. The idea camp serves to actively support the ideation phase and the preparation of project outlines. Specific clinical problems, potential solutions, and unmet needs within the DIIC Community will be discussed there. In this way, suitable interest groups and an ideal composition of project partners can be identified.
To registerApplication process
Stage 1: Project outline
Stage 2: Project application
Framework Conditions and Minimum Requirements
To submit a project outline, at least one of the participating individuals must attend the DIIC Kick-Off: Idea Camp on April 15, 2026, at the Department of Anatomy at the University Hospital of Tübingen. In addition, the project lead must be registered as a member of the DIIC Community to submit the project outline, and all project partners must commit to the goals of the DIIC Community (DIIC Governance Guidelines under Membership). All project partners must be registered as community members by the time the project application is submitted at the latest. Deadlines must be strictly adhered to. If a deadline is missed, the project can no longer be considered for the current selection round.
The guidelines in the provided project outline template must be followed. The proposed budget and timeline must not exceed the specified parameters. Smaller projects are welcome, provided they involve various partners from the community.
Projects must align with the objectives and strategy of the innovation community as well as with the central theme of the call for proposals. The partner consortium must possess the technical expertise necessary for the successful implementation of the project. Please note that topics or work packages that address direct commercial exploitation (including validations directly aimed at product approval) are not eligible for funding. The criteria catalog, consisting of formal requirements, minimum technical content, and quality criteria, is available for review.
Timeline & Deadlines
DIIC Kick-Off: Idea Camp of the BioMedTech Association at the Department of Anatomy at the University Hospital of Tübingen
Submission deadline for stage 1: Project outline
(Online-) pitch & community rating of project outlines in Hechingen
Decision about funded projects
Submission deadline for stage 2: Full project application
Project start (depending on progress of the project application)
Contact person
If you have any questions or queries, please contact the DIIC Secretariat at any time. You are also welcome to take a look at our FAQ section.
FAQ
