1. Introduction
These terms and conditions (the "T&Cs") are intended to govern the operation of the – Grifols Research Awards in Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP) awards Program (the " GRAIT Awards ") organized by Grifols, S.A., a company duly incorporated under Spanish law, with Tax ID number A-58389123 and with registered offices at calle Jesús y María 6, 08022 Barcelona – Spain ("Grifols").
The annual GRAIT Awards aim to identify and encourage clinicians and researchers based in Europe and in the Middle East to increase insight into immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) or to improve knowledge of Spleen Tyrosine Kinase (SYK) inhibition as mechanism of action.
These T&Cs are available for consultation on www.grait-awards.com (the "Website").
2. Participants
Participation in the GRAIT Awards is voluntary and not subject to application fees.
The Participants in the GRAIT Awards may present their proposal individually or as a part of a team. Both individual participants and team participants will be jointly referred to as the "Participants".
Participants shall meet the following eligibility requirements:
- present an innovative proposal that fulfills the project objectives set forth in Section 4.1
- be a scientist or clinician based in Europe or in the Middle East conducting research at hospitals, universities or independent institutions
- be employed or supported by a hospital, university or independent institution (the "Institution")
None of Grifols' and/or its group companies' employees or any relative up to the second degree of kinship of the persons directly involved in the management of Grifols' scientific awards or in the awardee selection process shall be eligible to participate in the GRAIT Awards.
Unless expressly stated in these T&Cs, in no case shall Grifols bear any costs and/or expenses in which the Participants may incur by reason of their participation in the GRAIT Award.
Submissions from Awardees of previous edition of GRAIT Award will not be accepted.
3. Period of participation and timelines
The period of participation for the GRAIT Awards will be defined in the GRAIT Awards Timeline.
(a) Submission of the Application Form: within the term indicated in the Awards Timeline.
(b) Submission of the full proposal for the Research Project by the short listed Participants: within the term indicated in the GRAIT Awards Timeline.
(c) The date and place of the Award ceremony will be announced on the Website during the first quarter of 2024 (the "Award Ceremony")
4. Awards details
Applicants (either individual Participants or the Participant in a team designated to present the proposal) should complete the Application Form and submit it, together with the LoI and any required documentation, including a short curriculum vitae, during the term set out in Section 3.
Once the period to submit the Application Form ends, an independent jury formed by a panel of scientists, whose identity details are published on the Website (the "Jury"), shall select a maximum of six (6) submitted Research Projects (as such term is defined below) that best match the GRAIT Awards objectives described in Section 4.1, taking into consideration the appraisal criteria described in Section 4.2.
The Participants shortlisted by the Jury will be invited to submit a full proposal of the Research Project, following the requirements set forth in Section 4.1.
There is one award annually. The Participants whose Research Project is awarded (the "Awardee") will be announced on the Website with his/her/their name(s), last name(s), photo(s), job position(s), designation of workplace(s), short biography(ies) and a brief description of the Research Project.
If required, the Awardee attends the Award Ceremony, whether virtually or in-situ as appropriate, in order to be awarded. In case it is required the Awardee to attend the Award Ceremony in-situ, any costs and/or expenses associated with the attendance of the Awardee to the Award Ceremony will be borne by Grifols or, if these have been already paid by the Awardee or the Awardee's Institution, the Awardee or the Awardee's Institution shall be reimbursed by Grifols upon Grifols being provided with evidence of such costs and/or expenses incurred and subject, in any event, to any applicable local laws and regulations.
Participants shall provide all information requested in the course of the selection process in English using the form or documents provided by Grifols, when they are made available on (INCLUDE WEBSITE ADDRESS).
4.1 Requirements of the Research Projects
Participants must present an innovative scientific or clinical research project that meets the following requirements (the "Research Project"):
- Applicants must submit an original research concept of basic or clinical research related to ITP (diagnosis, clinical course, quality of life, etc.) or related to the mechanism of action of SYK inhibition
- Projects should be related to pathology or management of the disease in general or associated to study the mechanism of SYK inhibition
- Basic research projects may include preclinical animal studies and in vitro studies
- Applicants must present a focused project with goals that can be achieved within 18 months from the date of the first payment agreed in the Contract (as such term is defined below), in case the Participant becomes selected as Awardee
- Studies sponsored by industry are excluded
- Clinical Research Projects may include any studies requiring patient informed consent, including treatment of patients and/or use of patient samples (e.g. for biomarker analysis, genotyping and diagnostics) and in vitro studies; and
- In no case, submitted Research Projects shall include any information or data which allows, directly or indirectly, the identification of patients and/or any other individuals who are not members of the Participant's team and/or the Institution
The Awardee agrees to provide Grifols with an interim study report after half-time of the Research Project and a full report after completion of the Research Project (the "Final Report").
4.2 Appraisal criteria
The Research Projects will be assessed by the Jury taking into account the following criteria:
(a) Scientific merit, which will take into account (i) the validity of the rationale and/or proposed methodology, (ii) the validity of the expected outcomes, (iii) the validity of the proposed timelines, and (iv) the feasibility of completing the proposed research within a maximum term of eighteen (18) months from the date of the first payment agreed in the Contract, in case the Participant becomes selected as Awardee;
(b) Innovation of the Research Project in design, methodology and objectives;
(c) Clinical/medical impact, which will take into account (i) the contribution of the Research Project results to increase diagnosis and for clinical and scientific understanding, (ii) improve disease management immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) therapy, and (iii) relevance of the project to the clinical practice for immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) or (IV) Increase knowledge of SYK inhibition in ITP or in other diseases; and
(d) Mentor and/or research environment, which will take into account (i) qualification of the Participant(s), (ii) expertise in the academic research environment, and (iii) team clinical/scientific expertise and experience.
5. Prize
The selected Research Project will be awarded with a Euros 50,000 amount (the "Award"). The payment of the Award will only be made by Grifols to the Awardee's Institution with the following payment schedule and subject, if applicable, to holding a certificate of residents for non-Spanish residents:
- Thirty thousand Euros (€30,000) (gross amount) within sixty (60) days of receipt of the corresponding invoice issued by the Institution
- Twenty thousand (€20,000) (gross amount) within sixty (60) days of receipt by Grifols of the Final Report, together with the corresponding invoice issued by the Institution
The Awardee acknowledges that Grifols will not transfer any payment of the Award directly to him/her.
The Institution shall use the Award only for the performance of the Research Project by the Awardee and shall not apply any indirect cost to the Award (i.e. management or administration costs).
6. AGREEMENTS
A written agreement shall be executed between the Institution and Grifols (the "Contract") to cover the granting of the award and the rights and obligations of both parties related thereto. The Contract shall be subject to Spanish law and to the jurisdiction of the courts of the city of Barcelona, Spain, unless otherwise agreed by Grifols and the Institution.
7. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
All documents and/or information submitted by Participants and/or the Institutions to Grifols related to the Research Project shall be considered confidential information ("Confidential Information") and shall only be used by Grifols for the sole purposes of assessing Participants' candidacy in the GRAIT Awards.
The obligations of this Clause 6 shall be valid during a term of five (5) years after the disclosure of the Confidential Information.
8. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. INTELLECTUAL AND INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY
The Participants represent and warrant that (a) they are the scientists or clinicians responsible for the submitted Research Project, (b) any submitted documents and/or information provided are accurate and updated, (c) the Research Project is an original creation, (d) they have obtained all necessary approvals from the Institution to participate in the GRAIT Awards and their participation does not violate any duty owed to the Institution or any other third party, (e) if applicable, they will obtain the informed consent of the patients in accordance with applicable law, (f) the Research Project complies with all applicable health regulations, and (g) their participation in the GRAIT Awards and the exercise by Grifols of the rights licensed herein do not infringe any legal provisions, agreements, rights or assets owned by any third party.
The Institution will be the exclusive owner of the economic rights of intellectual and industrial property over the Research Project. Through the Awardee's participation in the GRAIT Awards, Grifols is granted, by the Institution and the Participants, a worldwide, non-exclusive, non-transferable (except to Grifols' group companies) royalty free license to use any and all results derived, directly or indirectly, from the Research Project for Grifols' internal research and development purposes. The Awardee shall present any information, data and/or results derived from the Research Project only with the prior written consent of Grifols, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.
For the avoidance of any doubt, the Institution shall fully keep the ownership or control over all documents, materials and information (whether or not protected by intellectual and industrial property rights) submitted to participate in the GRAIT Awards.
9. DATA PROTECTION
Any personal data provided by the Participants will be processed in accordance with the Privacy Notice.
10. APPLICABLE LAW AND JURISDICTION
These T&Cs are governed by Spanish law.
If any dispute arises from the interpretation and/or execution of the provisions regulated in these T&Cs, the parties will try to resolve these disputes amicably. If the dispute, controversy or difference cannot be amicably resolved, the parties shall submit the dispute, controversy or difference exclusively to the courts of the city of Barcelona, Spain.
11. GENERAL
Participation in the GRAIT Awards implies full and complete acceptance of these T&Cs by each Participants. Any statement to the contrary such as not agreeing to the T&Cs, will result in the exclusion of the Participants and, as a result, Grifols will be released from fulfilling any obligations with respect to said Participants.
It is hereby acknowledged that the Award granted is not conditioned upon any promotion, prescription and/or use of any products commercialized by Grifols nor it is intended to influence the Awardee and the Institution to do so.
Grifols reserves the right to cancel the GRAIT Awards and / or only its yearly awarding process at any time on grounds of force majeure, lack of participation or for any other valid reason.
Grifols reserves the right to disqualify any Participants who infringe any of the provisions regulated in these T&Cs and/or any applicable regulation.
Grifols reserves the right to modify these T&Cs in case any irregularity is detected that might influence the objectivity and transparency of the GRAIT Awards.
Date of creation: April 2022