1. Introduction
These terms and conditions (the "T&Cs") are intended to govern the operation of the Award for Scientific Progress in Immunodeficiency Research (the "ASPIRE Award") 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 objectives of the ASPIRE Award are to improve immunodeficiency disease (primary and secondary) awareness, diagnostics and management, as well as to develop novel concepts on immunoglobulin therapy research.
These T&Cs are available for consultation on http://www.aspire-award-grifols.com (the "Website").
2. Participants
Participation in the ASPIRE Award is voluntary and free of charge.
The participants in the ASPIRE Award 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 conducting research at hospitals, universities or independent institutions;
- be under the age of 45 at the time of submitting the Letter of Intent (the "LoI"). This requirement only applies to the primary applicant in case of team Participants;
- 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 ASPIRE Award.
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 ASPIRE Award.
Submissions from Awardees of previous editions of ASPIRE Award will not be accepted.
3. Period of participation and timeline
The period of participation for the ASPIRE Award will be defined in the ASPIRE Award Timeline.
(a) Submission of the Application Form: within the term indicated in the ASPIRE Award Timeline.
(b) Submission of the full proposal for the Research Project (as such term is defined below) by the short listed Participants: within the term indicated in the ASPIRE Award Timeline.
(c) The Awardee (as such term is defined below) will be announced on the Website within the term indicated in the ASPIRE Award Timeline.
4. Award 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) proposals submitted Research Projects (as such term is defined below) that best match the ASPIRE Award 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.
The Participant whose Research Project is awarded (the "Awardee") will be announced on the Website with his/her name, last name, photo, job position, designation of workplace, short biography and a brief description of the Research Project.
If required, the Awardee shall attend the award ceremony, whether by physical attendance or remotely at the choice of Grifols, in order to receive the Award. In case it is required for the Awardee to attend the award ceremony physically, any costs and/or expenses associated with such physical attendance will be borne by Grifols.
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 the Website.
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"):
(a) ASPIRE Award's objectives:
i. Improve primary and secondary immunodeficiency diseases awareness, diagnostics and management, and
ii. Develop novel concepts on immunoglobulin therapy research.
(b) Research Project goals should be achieved within a maximum of twenty-four (24) 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;
(c) The Research Projects should be innovative and related to primary and secondary immunodeficiency diseases and the role of immunoglobulin therapy, not be associated with a particular commercial product;
(d) Studies sponsored by industry are excluded;
(e) 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;
(f) 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 a full report after completion of the Research Project.
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 twenty-four (24) 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 the contribution of the Research Project results to increase diagnosis, improve disease management or develop novel concepts on immunoglobulin therapy, and
(d) Mentor and/or research environment, which will take into account (i) qualification of the Participant(s), and (ii) expertise in the academic research environment.
5. Prize
The selected Research Project will be awarded with the amount of Euros 50,000 (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:
- Twenty-five thousand Euros (€25,000) (gross amount) within sixty (60) days of receipt of the corresponding invoice issued by the Institution.
- Twenty-five thousand Euros (€25,000) (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 ASPIRE Award.
The obligations of this Clause 7 shall be valid during a term of five (5) years after the delivery 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 ASPIRE Award 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 ASPIRE Award 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. By participating in the ASPIRE Award, Grifols is granted 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 ASPIRE Awards. The Institution shall have the right to publish the results provided that such publication does not constitute a breach of any provisions of these T&Cs.
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 ASPIRE Award implies full and complete acceptance of these T&Cs by each Participant. Any statement to the contrary such as not agreeing to the T&Cs, will result in the exclusion of the Participant and, as a result, Grifols will be released from fulfilling any obligations with respect to said Participant.
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 ASPIRE Award at any time on grounds of force majeure, lack of participation or for any other valid reason.
Grifols reserves the right to disqualify any Participant who infringes 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 ASPIRE Award.
Date of creation: September 2022