DERMIMPACT AWARD 2027
GRANT
The RBSDV board members will review and score the submitted projects. The winner will be announced during the BDD 2027 and will receive a grant of 20.000€.
CRITERIA
Project type
- Planned impactful initiatives that promote the quality of dermatology patient care in Belgium. New or a new part of an existing project.
- The project does not provide benefit to the patient by virtue of a medical treatment, does not study the clinical outcome of a certain product or intervention, nor is it basic research or any other type of research and development project.
Ethical questions
Does your project require the approval of an ethics committee? If so, send an e-mail to info@belgiandermatology.be as soon as you have received an opinion from that committee. The project cannot start without a formal approval of the ethics committee(s).
Potential beneficiaries / applicants
- The project leader is a qualified dermatologist working in Belgium who has already obtained a PhD or a can demonstrate a significant scientific contribution to Belgian dermatology. I.e. experienced dermatologist. Please check the regulation file for examples to prove your experienced status.
- Applicants are restricted from applying for more than one prize offered by the RBSDV within a single calendar year.
- Applicants should be part of a healthcare organisation. Cfr payment criterium.
Payment
- Payment by Johnson & Johnson will be to the RBSDV, payment of the award by the RBSDV will be made to the healthcare organization for the execution of the project, not to an individual healthcare professional.
Budget
- The budget sheet must show the whole budget (not only the requested funding from this grant) and prove the feasibility of the whole project and reasonability of the planned costs.
- Proof of funding or requested funding from other sources must be given, since Johnson and Johnson cannot be the sole sponsor of your project.
- The salary of the dermatologists, nurses or other regular healthcare costs may not be funded by the grant.
- No overhead can be deducted from this grant.
Use of the provided funding
Winner must be willing to provide proof of use (e.g. a report of the project) of the award if requested by the RBSDV or Johnson & Johnson.
Jury
If your project complies with the above criteria and the additional details given in the regulation file that can be found on the submission website, the jury will select a winner based on the following criteria:
- Demonstrable/quantifiable benefits for patients
- Relevance of the project
- Originality and innovative character of the project
- Image and impact of the project
- Financial feasibility
PAST GRANT RECIPIENTS & FUNDED PROJECTS
Below are examples of projects funded through previous grant rounds, providing an overview of the types of projects that have received support.
Prof. Annemiek Leeman - Development and evaluation of a personalized discharge letter for low-risk skin cancer patients after dermatological screening.
Project Overview
In Belgium there have been and still are several campaigns to increase awareness of skin cancer. Patients often lack guidance on how to manage their individual skin cancer risk. Dermatologists observe patients returning for unnecessary follow-up appointments against medical advice, adding pressure to healthcare resources. A personalized discharge letter providing tailored advice on skin cancer risk, skin type, sun protection, and self-monitoring could reassure and educate patients. This study aims to evaluate whether such a letter can improve patient understanding, reduce unnecessary follow-ups, and enhance self-care practices, ultimately increasing patient wellbeing, optimizing dermatological care and reducing strain on healthcare systems.
*AI-generated image for illustrative purposes.
Prof. Isabelle Hoorens - Improving the approach towards basal cell carcinoma in older adults from a patient-centered and societal perspective.
Project Overview
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most frequent cancer worldwide and its incidence is rising rapidly. To date, most BCC are treated. However, we hypothesize that the non-treatment of BCC in certain older adults (active surveillance (AS) or watchful waiting (WW)) could offer greater value than usual care. To implement an AS or WW approach, there are still some knowledge gaps, which are the objectives of this project. We want to evaluate the experiences and perspectives in patients in which a non-treatment was chosen and we aim to develop a care-pathway for AS or WW in older BCC patients.
*AI-generated image for illustrative purposes.
Dr. Caroline Colmant - Improving Patient Outcomes Through Multidisciplinary and Integrated Management of Epidermal Differentiation Disorders (hereditary ichthyoses).
Project Overview
EDD are genodermatoses presenting with a wide clinical spectrum—from skin dryness to life-threatening neonatal forms.
The prevalence of the severe forms is estimated at 1 in 60,000 individuals. Unfortunately, due to lack of centralized data, the exact number of EDD patients in Belgium remains unknown.
These patients require comprehensive multidisciplinary care, yet currently no dedicated consultation exists in Belgium to provide specialized care for these patients. Yet, such care is essential. EDD patients suffer from debilitating symptoms including pruritus, skin pain, heat intolerance, malnutrition, hearing impairment, sometimes extracutaneous involvement, and a heavy psychosocial burden. Treatments are symptomatic and burdensome.
*AI-generated image for illustrative purposes.