Belgian Ophthalmology Cooperation in Clinical Sciences: BOCCS
BOCCS aims to stimulate collaboration between Belgian institutions by funding research investigating therapeutic outcomes, diagnostic methods, or epidemiological parameters of challenging clinical problems. It promotes the harmonization of protocols and the pooling of data and models across participating centers. This provides Belgian researchers with larger sample sizes and more relevant results.
The results should benefit Belgian ophthalmologists in their daily practice and improve the optimal use of social security resources. Collaborating teams must adhere to ICH-GCP regulations and all requirements regarding informed consent and ethics committee approval, as applicable at the time of submission.
BOCCS is a two-year contract program (which can be terminated after the first year based on the annual progress report) with an option to apply for a second round of funding. BOCCS projects are collaborative, clinical projects involving three or more Belgian centers of expertise. If successful, the maximum amount allocated to such projects also depends on the number of centers involved, as well as the quality and topic of the research project.
Financial support for retinal disease research is provided by the John W. Mouton Pro Retina Fund and the Marie-Claire Liénaert Fund, managed by the King Baudouin Foundation.
Several Belgian ophthalmological societies can also contribute to funding for research in specific subspecialties. If your research meets the criteria and is funded by a donation from the affiliated society, the grant will be named after that society.
BOCCS Deadlines:
| • Submission of a preliminary application (Part I) | May 31, 2026, before midnight |
| • Invite applicants to prepare the final application | Tuesday, June 16, 2026 |
| • Submission of final application (Part II) | August 17, 2026, before midnight |
| • Ranking of the successful projects | Monday, October 26, 2026 |
| • Announcement of the successful projects | November 2026, during OB2026 |
| • Start of financing, subject to completion of consortium agreements. Successful applicants must complete all consortium agreements within 12 months, or funding may be revoked. | Tuesday, December 1, 2026 |
| • End of financing | Thursday, November 30, 2028 |
The application for BOCCS (Belgian Ophthalmology Cooperation in Clinical Sciences) is in two phases:
- A Pre-Proposal (PART I) must be submitted via the website before midnight on May 31, 2026
- Selected projects will be invited to submit their final application by June 16, 2026.
- After this, the pre-selected applicants will be asked to submit their final project by midnight on August 17th by completing the final application form (PART II).
Please note: as of 2026, once an applicant is informed their project will be funded, they must complete all legal agreements to form the consortium involved in the research within 12 months. If the consortium has not been established and contracts signed by this time, funding may be revoked.
Download the official application form here.
Download a template consortium agreement here.
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