Announcement of Review Results for the "Homy Familial Hypercholesterolemia Research Fund" Projects

In March 2025, the "Homy Familial Hypercholesterolemia Research Funding" was jointly launched by Homy FH China Patient Network and Hope for Rare Foundation to support research projects on Familial Hypercholesterolemia in Mainland China, with funding amount of 3 million RMB.

Since the release of the project call for applications, the fund has garnered extensive attention and enthusiastic responses from researchers nationwide in related fields. After rigorous review by the foundation, 32 valid project proposals were received, including 12 in basic research, 12 in clinical and epidemiological research, and 8 in advanced therapy development. Additionally, one short-term academic visit application was submitted. Applicants came from over 20 universities, hospitals, and research institutes, including Peking University, Fudan University, Zhejiang University, Wuhan University, Sun Yat-sen University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Researchers proposed a variety of innovative exploratory ideas and solutions addressing the hot topics, challenges, and unmet clinical needs in familial hypercholesterolemia research. We sincerely appreciate the hard work and outstanding contributions of every applicant.

During the three-month review stage, the fund invited 19 domestic and international experts from fields such as basic research, clinical and epidemiological studies, and advanced therapies to form the review committee (list attached). Under the meticulous organization of the foundation, the review committee adhered to the principles of fairness, impartiality, conflict of interest avoidance, and scientific excellence. Using a combination of remote review and online meeting evaluations, the committee conducted a comprehensive assessment of the feasibility and innovation of the proposed projects, their alignment with clinical needs and translational potential, the qualifications of the research teams, and the reasonableness of the budgets. This process resulted in detailed project scores and substantive written feedback. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to every review expert for unreservedly contributing their professional insights.

Finally, based on the scores and funding recommendations provided by the review experts, and after confirmation by the review committee, the fund plans to support the following 10 projects, including 4 in basic research, 5 in clinical and epidemiological research, and 1 in advanced therapy development. Additionally, one researcher has been awarded a short-term academic visit grant.

The list of projects recommended for funding is hereby published as follows (sorted by project ID):

The public announcement period is from December 5, 2025, to December 14, 2025, spanning a total of 10 days.If any institution or individual has objections to the review results, they may submit written feedback to the Foundation.

Contact Person: Yu Boya
Email: grants@hope4rare.org.cn
Office Phone: 0571-88733973

Following the conclusion of this public announcement, the Foundation will formally enter into funding agreements with the principal investigators of the approved projects and their host institutions, and disburse the initial funding as planned. It is anticipated that the first batch of projects will officially commence in January 2026.