Call: Central DZHK Biobanks

The DZHK collects data and biospecimens according to standardized procedures within the framework of interventional studies, registries, and cohorts and makes them available to researchers worldwide for secondary use. In addition to imaging, clinical and genomic data, the DZHK Heart Bank contains over 250,000 samples. Currently, the biospecimens are stored at about 60 different study centers. The DZHK Heart Bank is the largest and only cardiovascular resource of its kind in Germany.

Turn 60 into 2: Call "Central DZHK Biobanks"

To make this valuable resource of blood and urine samples and shock-frozen biopsies even more usable for research, the biospecimens will be made available centrally in two professional biobanks. The DZHK is providing a total of two million euros for five years.

The prerequisite is that biobanks are fully integrated into the DZHK research platform. It consists of standardized IT systems, standardized processes and rules, and defines the ethical and data protection framework for the data and biospecimens from the clinical trials.

The central biobanks will be important scientific cooperation partners for the DZHK to exploit better the potential of the research platform and the DZHK Heart Bank in scientific projects.

Why two biobanks?

To be protected in the event of an accident, for example, the inventory of samples is to be divided equally between two biobanks at different locations in Germany according to the usual security concept.

Who can apply?

All German biobanks are eligible to apply. Two biobanks will be selected as cooperation partners for the DZHK research platform.

For a detailed overview of the requirements, see > Procedural and funding guidelines > Item 7: Requirements.

Biobanks that are not located at a DZHK member institution must provide 10% of their own contribution.

Call documents

Procedure and funding guideline

Project description

Note for Table 3 in Chapter 7.1.2 of the Procedure and Funding Guidelines: Released residual materials from study-specific biobanking may also contain aliquot vessels with labels (concrete proportion currently not calculable).