The program was designed to generate preliminary data that can be used for follow-up applications to national or international funding agencies. Research by junior researchers and researchers returning from a hiatus is given special consideration in terms of funding. As part of the 3^rd annual 2024 Impetus MED Call, ten research proposals were awarded with funding. Those eligible to apply include all of the employees at teaching hospitals/(clinical) institutes/departments, and clinical research institutes at the JKU, as well as KMA or ACSP participants holding a PhD or Dr.scient.med title and who have a publication record.

The 2024 program will provide the following scholars and researchers with funding:

• Matthias Gmeiner, Neurosurgery, “Chronic Subdural Hematoma Risk Identification using Segmentation and Prediction”
• Ahmad Salti, Ophthalmology and optometry, “Upscaling Patient-derived and Isogenic control Retinal Organoids”
• Jakob Völkl, Physiology, „Calcium, Phosphat und Mineral Stress in der Schwangerschaft“
• Adela Tiffner, Physiologiy, “Phosphate Intake Induces Vegetative System Alterations in Healthy Humans”
• Dominik Laister, Developmental medicine, “Enhancing Emotion Regulation in Children with Autism through Extended Reality”
• Barbara Arbeithuber, Gynecology, Obstetrics and Gyn. Endocrinology, “Ferroptosis as a Strategy to Overcome Chemotherapy Resistance in Ovarian Cancer“
• Christian Wechselberger, Pathophysiology, “Particulate Matter as a Shuttle for Horizontal Gene Transfer”
• Verena Charwat, Pathophysiology, “3D Neuro-cardiac in vitro System for Diabetes Research“
• Cornelia Roschger, Cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, “Towards non-invasive, high-throughput lung cancer screening: Biomarker detection in saliva via surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy”
• Markus Mandl, Pathophysiology, “A Novel Patient-Derived In Vitro Model to Study Epicardial Adipose Tissue – Cardiomyocyte Interactions”