The COMA Foundation to Announce Winner of its 'I Medical Research Grant' this Thursday

Medical research in the province of Alicante is set for a landmark event. This Thursday, 27th November, the Auditorium of the Alicante Official College of Physicians (COMA) Conference Centre will host the 'I Medical Research Gala – LUMED Scholarships', an event aiming to establish itself as an annual meeting to recognise and highlight the medical research talent with an Alicante hallmark. The gala is organised by the Alicante Official College of Physicians Foundation (FUNCOMA) and the Navarro-Tripodi Foundation.

The evening will reveal the winning project of the first 'Extraordinary Medical Research Grant' awarded through FUNCOMA, sponsored by SEMECO (Medical College Insurance Company), endowed with €50,000, one of the largest individual grants of its kind awarded by a medical-collegiate institution in our country.

A total of 13 projects representing hospitals, universities, and research centres from across our territory have been submitted. These works, as highlighted by the president of COMA, president of the FUNCOMA Board, and also of the Navarro-Tripodi Foundation Board, Dr Hermann Schwarz, reflect the "solidity, projection, and prestige of the medical research ecosystem in the province of Alicante".

Established in November 2023, the Alicante Official College of Physicians Foundation (FUNCOMA) aims to be a key player in promoting continuous education, scientific dissemination, and the development of knowledge in Medicine. The Foundation —comprising COMA, Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH), the University of Alicante (UA), and the Department of Health— was created with a clear purpose: to generate opportunities for doctors at all stages of their professional careers with the aim of improving care quality.

A total of €170,000 in scholarships and grants will be distributed, resulting from the collaboration between FUNCOMA and the Navarro-Tripodi Foundation, two entities united by close ties that this year take a step further to strengthen the research and training capacity of Alicante doctors.

The programme includes 22 FUNCOMA scholarships: 3 recognitions for the best Doctoral Theses; for the Best MIR Curriculum; 14 scholarships for training stays in national and international centres for Resident Intern Doctors —eight in foreign centres and six in Spanish centres—; 1 training scholarship for Young Specialist Doctors; and recognitions for the three best Clinical Cases presented at the COMA competition.

Added to these are the 6 grants for medical research projects from the Navarro-Tripodi Foundation, which has maintained a tradition of supporting health research since it was created thanks to the philanthropic legacy of the Italian merchant Mr Luciano Tripodi and his wife Mrs Bienvenida Navarro. In total, 29 recognitions —including scholarships and grants— will be awarded during a gala that aims to set a milestone in the public projection of Alicante medical research.

The launch of the LUMED Scholarships programme also represents progress in the development of public-private collaboration models and patronage oriented towards scientific knowledge. FUNCOMA and the Navarro-Tripodi Foundation have called on private companies to consolidate and expand these grants in future editions, emphasising that "the future of Medicine depends on the knowledge we are able to generate and the collective commitment to research," as highlighted by Dr Schwarz.

In this regard, during the gala, the support of private entities to FUNCOMA for delivering these scholarships and grants will be recognised. In addition to SEMECO for the aforementioned contribution of €50,000, the ASISA Foundation will be recognised as the main collaborating entity, exclusively funding the 14 scholarships aimed at MIR training doctors. It is also worth highlighting Q-Pharma Laboratories, the insurer RELYENS, and IMED Hospitals as collaborating entities of the LUMED Scholarships, and Banco Sabadell, whose institutional support has allowed this project to advance adequately.