Biomedical Research Funds

Biomedical Research Funds is sponsored by King Baudouin Foundation. The King Baudouin Foundation manages various funds that support biomedical research, promoting initiatives that advance health-related projects. They support both fundamental and applied biomedical research.

A Boost for Biomedical Research | King Baudouin Foundation In 2023–2024, 137 Funds managed by the King Baudouin Foundation allocated more than €16 million to biomedical research. This support enabled 161 research projects to be launched or continued. On 27 November, the laureates will be honored during a festive ceremony attended by Princess Astrid.

Belgium ranks highly in terms of the quality of healthcare, and both fundamental and applied biomedical research enjoy worldwide renown. However, high-level research requires substantial financial resources, which are not always easy to secure. Philanthropists are increasingly aware of this and often choose to create a Fund for biomedical research within the King Baudouin Foundation.

In many cases, a personal story lies behind this decision. Confronted with a serious illness themselves or within their close circle, people realise the importance of investing in more knowledge, faster diagnosis, and better treatment. It is not only about survival rates, but also about quality of life and respect for individual life goals.

Through a Fund, this personal motivation can be transformed into an initiative that goes beyond the individual sphere and strengthens society as a whole. Today, the King Baudouin Foundation manages 335 health-related Funds, 179 of which focus specifically on biomedical research and development. They cover a wide range of disease areas and reflect the concerns present in society.

We see how the rapid increase in conditions such as cancer and Alzheimer’s disease causes anxiety, while attention is also growing for the many unmet needs in the field of lesser-known and rare diseases.

Sofie Bekaert, Head of the Health Programme: “Whether it concerns common or rare conditions, within the Health Programme we always strive to translate the philanthropist’s altruistic wishes into a mission that turns the Fund into a lever for change and improvement, for the benefit of the broader society.

As an independent foundation, we provide a safe space to initiate transformation processes that start from real needs and unmet demands in society.

” What this means in practice is illustrated during the ceremony by Prof. Dr. Maarten Van Den Bossche (KU Leuven), laureate of the call for research projects proposing non-pharmacological approaches to problems resulting from neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia and Parkinson’s disease.

His project, Enhancement of slow wave sleep in Alzheimer’s disease by closed-loop acoustic stimulation , perfectly demonstrates how a different approach to common conditions can lead to innovative insights and better care. Through its Funds, the Foundation not only contributes to the financing of biomedical research but also supports projects that seek to strengthen the research system itself.

For example, “Symphony of Us” brought together patients, researchers and healthcare providers to co‑create the concept of “patient value” and give it a new dimension. In the period 2023–2024, a total of 161 laureates received financial support through the biomedical research Funds managed by the King Baudouin Foundation.

All projects underwent a rigorous selection process, drawing on the expertise and commitment of more than 400 experts in Belgium and abroad. ""For 50 years, the King Baudouin Foundation has been making a difference in biomedical research and development by acting as a catalyst for projects with high impact potential that ultimately benefit patients and the broader society."

Sofie Bekaert, Head of the Health Programme, King Baudouin Foundation