Merck Serono Grant for Growth Innovation Countdown for Accepting Proposals

DARMSTADT, Germany, November 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

• Merck Serono's Grant for Growth Innovation (GGI) supports innovative projects for the advancement of science and medical research in the field of growth
• Closing date for entries is December 1, 2013
• Awardees will be announced at European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology meeting in Dublin, September 2014

Merck Serono, the biopharmaceutical division of Merck, today announced that there is just one month remaining for researchers leading innovative research projects to apply for grants as part of the Merck Serono Grant for Growth Innovation (GGI) which was launched in September. Grants totalling up to 400,000 € will be awarded to one or more selected projects.

Merck Serono is supporting innovative projects that have the potential to advance the understanding of science and medical research in the field of growth.

Annalisa Jenkins, Executive Vice President, and head of Global Research & Development for Merck Serono said: "At Merck we have an ongoing commitment to innovation that is the foundation of our efforts to advance new possibilities in the treatment of growth hormone deficiency. The novel scientific proposals that are funded through the Grant for Growth Innovation will help accelerate our goal to translate scientific insights into better outcomes for patients living with growth hormone disorders."

Applications close on December 1, 2013. For the first application, submissions must contain a letter of intent and a brief description of the research project. A full protocol is not required for the first submission. The winners will be announced at the 53rd European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology meeting in Dublin, which will be held September 18 to 20, 2014. The applications will be evaluated by an independent Scientific Steering Committee of internationally renowned endocrinologists according to five criteria:

• Innovative research
• Scientific rationale
• Clarity
• Feasibility
• Impact of research

More information is available at http://www.grantforgrowthinnovation.org.

About Merck Serono

Merck Serono is the biopharmaceutical division of Merck. With headquarters in Darmstadt, Germany, Merck Serono offers leading brands in 150 countries to help patients with cancer, multiple sclerosis, infertility, endocrine and metabolic disorders as well as cardiovascular diseases. In the United States and Canada, EMD Serono operates as a separately incorporated subsidiary of Merck Serono.

Merck Serono discovers, develops, manufactures and markets prescription medicines of both chemical and biological origin in specialist indications. We have an enduring commitment to deliver novel therapies in our core focus areas of neurology, oncology, immuno-oncology and immunology.

For more information, please visit http://www.merckserono.com.

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Merck is a leading pharmaceutical, chemical and life science company with total revenues of € 11.2 billion in 2012, a history that began in 1668, and a future shaped by approx. 38,000 employees in 66 countries. Its success is characterized by innovations from entrepreneurial employees. Merck's operating activities come under the umbrella of Merck KGaA, in which the Merck family holds an approximately 70% interest and free shareholders own the remaining approximately 30%. In 1917 the U.S. subsidiary Merck & Co. was expropriated and has been an independent company ever since.