Strategy
The mentioned objectives are what conceptually distinguish the NCL-Foundation from most research-bases and their support respectively. This becomes obvious when conventional concepts are compared with the NCL-Foundation concept.
The NCL-Foundation aims at consolidating the knowledge of experts from different areas of expertise and to use it to find the answer to one question: How to cure Batten disease?
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Comparison of conventional support to NCL-research support | ||
| Conventional Support | Support by the NCL-Foundation | |
| Procedure | Established: application, assessment of research concept, allocation of financial means | New (in Europe): push financing to build research networks |
| Idea | Direct support of a research application | Indirect support: Initialising research to establish research networks |
| Aim | Research, consolidation of knowledge | Management and use knowledge |
| Area of application | Mostly for known, widespread diseases (e.g. cancer, Alzheimer's) | For a rare disease (NCL, main focus on juvenile NCL) |
| Means-Use | By the institute, the clinic, the professorship etc., who applied for or received the financial support | For the co-ordinator (scientist) of the non-profit NCL-Foundation |
| Incentives system | Direct research support, reputation | The committed scientist appeals to experts to do research on their own, and to apply for financial support by themselves |
| Competition | The fundings (of one research area) compete with others | The foundation concept is based on co-operations that exchange existing know-how for mutual benefits |
| Sponsors | Industrial companies, bigger foundations, state (e.g. DFG) | Individuals and companies |
| Elements (i.e. advisory board) | Network of traditional structures | Honorary |
