Supporting research on chronic kidney disease

CKD is a progressive condition due to irreversible kidney damage and loss of function. In most cases people are unaware that they have CKD, at least to some degree.

The project IKPP (Postdoctoral program in integrative kidney physiology and pathophysiology) was established largely as a response to calls for health policies supporting early CKD identification and treatment as well as coordinated action at the European level.

Building on Switzerland's long-standing and strong tradition of kidney research, the EU-funded initiative brought together a network of leading specialists in experimental and clinical nephrology to set up a new postdoctoral programme at Swiss universities.

The International Fellowship Programme on Integrative Kidney Physiology and Pathophysiology (IKPP) was for European fellows. It targeted improved integrative thinking and awareness for kidney-centred homeostatic systems. The new national programme increased European-wide mobility possibilities for training of experienced researchers. Fellows were also trained in communication and management skills, further supporting successful career development.

In its initial phase (2010-2013), IKPP recruited 18 fellows – 12 candidates from the first call in autumn 2010 and 6 from the second in spring 2011. Another four fellows were recruited in a third call in spring 2012. Of the 22 fellows, 19 have completed their individual research projects within IKPP. The European Commission has agreed to cofound further fellowships within the framework of IKPP 2.

IKPP is providing Europe with a new generation of kidney researchers, constituting a significant contribution to the relevant European Research Area (ERA). The ultimate goal is to combat the CKD epidemic by deciphering mechanisms of normal and disturbed kidney function.