The background to this is a structural weakness in Germany as a location for clinical trials. By international standards, fewer patients in this country take part in randomised clinical trials. At the same time, there is a shortage of doctors who can translate their own research questions into so-called investigator-initiated trials and carry them out responsibly. LeiCoT aims to address this gap. Twelve posts for Advanced Clinician Scientists will each be funded for six years. The programme provides for dedicated research time alongside clinical work, mentoring, access to research infrastructure, and the opportunity to set up their own cohort studies and randomised trials. In terms of content, the programme focuses on metabolic diseases, the heart and brain, and cancer, and is closely linked to the Leipzig Cluster of Excellence LeiCeM. This initiative is significant for Germany as a research hub because the country’s own research expertise plays a key role in determining whether new therapies can be developed and tested more effectively on the basis of clinical practice.
News from the “University of Leipzig” dated 14 September 2026