A CALL FOR NOVEL IMAGING AND BRAIN STIMULATION METHODS AND TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES

AS OF MARCH 3, 2020, THE CALL FOR PRE-PROPOSALS IS CLOSED.

AS OF JUNE 30, 2020, THE CALL FOR FULL PROPOSALS IS CLOSED.

On January 7, 2020, the EU Joint Programme – Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND) initiative launched a transnational call for novel imaging and brain stimulation methods and technologies related to neurodegenerative diseases.

Neurodegenerative diseases are debilitating and largely untreatable conditions that are strongly linked with age. Worldwide, there are estimated to be 47 million people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders, the most common class of neurodegenerative diseases. This figure is expected to double every 20 years as the population ages. Existing treatments for neurodegenerative diseases are limited in effect and mainly address the symptoms rather than the cause or the progressive course. With this in mind, JPND has identified a pressing need for investment aimed at enabling research projects on Novel Imaging and Brain Stimulation Methods and Technologies, that may in time bring about the delivery of targeted and timely prevention and therapies for patients of neurodegenerative diseases.

The last years have seen major increases in the range and power of technologies across the basic, clinical and patient-centred domains of JPND. The use of imaging and analysis technologies such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Position Emission Tomography (PET) or Molecular Imaging has become more sophisticated, both at the molecular level as well as at the level of whole-body imaging. In addition, the use of brain stimulation techniques such as Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), Neuromodulation, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) or Focussed Ultrasound has increased. These techniques help to better understand, treat or diagnose neurodegenerative diseases, but there is still a need to assess the potential of these approaches to deliver new and better treatment options for these debilitating diseases.

This transnational call invites proposals for ambitious, innovative, multinational and multidisciplinary collaborative research projects aimed at the development of novel and the advanced use of existing cutting-edge imaging and brain stimulation technologies related to neurodegenerative diseases.

Funding: The total made available for this call is about 18 million euros.

Participating JPND countries

The funding organisations that have agreed to fund this joint call for multinational research projects, with a view to adding value to their existing nationally funded activities, are listed below.

• Australia, National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
• Austria, Austrian Research Promotion Agency on behalf of BMBWF (FFG)
• Belgium, The Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO)
• Belgium, The Fund for Scientific Research (F.R.S.-FNRS)
• Canada, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
• Czech Republic, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MEYS)
• Denmark, Innovation Fund Denmark (IFD)
• France, French National Research Agency (ANR)
• Germany, Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
• Hungary, National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NKFIH)
• Ireland, Health Research Board (HRB)
• Italy, Ministry of Health (IT-MOH)
• Latvia, State Education Development Agency (VIAA)
• Luxembourg, National Research Fund (FNR)
• Netherlands, The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Dev. (ZonMw)
• Norway, The Research Council of Norway (RCN)
• Poland, National Science Centre (NCN)
• Spain, National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII)
• Sweden, Swedish Research Council (SRC)
• Switzerland, Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)
• Turkey, Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK)

Deadlines

Pre-proposals must be submitted no later than 15:00h C.E.T. on March 3, 2020, via the electronic submission tool.

Full proposals must be submitted no later than 15:00h C.E.S.T on June 30, 2020, via the electronic submission tool.

Where can I get more information about this call? Links to the relevant documents and resources can be found below:

Call text* – download all specific information about the call. [PDF]

Call procedures – description of the evaluation procedure and decision-making process applied for this call. [PDF]

Call procedures: Amendment** – updated version of the procedures document

Country-specific information – all requirements and details from participating funding organisations.

Pre-proposal template – mandatory for creating proposals. No other formats are accepted.

Proposal Submission Tool – mandatory for submitting proposals. No other routes are accepted.

*This information was updated on 9 January 2020

**Please note that on 24 February 2020, the procedures document of the JPND call on “Novel imaging and brain stimulation methods and technologies related to Neurodegenerative Diseases” has been revised and an updated version of the respective paragraphs is available for download.

Joint Call Secretariat representatives are available for questions:

Dr. Sabrina Voß and Dr. Vera Mönter-Telgen
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (+49) 228-3821 2111