Implementation Plan, 2012-2014
A first-phase JPND Implementation Plan was agreed to for the period of 2012-2014. The plan had three major action areas:
- Annual Calls for Proposals
- Action Groups to determine research needs and opportunities
- Action Groups to promote engagement, commitment and partnerships
Annual Calls for Proposals
JPND intends to launch Calls for proposals each year to address high priority areas in neurodegenerative disease research. Over the period of 2012-2015, JPND launched calls to address each of the following priority areas:
2011: Optimisation of biomarkers and harmonisation of their use
2012: Genetic, epigenetic and environmental risk and protective factors
2012: Evaluation of health care policies, strategies and interventions
2013: Cross-disease analysis of pathways related to neurodegenerative diseases
2013: Preventive strategies related to neurodegenerative diseases
2014: Working groups to inform cohort studies
2015: Risk and protective factors; Longitudinal cohort approaches; and Advanced experimental models
Action Groups to determine research needs and opportunities
As part of the multiple JPND Alignment Actions, four expert-led Action Groups are determining transnational research needs and opportunities in the following priority areas:
- Longitudinal cohort studies (with workstreams addressing both disease-based and population-based cohorts)
- Experimental models
- Assisted living technologies
- Palliative care
Each Action Group will recommend the most appropriate approach to be adopted by JPND for implementation of each of these research priorities.
Action Groups to promote engagement, commitment and partnerships
The JPND Executive Board are leading specific actions to promote engagement, commitment and partnerships towards the implementation of specific priorities. These actions include:
- Engagement and partnership with industry
- Engagement and partnership with the European Commission and other international initiatives
- Linking and alignment of national plans and initiatives
- Patient and public involvement (PPI) in neurodegenerative disease research
Each year, JPND will consider the remaining priorities of the Implementation Plan and will launch activities based on the identified needs arising from the work of the Action Groups in addition to the research areas either oversubscribed or unaddressed in the previous year’s Calls for proposals.