A CALL FOR NOVEL IMAGING AND BRAIN STIMULATION METHODS AND TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES
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)
Call text* – download all specific information about the call. [PDF]
Country-specific information – all requirements and details from participating funding organisations.