The EU Joint Programme – Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND) is the largest global research initiative aimed at tackling the challenge of neurodegenerative diseases. JPND aims to increase coordinated investment between participating countries in research aimed at finding causes, developing cures, and identifying appropriate ways to care for those with neurodegenerative diseases.

a. Objective: JPND launches this joint transnational call for proposals in order to encourage combined analysis of diseases across traditional clinical boundaries, which may lead to a re-definition of clinical phenotypes and new approaches in the treatment of neurodegeneration as part of a complex chronic disease. The aim of this call is to establish a limited number of ambitious, innovative, multi-national and multi-disciplinary collaborative research projects that:

- Combine experimental approaches from fundamental, pre-clinical and/or clinical with computational approaches

- Perform network analyses in different neurodegenerative and other chronic diseases to elucidate the underlying mechanisms common and    differing mechanisms between the investigated diseases

- Will add value to existing research by analysing diseases across traditional clinical boundaries, technologies and disciplines, thereby gaining  deeper understanding of the patho-physiological mechanisms of the diseases.

b. Diseases of interest: Cross-Disease analysis may solely comprise different neurodegenerative diseases or neurodegenerative and other chronic diseases provided that one of listed below must be adressed:

- Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias

- Parkinson’s disease and PD-related disorders

- Prion disease

- Motor neuron diseases

- Huntington’s disease

- Spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA)

- Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)

c. Research areas and activities: Proposals submitted under this call may include, but are not limited to, the following types of research:

- Examining pathological processes related to neurodegeneration using computational and systems-biology approaches.

- Defining key regulatory steps affecting the onset or the progression of different diseases

- Understanding the variability in neurodegenerative and other chronic diseases, using cutting edge technologies.

- Identifying common disease pathways and mechanisms.

- Modelling of multi-level network dysfunction and generating new hypothesis for biological testing.

- Discovering modulators in order to ultimately determine protective and resilience factors

- Identifying new drugs, drug targets or new uses of existing drugs in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. The involvement of the pharma industry in proposals would be of great benefit.

- Re-defining clinical phenotypes related to neurodegenerative diseases.

Training of young researchers and mobility (e.g., research exchanges for students and postdoctoral researchers with the aim of learning new techniques in other laboratories) within the consortia are encouraged. To have impact at a European level, it is expected that all proposals will llink activities across laboratories/clinics within JPND member countries. Proposals are encouraged to attract expertise from areas outside of neurodegeneration research that can lead to innovative approaches. There should be clear added value provided by the collaboration.

d. Application details (Spain):

1. Eligibility criteria for institutions: According to the country specific requirements - Managed by Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) - joint transnational research proposals may be submitted by research groups working in:

- Public R&D performing centres:

• Hospitals, other health care and public health settings as well as other public organisations with a health mission.

• Universities

• Research Performance Organizations recognized as such according to the Act 13/1986, of April 14th, as well as the other ones hold by Public Administrations.

- Private R&D performing centres, non for profit (Hospitals, Univesities...)

2. Eligibility criteria for Principal Investigator (PI) and team members:

The Principal Investigator (PI) and all members of the research group must belong to the eligible institution or be affiliate to CIBER, CIBERNED or an IIS.  

Excluded personnel as Principal Investigator (PI):

• Those undergoing a postgraduate training in Health Specialization (MIR, FIR, QIR, BIR, PIR)

• Those undergoing research training (e.g. PhD students, or  “Río Hortega” contracts)

• Researchers contracted by a RETIC or a CONSOLIDER

• Those undergoing postdoctoral training (e.g. “Sara Borrell“ or “Juan de la Cierva” contracts)

3. Maximum funding per awarded Spanish project partner:

• Up to 100.000€ per partner (overheads included)

• Up to 50.000€ per coordinator (overheads included)

4. Eligibility of expenses:

- Hiring full-time or part-time technical manpower up to three years (other than core research team members), only in case the Spanish project partner PI is a consortium coordinator.

• Excluded: Students or fellowships are not eligible.

• Prefixed bulk cost (salary + taxes + social security, etc.) per annual full-time contract:

Technical expert, higher degree: 29.500,00 €

Technical expert, medium degree: 24.500,00 €

Technical expert, FP II: 20.500,00 €

- Small Equipment:

• Up to 40,000.00 € if the Spanish project partner is the coordinator

• Up to 20,000.00 € if the Spanish project partneris not the coordinator.

- Consumables: Up to 100% of direct cost.

- Travel and allowance:

• Up to 9.000,00 €, in case the Spanish project partner is the consortium coordinator.

• Up to 4.500,00 €, if the Spanish project partner is not the coordinator (for presenting results and for field studies and coordination meetings).

Note that Funding by ISCIII is subject to the approval of the relevant annual appropriations to ISCIII by the Spanish Parliament, within the annual National Budget and their effective availability to ISCIII.

e. Deadlines (two-stage application procedure):

1. Pre-proposal submission:

- VHIR's deadline: February 27, 2017

- Official deadline: March 6, 2017

2. Full-proposal submission: (if invited)

- VHIR's deadline: June 21, 2017

- Official deadline: June 28, 2017

f. Further information:

Call information: HERE

Access to submission system: HERE