Fondation Leducq is a private foundation, based in Paris (France), dedicated to improving human health through international efforts to combat cardiovascular and neurovascular disease.  The principal aim of this program is to bring together international teams of researchers with complementary expertise and resources so that they can accomplish together what the members cound not do individually.  The networks supported by the foundation should advance the science of cardiovascular and neurovascular disease, apply the knowledge gained through research towards the development of technology and therapeutics to improve human health, and support early-career investigators in cardiovascular and neurovascular disease.

a. Structure and organization: Each network is built around a trasatlantic research alliance involving two network coordinators, the European Coordinator and the Norwth American Coordinator.  The coordinators are jointly responsible for the design of the research program, the composition of the network, the execution of the research plan, and the oversight and allocation of the budget.

b. Size: The size of the network may vary depending on the theme and on the type of research, and may not be determined fully at the outset.  Care should be taken in organizing the network to ensure that it does not get so large as to become unwieldy. As a general recommendation, the total number of institutions should not be greater than six.  All network applicants must demonstrate, in the application, how the composition of the network advances the scientific objectives of the research program. Applicants proposing to include more than six institutions in the network should discuss directly how the administrative and governance challenges associated with a larger network will be addressed.

c. Activities and Integration: With the objective of creating a virtual center of excellence, each network implements a joint program of activities, a research plan that capitalizes on the resources and multidisciplinary expertise in the network by coordinating an integrated, multi-centered approach to the thematic research questions.

d. Eligibility: Participants must have expertise in cardiovascular, neurovascular disease, or a related field, and must be affiliated with an academic research center.  The North American Coordinator must be based geographically in North America, ant the European Coordinator in Europe. The program is now open to investigators worldwide, with the exception of the coordinator role, as decribed above. The foundation has established the following rules for investigators who may wish to participate in multiple Leducq Transatlantic Networks:

       -Network coordinators cannot participate concurrently in any other Leducq network, in any capacity.

       - Network members may not participate in more than two Leducq networks concurrently. This rule applies onlty to the 5-year term of the grant, and not to the no-cost extension period that networks may wish to persue.

f. Funding scheme: Networks are awarded up to $6MM over 5 years.Budgets should be justified based upon the extent to which funds are needed to develop the network and to put into action the joint program of activities. It is expected that Foundation Leducq funding will be used in large part, though not exlusively, to creat and support the network. The commitment to early-career investigators demonstrated in the budget will figure importantly in the evaluation process, and applications with budgets weighted disproportionately to paying salaries of senior investigators will be viewed unfavorably.

g. Deadline:

       -Full application deadline:

               * VHIR's deadline: February 7th, 2018.

               * Official deadline: February 14th, 2018.

h. More information: HERE