Opening of a call for European working groups on neurodegenerative diseases
Neurodegenerative diseases are debilitating, frequently chronic and closely linked to age. In Europe, some seven million people are reportedly affected by Alzheimer's disease or related disorders. This figure is expected to double every twenty years due to ageing of the population. Consequently, better coordination of European research is a necessity. The JPND is currently the largest global research initiative addressing this major challenge for our societies. Involving 28 European countries, its aim is to pool the research and funding efforts in order to be as effective as possible in the fight against neurodegenerative diseases, and Alzheimer's disease in particular. To achieve this, the JPND member organisations are launching calls for collaborative proposals on targeted themes.
Improving cohort studies
For the first time the JPND is launching a "rapid" action with the aim of funding working groups which will study ways of improving the existing cohorts in this field. The studies on cohorts of patients allow advances to be made in the understanding of the risk factors involved in the development and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. A number of methodological challenges do however remain to be taken up.
Within the framework of the working groups that will be set up, scientific leaders will be brought to work together for short periods of time in order to provide guidelines and/or frames of good practices with a view to optimising the utilisation of the cohorts of people suffering from these diseases.
Transnational groups set up for six months at the most
The call is therefore intended for eminent scientists from any JPND member country. The working group coordinator must however come from one of the countries that contribute to the funding of this particular initiative, that is to say Germany (to be confirmed), Denmark, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Sweden.
Each group can receive up to €50 k funding for a maximum period of six months. The funding will cover the costs of the meetings and trips necessary for the group's activities and the organisation of two small workshops. Only transnational groups will be funded: each proposal must involve participants from at least three of the 28 member countries of the JPND.
The deadline for submitting the dossiers is 17th June 2014.
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