Introduction

This call is limited to disorders, which show their first manifestations before the end of adolescence and impair the development and the function of the nervous system. Research on the continuation or progression of those symptoms with a lifetime perspective is allowed if addressing the consequences of disorders starting before adolescence.

Research areas may cover a broad range of aspects associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, e.g. genetics, epigenetics, molecular mechanism of disease, neural circuits implicated in the pathophysiology, the relevance of prenatal and environmental factors including 'in utero' environment, the role of non-neuronal cells, resilience factors, or the development of treatments or diagnostic approaches specific for the developing nervous system or paediatric populations, including digital health innovations as well as other cross-sectional aspects of these diseases. The call will accept research proposals ranging from understanding basic mechanisms of neurodevelopmental disorders through proof-of-concept clinical studies in humans.

Call Objectives

The overall objectives of the call are to:

• Facilitate multinational, collaborative research projects that will address important translational questions relating to the neurodevelopmental nature of neurological and mental disorders.
• Support the investigation in manifestations of mental disorders before the end of adolescence.
• Promote interdisciplinary work and translational research proposals that combine basic and clinical approaches.
• Encourage the collaboration across different disciplines including both clinicians and fundamental neuroscientists.
• Encourage novel, ambitious ideas that can only be achieved by the complementary collaboration between partners.

Call Options

Research proposals should cover at least one of the following areas:

1. Fundamental research addressing the pathogenesis, aetiology, susceptibility, and resilience mechanisms of neurodevelopmental disorders. This may include the development of innovative or shared resources and technologies that are relevant for neurodevelopmental disorders.
2. Clinical research to develop novel strategies for prevention, diagnosis, patient stratification, therapy and/or rehabilitation for neurodevelopmental disorders.

Duration: Maximum 36 months

Budget

Eligible costs and funding provisions may vary according to the respective funding organisation's regulations. Applicants must refer and adhere to their own specific national regulations and scientific remits as detailed in the National Announcements.

Only transnational projects will be funded.

• Each consortium submitting a proposal must be comprised of a minimum of three research partners eligible for funding by organisations listed in this call text, and with a maximum of five partners including partners participating with their own expenses.
• The eligible research partner must be from at least three different participating countries. No more than two consortium partners can be from the same country. 
• Consortia including at least one partner from countries that are to date underrepresented in this funding scheme (Latvia, Hungary, Romania, Turkey, and Slovakia) may increase the total number of partners to six.  

Participating Countries: Belgium; Croatia; Estonia; Finland; France; Germany; Hungary; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Latvia; Norway; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Slovakia; Spain; Switzerland; Taiwan; Turkey.

There will be two-stage procedure for joint applications: pre-proposals and full proposals. On both cases, one joint proposal document (in English) shall be prepared by the partners of a joint. Pre-proposals must be submitted using the electronic proposal submission link. 

- Pre-proposal deadline: 9 March, 2021 (14:00 CET).

- By mid-May 2021, the coordinators of the selected proposals will be invited by the Joint Call Secretariat to submit a full proposal before 30th June 2021 (14:00 CET).

In case of interest, please contact lnorton(ELIMINAR)@fsjd.org