The ERA-NET NEURON aims to coordinate and optimize research efforts and funding programmes in the field of mental, neurological, and sensory disorders. This NEURON joint transnational call aims to fund research addressing neurobiological mechanistic understanding of vulnerability and resilience to mental disorders. Research areas may cover a broad range of aspects including among others genetic, epigenetic, anatomical, molecular, immunological, and endocrine mechanisms. Proposals aiming at developing predictive, preventative, diagnostic and/or therapeutic approaches with the potential to enhance resilience based on known or hypothesized neurobiological mechanisms are within the scope of this call, as are proposals to understand the neurobiological basis of therapeutic technologies promoting resilience.
Details of this scheme
Research proposals should cover at least one of the following areas:
- Fundamental research addressing mental health vulnerability and resilience including the pathogenesis, aetiology, progression, treatment, and prevention of mental diseases initiated by exposure to adverse environmental challenges. This may include the use of knowledge on neurobiological mechanisms for the development of innovative technologies with the potential to promote mental health, reduce the incidence of mental disorders and improve clinical outcomes.
- Clinical research addressing mental health vulnerability and resilience aiming to develop novel strategies for prevention, diagnosis, patient stratification, therapy and/or rehabilitation for mental diseases initiated by exposure to adverse environmental challenges. This may include research proposals aiming at the identification of neurobiological targets to enhance resilience. Applicants should demonstrate that they have the expertise and skills required to conduct the study including already established external collaborations.
Who can apply?
This is a joint transnational call: applicants must apply as part of a transnational consortium.
Researchers from Ireland can apply as coordinators or partners. If successful, researchers from Ireland will be funded by the Health Research Board up to the maximum amount for the call. Applicants applying for funding from Ireland must be based at an eligible HRB Host Institution.
Individual country partners/coordinators should confirm eligibility with their national funding organisation contact point.
Main Eligibility Criteria:
- Only transnational projects will be funded.
- Each consortium submitting a proposal must involve three to five principal investigator (PI) partners (referred to as partners below) from at least three different participating countries. In specific cases this can be increased to six partners as follows: the inclusion of partners from participating countries usually underrepresented in project (Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden and Türkiye).
- The inclusion of Early Career Researchers as full partners (see section 5.6) is highly encouraged and will be part of the evaluation criteria.
- No more than two eligible partners from the same country can be present in each consortium; further national/regional limits may apply, see “Guidelines for Applicants”. PAOs requesting funding do not count toward the total.
- A single PI will represent each project partner.
How to apply?
Please review HRB’s guidance and FAQs on this page alongside the published text for full details of the aim, objectives and scope of the call on the ERA-NET Neuron Call Webpage:2023 ”Resilience and Vulnerability in Mental Health“ – ERA-NET NEURON (neuron-eranet.eu) .
To assist potential applicants in finding suitable partners, ERA-NET Neuron has established a new tool to increase networking. The partnering tool can be found at https://www.neuron-eranet.eu/resource-hub/networking-tools/partnering-tool/
Apply for this award
There will be a two-stage application procedure for applications. One joint proposal document (in English) shall be prepared by the partners and must be submitted to the Joint Call Secretariat by the Coordinator via the electronic proposal system PT-Outline (ptoutline.eu).
Contact us
For general information, please contact the Joint Call Secretariat (JCS):
German Aerospace Centre project Management Agency, DLR-PT
Dr Sophia Schach
E-mail: neuron-eranet(at)dlr.de
For country-specific information for Irish Partners, please contact the HRB, Ireland:
Harriet Lovett
Email: eujointprogrammes(at)hrb.ie
Funding available
The HRB will provide funding for projects up to a maximum of €370,000 (inclusive of overheads) to the ERA-NET Neuron awards. Additional funding of up to €130,000 will be made available for coordination activities (excludes equipment and consumables), bringing the total maximum funding to €500,000 for coordinators.
Length of Award
36 Months