ERA-NET NEURON Preannouncement of 2020 Calls on Neuroethics and Sensory Disorders
ERA-NET NEURON, the Network of European Funding for Neuroscience Research, has published Preliminary Announcements of two new Calls which will be launched in January 2020 – the 2020 Neuroethics (ELSA) Call, and the 2020 Sensory Disorders Call.
The Neuroethics ELSA Call will fund multilateral research projects in the field of ethical, legal, and social aspects (ELSA) of Neuroscience. The following funding organisations are intending to participate:
Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique -FNRS (F.R.S.-FNRS), Belgium
Canadian Institutes of Health Research – Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (CIHR-INMHA), Canada
Fonds de Recherche du Quebec – Sante (FRQS), Canada
Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany
State Education Development Agency (VIAA), Latvia
Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), Portugal (decision on participation pending)
National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII), Spain
Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), Switzerland
Final details of the participating funding organisations will be published in the Call text. The aim of the Call is to facilitate multinational, collaborative research projects that will address important questions regarding ethical, philosophical, legal and socio-cultural aspects related to the neurosciences and their recent advances. Subjects under this general heading include but are not limited to:
1. The consequences of the development of neuroscientific diagnostic methods (eg handling of incidental findings; the “right not to know”; very early disease prediction before symptoms occur; diagnosis in absence of treatment options; interactions between socio-culturally diverse patients and health personnel; availability of novel expensive methods)
2. Clinical research with patients suffering from neurological or psychiatric diseases (eg developing tools to improve the assessment of decision-making capacity of patients, analysis of legal measures to protect those who do not have the capacity to consent)
3. Intelligent technologies and close human-machine interaction (eg Ambient Assisted Living, Brain-Computer Interfaces, machine learning); personality changes as side effects of neurological or psychiatric therapies (eg Deep Brain Stimulation; brain implants)
4. Use of brain data; biobanking of neural tissue (eg tissue donation, deceased donor, data protection, possible consequences for relatives)
5. Brain interventions in legal contexts (eg “brain reading” for the detection of deception; brain intervention of offenders; psychosurgery; insurance law)
6. The impact of modern neuroscience on traditional philosophical questions, concepts and theories regarding fundamental aspects of human nature (eg the relationship between mind and brain, the nature of consciousness, self- and personal identity, free will)
7. Neuroenhancement such as alteration of mental states (cognitive, affective) and abilities (eg cognition, sleep, appetite, sexual behaviour) in healthy subjects by pharmacological or by electrical/magnetic brain stimulation
8. Abnormal behaviour reduced to deviant brain states (eg expansion of the concept of neurotypical brain and illness; seeing psychiatric symptoms merely as specific neurochemical imbalances)
9. Societal and cultural changes induced by neuroscientific knowledge and its application
Joint transnational research proposals may be submitted by research teams working in universities (or other higher education institutions), non-university public research institutes, hospitals and other health care settings, as well as in commercial companies, particularly small and medium-size enterprises. All scientific disciplines and stakeholders, which are relevant for the specific ELSA-research question, should be integrated. This could be for instance experts from the fields of neuroscience, psychology, medicine, informatics, engineering, philosophy, theology, law, social sciences, cultural studies or healthcare economy. Depending on the research question, it may also be necessary to integrate (pharmaceutical) industry, health insurances, patients, relatives, patient representatives or other groups of persons who are directly affected.
Only transnational projects will be funded. Each consortium submitting a proposal must be comprised of a minimum of two (and a maximum of five) research groups from at least two different countries eligible for funding by organisations listed in the Call text.
This Call is expected to open on 8 January 2020 with a deadline for proposals of 28 April 2020 (14:00 CET).
The 2020 Sensory Disorders Call will fund multilateral research projects in the field of Sensory Disorders. Sensory disorders cover a broad range of often debilitating conditions and are major causes of morbidity and impaired quality of life. The following funding organisations are intending to participate in the Call:
Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique-FNRS (F.R.S.-FNRS), Belgium
Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO), Belgium
Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS) (Québec), Canada
Canadian Institutes of Health Research – Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction (CIHR-INMHA), Canada
French National Research Agency (ANR), France (to be confirmed)
Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany
General Secretariat for Research and Technology (GSRT), Greece (to be confirmed)
Ministry of Health (CSO-MOH), Israel
Ministry of Health (MOH), Italy
State Education Development Agency (VIAA), Latvia
The Research Council of Norway (RCN), Norway (to be confirmed)
National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR), Poland (to be confirmed)
Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development & Innovation Funding (UEFISCDI), Romania
Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS), Slovakia
National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII), Spain
Spanish State Research Agency (AEI), Spain
Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), Switzerland
The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), Turkey (to be confirmed)
The aim of the Call is to facilitate multinational, collaborative research projects that will address important questions related to sensory disorders and their impact on the nervous system. They may include, among others, research into all the sensory modalities including the somatosensory system. Research questions addressing synergies across modalities and multisensory dysfunction are also encouraged in this Call.
Proposals should focus on impairment and/or loss of sensory function of neural origin. The proposals may include studies on sensory neurons, including receptor cells, the related neural pathways and connected brain areas. Research on accessory, non-neural parts of sensory organs is not the main focus of the Call, and may be included only if they have a significant impact on the nervous system. Research questions may encompass the entire lifespan.
Research proposals should cover at least one of the following areas:
Fundamental research addressing the pathogenesis and etiology of sensory disorders. This may include the development of innovative or shared resources and technologies. The relevance of the research to sensory systems disorders must be clearly described. Pre-clinical studies may be included. Any animal or cell models should already be established and validated.
Clinical research to develop novel strategies for prevention, diagnosis, patient stratification, therapy and/or rehabilitation for sensory disorders.
Only transnational projects will be funded. Each consortium submitting a proposal must be comprised of a minimum of three (and a maximum of five) research partners eligible for funding by participating organisations. The eligible research partners must be from at least three different countries. Consortia including partners from underrepresented countries (Latvia, Romania and Slovakia) may increase the total number of partners to six.
The Call is expected to open on 8 January 2020 with a deadline for pre-proposals of 10 March 2020 (14:00 CET).
More information about this research funding opportunity and the application process is available on the RESEARCHconnect funding information platform. RESEARCHconnect provides up-to-the minute content, insight and analysis on research funding news and policy. To find out more about how RESEARCHconnect can keep you in the know, and subscription fees, contact us today.