EU FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT TIPS

Research topics

1. The host-pathogen interactions, with regard to clinically relevant microbial clones, focused on host susceptibility (e.g., innate immune response, populations at risk, etc.).
2. Development of innovative strategies for the diagnostic and treatment of high clinically relevant microbial infections; optimisation of antimicrobial therapy in an individual patient and development of biomarkers to allow individual response prediction.

Specific challenge: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the largest cause of death in the EU and account for 40% of deaths or 2 million deaths per year. Overall CVD is estimated to cost the EU economy almost EUR 110 billion a year, and they are also one of the leading causes of long term sickness and loss to the labour market. CVD is therefore a major health problem in every country in Europe.

Scope: Proposals should coordinate national and regional programmes for research in the area cardiovascular research by implementing a transnational call with EU co-funding resulting in grants to third parties. Moreover, proposals should also aim at the better collaboration and alignment of national programmes and activities and should provide concrete plans for decreasing fragmentation, for data sharing, for addressing hurdles for effective coordination, for involving stakeholders and relevant existing initiatives. The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of a minimum of EUR 5 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Expected impact:

·         Stepping up funding of transnational collaborative research projects in the area of cardiovascular research;

·         Identification of common research priorities and research needs, also taking into account developments on the international level where relevant;

·         Establishment and/or implementation of a common strategic research agenda;

·         Development and alignment of national and regional plans;

·         Streamlined national or regional practices in organising research funding;

·         Increased interoperability of national research programmes;

·         Prioritisation of transnational research;

·         Sharing of data and knowledge;

·         Networking of infrastructures and databases;

·         Contribution to the establishment of the ERA by addressing issues related for example to administrative hurdles, IPR management and different practices regarding resource sharing.