The EU Joint Programme – Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND) will launch a call for Working Groups in November. The call for proposal is addressing the impact of COVID-19 on Neurodegenerative Diseases research.

Grant type

One grant type is available within this call: working groups. The Working Groups will be funded for up to 9 months with 50.000 EURO. The grant will not fund direct research activities instead it will fund working groups and cover their expenses (e.g., meetings and travel costs). The working groups must provide outputs of value to the broader research community, such as best-practice guidelines and methodological frameworks.

Focus of the research

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on almost all aspects of our life and will most likely result in major long-lasting changes in the future. These changes include how research on neurodegenerative disease is conducted during and after the pandemic. Patients suffering from neurodegenerative disease are among the most vulnerable to COVID-19 infections and the measures of social distancing and quarantine.

To address this challenge, JPND will launch a call for scientists in the field to establish Working Groups dedicated to discuss research strategies that concern the impact of COVID-19 on the development and progression of neurodegenerative disease as well as on the care of persons with neurodegenerative diseases.

Practical requirements

For Forte to approve Swedish applicants, the applicant must have completed a doctoral degree. To be able to apply for a grant, a Swedish university or another research funding body must administrate the funding and have an organisational account in Prisma. The administering organisation should apply for this in due time via Prisma.

Forte’s criteria for administering organisations »

Time plan

This will be a one-step call, expected to launch in November 2021, with a likely submission deadline at mid of December 2021. Swedish researchers apply via JPND, where more information will be published shortly.