A presentation on JPND Joint Transnational Calls, delivered by Marlies Dorloechter, JPND Management Board Member, at the Month of the Brain confernce, May 14th, Brussels, 2013

1. Advanced Origami of Joint Transnational
Calls – NEURON and JPND
PD Dr. Marlies Dorlöchter
PT-DLR
14/05/2013
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/43/Origami_ball.jpg/220px-Origami_ball.jpg

2. European programme level collaboration for the
benefit of brain research
ERA-NET scheme (FP6, 2002):
„…cooperation and coordination of … activities carried out at national or
regional level in the Member States and Associated States through the
networking … at national or regional level, and the mutual opening of
national and regional research programmes.“
Joint Programming (Council decision, 2008):
„…structured and strategic process whereby Member States agree … on
common visions and Strategic Research Agendas (SRA) to address major
societal challenges. …Member States commit to Joint Programming
Initiatives (JPIs) where they implement together joint Strategic Research
Agendas.“

3. European programme level collaboration for the
benefit of brain research
Network of European funding for Neuroscience research
EU Joint Programme – Neurodegenerative Disease Research
NEURON JPND
Start
and first steps
2003
Specific Support Action,
FP6
2009
EU Council Decision, Joint
Programming pilot
Thematic scope disease-related
neuroscience
neurodegenerative
diseases
Partners/countries 21/16 27
Aims Develop and maintain a
transnational cooperation
and research funding
framework
Align and build upon
national research
programmes to increase
impact and effectiveness of
research efforts

4. Challenges: past – present - future
Acquiring a critical mass of partners willing to network
Gaining knowledge on diversity of national programmes
Building trust and understanding
Overcoming fragmentation
Thinking big

5. Critical mass of relevant partners
Traditional work situation
Before ERA-NET scheme
researchers - programme officers
After ERA-NET scheme
researchers - programme officers
 Information lacking on „who does what“ in Europe
 Idea of cooperation spread in ministries and funding agencies

6. Critical mass of relevant partners
Already existing bilateral collaboration between ministries in the area of
disease-related neurosciences built basis for NEURON
NEURON, 2003 – 2004
4 funding organisations
4 countries

7. Critical mass of relevant partners
Already existing bilateral collaboration between ministries in the area of
disease-related neurosciences built basis for NEURON
NEURON, 2003 – 2004
4 funding organisations
4 countries
NEURON, 2007 – 2011
18 funding organisations
13 countries

8. Critical mass of relevant partners
Already existing bilateral collaboration between ministries in the area of
disease-related neurosciences built basis for NEURON
NEURON, 2003 – 2004
4 funding organisations
4 countries
NEURON, 2007 – 2011
18 funding organisations
13 countries
NEURON II, 2012 – 2015
21 funding organisations
16 countries

9. Knowledge on diversity
of European programmes
Principles of funding
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
FWF
FNRS
FWO
IWT
GACR
ETF
ISF
FI
CSO-MOH
INSERM
HEA
AKA
MNiSW
MRC
DFG
BBSRC
ANCS-MECT
SRC
FNR
MOH
MEC
CNRS
Forsk
GIF
ANR
ZonMw
Hertie
VW
BMBF
ISCIII-FIS
LZP
KNAW
percent(top-down/bottom-up)
top-down
bottom-up
6
17
17
19
29
24
14
14
12
3
Principle of subsidiarity
Overcoming research deficiencies
Strengthening national innovation
Improving research structures
Scientific excellence
yes
no
21
21
25
29
12
12
8
5
4
28
Psychiatric diseases
Other neurological diseases
Cognitive and behavioural
neuroscience
Basic neuroscience
Neurodegenerative diseases
yes
no
Main focus
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
AKA
FWF
VW
FNRS
FWO
IWT
GACR
ISF
KNAW
BBSRC
ANR
CNRS
MNiSW
MEC
MRC
GIF
Forsk
FI
SRC
HRB
ANCS-MECT
MOH
FNR
HEA
LZP
CSO-MOH
Hertie
ZonMw
ISCIII-FIS
BMBF
percentage(basic/clinicalresearch)
clinical research
basic research
Funding activities in the area of disease-related neurosciecence from 33 private
and public organisations in 20 European countries
R. Girgenrath, M. Dorlöchter, 2008
‚top down‘ vs. ‚bottom up‘
‚clinical‘ vs. ‚basic‘ research Funding ‚priorities‘
Neurodeg. Dis.
Priority selection
Scientific excellence
Research structures
National innovation
National deficiencies
Subsidiarity principle
Basic neurosci.
Behav. Neurosci.
Neurol. diseases
Psych. diseases

10. Trust and Understanding
„….promote trust-building among programme managers in similar
scientific and technological areas“ (ERA-NET scheme, EC Commission)
2007, Berlin,
NEURON kickoff
meeting
2012, Malaga,
NEURON meeting
 Trust and mutual understanding („trust and fun“) are listed as important success
factors in ERA-NET evaluation report. Soft skills do matter…

11. Overcoming fragmentation: Joint activities -
e.g. transnational calls for proposals
 Scientific basis: Developing a common research agenda in
close connection to science community
Scientific
Advisory
Board
Mapping
Workshops
Online Consultations

12. Joint activities – calls for proposals
 Administrative basis: Consenting on procedures and
developing a best practice model
EligibilityPersonnel
Travel
Consumables
Equipment
Overhead Animals
Ad hoc
panel
plus
remote
Study
section
External (Peer)
Review
Remote Ad hoc
panel
Study section
plus remote
One-stage
proposal
selection
Two-stage
proposal
selection
Grant recipients
Universities
University
hospitals
Industry
Non-university
research
institute
Individual
researchers
Cross-
boarder
funding
Financial model
‚Mixed pot‘
‚Real
common
pot‘
‚Virtual
common
pot‘
Legal
framework

13. Implementation of thematically focussed joint calls for
proposals:
Number of proposals and involved research groups
NEURON: JPND:
- Neurodegeneration, 2008, 10.3 M € - Biomarker harmonisation, 2011, 13.6 M €
- Method development I, 2009, 9.8 M € - Risk factors, 2012, 19 M € committed
- Mental Disorders I, 2010, 9.4 M € - Health care systems, 2012, 9.8 M € committed
- Stroke, 2011, 9.7 M €
- Method development II, 2012, 10.5 M €
- Mental Disorders II, 2013, 11.1 M € committed
Benefits and added value, PIs quoted:
- flexible instrument
- little beaurocracy
- fast decision process
- high quality evaluation
- complex results only possible with
interdisciplinary and transnational
research
Joint activities – calls for proposals
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
N
eurodeg.
M
ethods
M
entaldis.
Stroke
M
ethods
M
entaldis.
proposals
research groups
Funded: 10-12 projects per call

14. Action Groups to determine transnational research needs
and opportunities in specific scientific areas (Longitudinal
Cohort Studies, Animal and Cell Models, Assisted Living Technologies)
Joint activities – others
Annual young scientist award for excellent paper in
neuroscience
Action Groups to promote engagement, commitment and
partnerships (e.g. industry, user and public involvement, EC)
Dialogue with large international collaborations and
societies (e.g. “Ambient Assisted Living, AAL”, “Roadmap to Mental Health,
ROAMER”, “European Brain Council, EBC”, “Federation of Neuroscience Societies,
FENS”)

15. Thinking big – the future
Big questions
strategic and political challenges
Is programme-level collaboration sustainable?
 Most ERA-NETs without EC funding shrink (financial, legal
hurdles), basic funding necessary through fees or EC contribution
How ‘reliable’ are national strategies?
 Changes in national strategies (e.g. after elections) affect
commitment
Does the financial crisis affect collaboration?
 In kind contributions and financial commitment to joint calls and
other joint activities decrease with national budget cuts

16. Thinking big – the future
Big goals
Continuing collaboration at programme level
 Maintain high added value through networking
Strengthenig research into brain functioning and diseases
 Raise awareness of extremely high burden of disease, societal challenge
Developing national programmes
 Increase coordinated investment: national and EC
Aligning programmes: national and EC
 Create and maintain good balance between uniformity and diversity
Acting globally
 Include partners beyond EU (Canada, USA, China already participating or
contacted)

17. Thank you for your attention!
Visit the JPND website:
http://www.jpnd.eu
http://www.neurodegenerationresearch.eu
Image references
wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/43/Origami_ball.jpg/220px-origami_ball.jpg
http://goorigami.com/images/modular-origami/Origami%2520Star-00400.jpg
http://images2.fitforfun.de/
www.freiepresse.de
www.faz.net/polopoly_fs/1.1248912!/image/2192589095.jpg_gen
Visit the NEURON website:
http://www.neuron-eranet.eu/