Please note: There are two German funding organisations (the Federal Ministry of Education and Research BMBF and DFG). Proposals selected for funding will be assigned to BMBF and DFG by the management organisations. Applicants from non-university research institutes are strongly advised to follow BMBF regulations, whereas applicants from universities should refer to the DFG's funder-specific information.
The present call aims to fund preclinical and clinical research up to proof-of-concept clinical studies addressing the pathophysiology and therapeutic developments for neurological or psychiatric disorders associated with bidirectional brain-body interactions. Research areas may cover a broad range of aspects such as genetic, epigenetic and molecular mechanisms of disease. They may include research on the role of the immune system, gut and microbiome, metabolic system, autonomic system, hormonal system in neurological or psychiatric disorders, without ruling out others, e.g. the role of body representation in the brain. The development of preventive, diagnostic and/or therapeutic approaches including pharmacological studies and technological developments based on pathophysiological mechanisms are within the scope of the call.
There will be a two-stage procedure for joint proposals: pre-proposals and proposals. In both cases, one joint proposal document (in English) shall be prepared by the partners of a joint transnational proposal and must be submitted by the coordinator to the Joint Call Secretariat at the Spanish State Research Agency (Agencia Estatal de Investigación - AEI). The submission deadline for pre-proposals is 8 March 2024.
