Network of European funding for neuroscience research - NEURON Cofund2

Brain-related diseases affect millions of people in Europe and worldwide, with increasing trends. They impose a societal and economic burden on patients, families and carers, and healthcare systems. Tackling them requires collaboration and concerted interaction among all relevant players. Based on a longstanding tradition, NEURON Cofund2 aims to align national and regional funding programmes and to build a basis for a global brain research area. It aims to advance research into the brain and nervous system diseases and ultimately alleviate the burden of disease. To this end, 26 partners from 22 countries across and beyond Europe will join forces with the European Commission and commit to invest 65-75 m€ over 5 years for translational research into mental disorders, neurological conditions (except neurodegeneration) and sensory disorders. To support brain research, annual joint calls for transnational interdisciplinary research consortia will be launched. The co-funded call in 2021 will tackle neurodevelopmental disorders, which originate in the particularly vulnerable group of children and adolescents and often persist throughout life. The joint commitment to this call is around 23-26 m€. The following calls will address other fields of nervous system disorders, and neuroethics. For additional support and improvement of research structure, the ERA-NET NEURON will cooperate with professional societies, pertinent other projects, patients and their representatives and stakeholders. On structural levels NEURON will enhance quality of research by reinforcing highest possible scientific standards of research approaches. This will include e.g. sharing of resources and data, and linking with ESFRI infrastructures. In particular, early career investigators will profit from networking activities and enabling measures for the interdisciplinary neuroscience community. The outcomes of the ERA-NET will be communicated on conferences, the NEURON website, and social media.