Europe tackles neurodegeneration
Considering the increase in life expectancy, the incidence of age-related neurodegeneration is expected to steadily increase, incurring billions of euros in healthcare costs. Although our understanding of the mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases has greatly improved, no effective treatment exists to stop brain function deterioration. There is an urgent need for new treatments and preventive strategies. To address this, 28 EU countries launched the first Joint Programming Initiative (JPI) on combating neurodegenerative diseases (JPND). http://www.jpnd.eu. (JPND) was a novel collaborative approach among European countries with a shared vision to speed up progress in neurodegeneration research. The EU-funded (JUMPAHEAD) (Coordination action in support of the implementation of a Joint Programming Initiative for combating neurodegenerative diseases, in particular Alzheimer’s disease) project was initiated to support the implementation of the pilot JPND programme. JUMPAHEAD members coordinated the investment on research studies aimed at delineating the causes of neurodegeneration, developing cures, as well as healthcare strategies. To facilitate JPND activities, they developed and implemented a strategic research agenda (SRA) to guide research activity in Europe over the next ten years. For reviewing future grant applications, an outstanding international scientific advisory board (SAB) was established, which consisted of eighteen top-ranking scientists across the EU. JUMPAHEAD managed to secure a total of 100 million EUR of funding alongside national expertise and resources from participating countries. It set common procedures for joint transnational calls (JTCs) and created a research mapping database available on the JPND website. All funding organisations were asked to prioritise SRA topics in a survey leading to the delivery of a phase 1 JPND SRA implementation plan that included six JTCs. In total, 30 collaborations among 242 research groups were funded since 2012. A seventh call on longitudinal cohort studies was launched in 2014 and resulted in 10 funded proposals. Taken together, the activities of the JUMPAHEAD initiative are anticipated to minimise research fragmentation in Europe and provide the basis for integrated efforts in neurodegeneration research.
Keywords
Neurodegeneration, research, JPI, JPND, SRA, funding
