EP BrainHealth Call 1 | Biological, social and environmental factors that impact the trajectory of brain health across the lifespan – in the field of ...

Overview

The European Partnership for Brain Health (EP BrainHealth) is offering a competitive grant funding opportunity totaling €26.26 million aimed at fostering multinational, interdisciplinary research focused on brain health. This call, titled "Biological, social, and environmental factors that impact the trajectory of brain health across the lifespan," specifically targets neurological, mental, and sensory disorders while excluding neurodegenerative conditions, which are covered under a separate call.

Eligible applicants include research institutions, universities, and other research organizations that must collaborate in consortia. Each consortium must consist of a minimum of three research partners from at least three different participating countries, with at least two partners from EU Member or Associated States. The consortium size is capped at six partners, and no more than two partners can originate from the same country to maintain transnational balance.

The call prioritizes research that integrates biological, social, and environmental factors affecting brain health trajectories. Applicants must address at least two of three specified factors: biological factors like genetics and neuroplasticity, lifestyle/social issues such as education and socioeconomic status, and environmental influences including pollution and climate change. Furthermore, projects should explore at least two among three focal aspects: mechanisms of action, early recognition and diagnosis, and prevention or treatment interventions.

This opportunity is structured as a two-stage application process, starting with a pre-proposal followed by a full proposal. Both stages involve a peer review process conducted by independent reviewers, ensuring compliance with ethical standards within Horizon Europe guidelines. An independent observer will oversee this review process.

The application window opens on January 8, 2026, with two rolling deadlines: March 10, 2026, and June 30, 2026. Although a mandatory co-funding requirement is not specified, additional funding from other sources is permitted. Success rates for applications are not explicitly mentioned but generally span 10-15% across Horizon Europe initiatives.

In summary, the EP BrainHealth Call 1 promotes collaborative, innovative research to better understand the factors influencing brain health across all ages. Through this initiative, the aim is to enhance knowledge that could lead to improved patient care and better health outcomes.

Detail

The European Partnership for Brain Health (EP BrainHealth) is offering funding to facilitate multinational, collaborative, and interdisciplinary research addressing critical translational questions related to brain health. The call, titled "Biological, social and environmental factors that impact the trajectory of brain health across the lifespan – in the field of neurological, mental and sensory disorders," aims to combine a holistic approach to brain health with in-depth biological understanding.

The opening date for submissions is January 8, 2026. There are multiple cut-off deadlines: March 10, 2026, and June 30, 2026, both at 14:00 (Brussels time). The total funding available is 26,260,000.00 EUR. The project acronym is EP BrainHealth, and the full name of the EU-funded project is EUROPEAN PARTNERSHIP FOR BRAIN HEALTH (EP BRAINHEALTH). The grant agreement number is 101259512. The topic is HORIZON-HLTH-2025-02-DISEASE-01 - European Partnership for Brain Health.

Applications should address how biological, social, and environmental factors affect the trajectory of neurological, mental, and sensory disorders across the lifespan. Applications addressing predominantly neurodegenerative disorders should be submitted to the EP BrainHealth call 2, dedicated to these diseases. Applications addressing risk factors that are shared between mental health, neurological, mental and sensory disorders on the one hand, and neurodegenerative disorders on the other are encouraged and should be submitted to the call that best suits their project. Applying with the same proposal to both EP BrainHealth calls is not allowed. Applications must be interdisciplinary and address at least two of the three factors impacting brain health trajectories in the field of neurological, mental and sensory disorders.

The three main factors are:

1. Biological factors: genetics, epigenetics, -omics, neuroplasticity, inflammation, infection, synaptogenesis, circuits, vascular factors, sensory impairment, co-morbidities.
2. Lifestyle and social factors: exercise/activity, nutrition, sleep, smoking, alcohol and drug abuse, work (income, employment), socio-economic background/status, race/ethnicity, sex and gender, education, safety, social interactions (family/friends), access to healthcare, stress, trauma, migration.
3. Environmental factors: pollution/contaminants, urbanicity, disasters, pandemics, war/conflicts, climate change, microbiota, nature.

In addition, applications must investigate at least two of the following aspects:

1. Mechanisms of action of the identified factors.
2. Early recognition, diagnosis, and prognosis linked to the identified factors.
3. Prevention/treatments/interventions/technological development/care and support linked to the identified factors.

Important aspects to consider:

*  Applications should investigate how factors impact brain health trajectories along the life course.
*  Outcomes benefiting the quality of life of patients and their carers are of special importance and should be explicitly defined and stated.
*  Applications focusing on disability, gender, ethical, cultural, and socio-economic aspects are encouraged.
*  Approaches such as integration of multimodal data, use of accessible wearable technologies (e.g. mobile devices), artificial intelligence/digital twins, and drug repurposing are particularly welcome.

Excluded topics:

*  Applications focusing on cancers.
*  Applications addressing predominantly research questions in the field of the EP BrainHealth call 2 (neurodegeneration).

Each consortium should have the critical mass to achieve the identified scientific goals and should specify the benefit of working together. Applicants should demonstrate that they have the expertise and range of skills required to conduct the research project or that appropriate collaborations are in place. Leveraging expertise from fields outside brain health research, which can introduce innovative approaches, is encouraged. The added value to ongoing activities and the expected impact on research, medical applications, improved patient well-being, health-related outcomes, and benefits for society should be explicitly stated. If a proposal is complementary to research already funded or submitted to other funding initiatives, it must be stated how EP BrainHealth funding can supplement the ongoing activities. Double funding is not permitted.

Only transnational projects will be funded. Each consortium submitting a proposal must involve a minimum of three research partners eligible for funding by organizations listed in the call text. The eligible research partners must be from at least three different participating countries and including at least two EU Member or Associated States. The total number of research partners in a consortium is limited to six, including partners participating at their own expenses. For reasons of transnational balance, no more than two partners from the same country are allowed to join a proposal. Gender balance among the partners of a consortium is encouraged.

Proposals may be submitted by applicants strictly according to the eligibility criteria laid down in the call documents and the respective national regulations provided as annexes to the call text.

The review process will be in two stages: a pre-proposal step (first stage) and a full proposal step (second stage). In both steps, each proposal will be assigned to at least three reviewers. All reviewers are required to declare the absence of conflict of interest (CoI) and must refrain from reviewing an application or from discussing a proposal for which a conflict has been identified. Proposals will be ranked according to the evaluation results, and the selection will be made on the basis of this ranking. Only proposals complying with all central Horizon Europe and regional/national ethical requirements will be funded.

An independent observer will be appointed. The independent observer will be an internationally recognized expert who will assess the conformity of the implementation of the joint call and, in particular, review the proper implementation of the independent international peer review and the establishment of the ranking list of transnational projects. The observer’s assessment report will be submitted to the European Commission.

Applicants can appeal against the evaluation outcome if they suspect a breach in the application of the evaluation and selection procedures. Requests must:

*  be related to the evaluation process or eligibility checks;
*  include a clear description of the grounds for complaint;
*  be received by the Joint Call Secretariat within the time limit specified, i.e., 7 days after the date of dispatch of the evaluation outcome.

The redress cannot call into question the scientific or technical judgment of appropriately qualified experts. The proposal outcome email containing the results of the evaluation will give information on the appeal procedure. Upon receipt of an appeal, an acknowledgment of receipt will be sent by the call secretariat. The acknowledgment will report the redress process and the anticipated date by which a decision on the appeal will be communicated to the appellant. All appeals received by the 7 calendar days deadline will be processed together, and the decision will be communicated to the appellant within 7 calendar days from the deadline for submitting the appeals. The redress procedure outlined here does not overrule national appeal rights and procedures.

This funding opportunity from the European Partnership for Brain Health (EP BrainHealth) supports collaborative, interdisciplinary research projects that aim to improve our understanding of brain health across the lifespan. The focus is on neurological, mental, and sensory disorders, and projects should investigate how biological, social, and environmental factors influence the development and progression of these conditions. The call encourages innovative approaches, such as the use of AI, wearable technologies, and multimodal data integration, to develop new methods for early diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and care. Ultimately, the goal is to improve the quality of life for patients and their caregivers by addressing critical translational questions in brain health research.

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Breakdown

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are research partners eligible for funding by organisations listed in the call text.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is required. Each consortium must involve a minimum of three research partners eligible for funding from at least three different participating countries, including at least two EU Member or Associated States. The total number of research partners in a consortium is limited to six, including partners participating at their own expenses.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and Associated States. The consortium must include partners from at least three different participating countries, with at least two being EU Member or Associated States.

Target Sector: The target sector is health, specifically focusing on brain health, neurological disorders, mental disorders, and sensory disorders.

Mentioned Countries: EU Member States, EU Associated States.

Project Stage: The project stage is translational research, aiming to address critical translational questions related to brain health.

Funding Amount: The total funding available is €26,260,000. The funding range per project is variable, depending on the specific call documents and national regulations.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with multiple cut-off dates.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant.

Application Stages: The application process involves two stages: a pre-proposal step (first stage) and a full proposal step (second stage).

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required. Applicants should refer to the call documents and national regulations for specific requirements.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for proposals under the European Partnership for Brain Health (EP BrainHealth), aiming to fund multinational, collaborative, and interdisciplinary research projects. The call focuses on understanding how biological, social, and environmental factors affect the trajectory of neurological, mental, and sensory disorders across the lifespan. The call specifically encourages applications that address at least two of the three factors impacting brain health trajectories: biological, lifestyle/social, and environmental factors. Additionally, applications must investigate at least two of the following aspects: mechanisms of action, early recognition/diagnosis/prognosis, and prevention/treatments/interventions/technological development/care and support.

The call requires a consortium of at least three eligible research partners from three different participating countries, including at least two EU Member or Associated States, with a maximum of six partners in total. The review process involves two stages: pre-proposal and full proposal. An independent observer will assess the implementation of the call and the peer review process. Applicants can appeal the evaluation outcome if they suspect a breach in the evaluation procedures. The total funding available for this call is €26,260,000. The opening date for submissions is January 8, 2026, with deadline dates on March 10, 2026, and June 30, 2026.

Short Summary

Impact
The funding aims to improve understanding of brain health across the lifespan by addressing critical translational questions related to neurological, mental, and sensory disorders.
Applicant
Applicants should possess expertise in interdisciplinary research, particularly in biological, social, and environmental factors affecting brain health.
Developments
Funding will support research projects focusing on the impact of biological, social, and environmental factors on brain health trajectories.
Applicant Type
Research-focused organizations, including universities, research institutions, and research centers.
Consortium
A consortium of multiple applicants is required, with a minimum of three research partners from at least three different participating countries.
Funding Amount
The total funding available is €26,260,000, with individual project funding amounts variable based on project scope.
Countries
EU Member States and Associated States are relevant for this funding as it requires transnational collaboration.
Industry
Health sector, specifically targeting brain health research.

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