European Partnership for Brain Health

The European Partnership for Brain Health is a co-funded initiative under Horizon Europe designed to leverage transnational collaboration and innovation to address brain health, which is a significant cause of disability in Europe. The focus includes neurodegenerative diseases and mental health disorders, aiming to create a structured environment for research across Europe.

Eligible applicants encompass a broad spectrum, including various ministries responsible for research and health policies, regional funding agencies, healthcare providers, academic institutions, patient organizations, and industry representatives. This diversity is intended to foster multifaceted approaches to brain health issues.

The financial aspect is significant, with an approximate total budget of €150 million, of which the European Union contributes about €56.5 million. The funding mechanism is primarily a COFUND grant, and each project can receive between €6 million and €8 million based on the outlined needs. Consortia are required for applications, promoting cooperation among multiple stakeholders.

Geographically, the initiative is open to all EU Member States, countries associated with Horizon Europe, and third countries, enhancing its collaborative potential. Furthermore, the partnership aims to bridge gaps in brain health research and innovation, ensuring equitable access to care and fostering data-sharing practices.

The funding is available through a single-stage application process with a projected opening date of May 13, 2025, and a deadline set for June 3, 2025. Co-funding from national research programs is mandatory, with a fixed EU contribution regardless of the number of partners involved. The success metrics or rates of this funding opportunity are not explicitly stated.

Overall, the initiative aims to address the enormity of the economic burden caused by brain disorders, estimated at €798 billion annually, while aligning with broader European health strategies. It emphasizes cooperation among diverse stakeholders to enhance research capabilities, improve healthcare delivery, and develop innovative solutions for brain health challenges.

The European Commission is offering funding opportunities under the Horizon Europe Programme, specifically within the Partnerships in Health (2025) call. The focus is on the European Partnership for Brain Health, aiming to tackle diseases and reduce disease burden. There are two specific topics under this call: HORIZON-HLTH-2025-02-DISEASE-01 and HORIZON-HLTH-2025-02-DISEASE-02, both are HORIZON-COFUND HORIZON Programme Cofund Actions.

The HORIZON-HLTH-2025-02-DISEASE-01 topic has a total indicative budget of 150,000,000 EUR, distributed as follows: 56,500,000 EUR in 2025, 46,500,000 EUR in 2026 and 47,000,000 EUR in 2027. The HORIZON-HLTH-2025-02-DISEASE-02 topic has a total indicative budget of 77,000,000 EUR. Both topics follow a single-stage submission process. The opening date for submissions is May 13, 2025, and the deadline for submissions is June 3, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of this partnership include strengthening the EU's position as a driver of brain health research, aligning research policies, enhancing collaboration among stakeholders, improving the knowledge framework for transnational research, ensuring equitable access to diagnosis and care for people living with brain disorders, and establishing coordinated multi-stakeholder collaborations at the national level.

The scope of the partnership involves contributing to the priorities of the "Healthier Together - EU Non-Communicable Diseases Initiative," the Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe, the EU4Health Programme, and the Communication on the European Care Strategy. It also aims to foster data sharing, boost FAIR and open data principles, and contribute to the implementation of the European Health Data Space (EHDS).

The partnership should be implemented based on the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) and through a joint program of activities, including coordinating and funding transnational research, facilitating data sharing and analysis, promoting harmonization and standardization efforts, providing input to shape research infrastructures, and conducting networking, training, and dissemination activities.

The main objectives of the partnership include strengthening collaboration, jointly supporting research and innovation, facilitating the use of infrastructures and platforms, bridging with healthcare providers and the private sector, empowering citizens and patients, and building capacity in research.

The partnership is open to all EU Member States, countries associated with Horizon Europe, and third countries. Key actors to be included are Ministries in charge of R&I policy, health and care policy, academic researchers, research infrastructures, patient organizations, industry, research and technology organizations, the private sector, and charities.

The partnership should build on existing initiatives such as the EU Joint Programme for Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND), the Network of European Funding for Neuroscience Research (NEURON), the Human Brain Project (HBP), EBRAINS, BrainHealth, and the European Brain Research Area (EBRA).

The governance structure should engage relevant actors to coordinate research and innovation activities and facilitate the use and uptake of results. Transparency in governance is essential. The partnership is expected to collaborate with other Horizon Europe partnerships and missions, as well as other EU programs like EU4Health and the Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL). It should align with EU-wide initiatives on open access and FAIR data, including the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC).

Cooperation with international organizations, the private sector, and non-European institutions is encouraged. Proposals should pool financial resources from participating national research programs to implement joint calls for transnational proposals. The effective contribution of social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines and the integration of sex and gender considerations are crucial. The expected duration of the partnership is seven to ten years.

The general conditions for participation include admissibility conditions, eligible countries, financial and operational capacity, and exclusion criteria, as described in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. The evaluation and award process will consider excellence, impact, and implementation, with specific thresholds for each criterion. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants, with a maximum amount of EUR 3.00 million per third party. The funding rate is up to 30% of the eligible costs.

Applicants are advised to consult the HE Programme Guide, Model Grant Agreement (MGA), call-specific instructions, and annual work program for detailed guidance. Support is available through the Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, and CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk.

In summary, this opportunity is a call for proposals under the Horizon Europe Programme to establish a co-funded European Partnership for Brain Health. It aims to create a collaborative framework for research and innovation in brain health, addressing neurological and mental disorders, and promoting brain health across the lifespan. The partnership seeks to align research policies, enhance collaboration among stakeholders, improve access to diagnosis and care, and translate research results into accessible products and interventions. The call is open to a wide range of stakeholders, including research funders, healthcare providers, industry, patient organizations, and policymakers, and encourages international cooperation and the integration of social sciences and humanities. The total budget for the two topics is significant, reflecting the importance of brain health research in the EU's broader health strategy.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types for this opportunity are diverse and include: Ministries in charge of R&I policy, national and regional R&I and technology funding agencies and foundations, Ministries in charge of health and care policy, national and regional healthcare authorities, organisations and providers, academic researchers, research infrastructures, patients organisations, industry, research and technology organisations, private sector, and charities. The partnership may also encourage engagement with other relevant Ministries (e.g., related to employment, education, etc.) and research funders. It should involve other key actors from civil society and end-users, research and innovation community, innovation owners, health and care systems owners/organisers and health and care agencies.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a co-fund action under the Horizon Europe Programme. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties, and this support can only be in the form of grants.

Consortium Requirement: This opportunity requires a consortium. The partnership should include or engage with a wide array of actors. Proposals should pool the necessary financial resources from the participating national research programmes with a view to implementing joint calls for transnational proposals resulting in grants to third parties.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The partnership is open to all EU Member States, as well as to countries associated to Horizon Europe. It will remain open to third countries wishing to join. A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. Any legal entity established in the United States of America is eligible to receive Union funding.

Target Sector: The target sector is health, specifically brain health, including both neurological and mental health. The program targets priorities set in the “Healthier Together - EU Non-Communicable Diseases Initiative” (2022-2027), the “Communication on a comprehensive approach to mental health” (COM(2023) 298 final), the Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe, the EU4Health Programme, and the “Communication on the European Care Strategy” (for caregivers and care receivers; COM(2022) 440 final).

Mentioned Countries: United States of America, EU Member States, countries associated to Horizon Europe, third countries.

Project Stage: The program supports activities ranging from coordinating and funding transnational research to integrative activities aimed at structuring and enhancing the broader research and innovation ecosystem and facilitating the way research and innovation is carried out, and also delivering impact. This suggests a focus on development, validation, demonstration, and potentially scale-up stages.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts are variable. For the topic HORIZON-HLTH-2025-02-DISEASE-01, the budget is 47,000,000 EUR for 2027, 46,500,000 EUR for 2026, and 56,500,000 EUR for 2025. For the topic HORIZON-HLTH-2025-02-DISEASE-02, the budget is 77,000,000 EUR. The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is EUR 3.00 million, but this may be higher if justified. The funding rate is up to 30% of the eligible costs.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants. Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties.

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The indicative number of grants for HORIZON-HLTH-2025-02-DISEASE-01 is around 1. The indicative number of grants for HORIZON-HLTH-2025-02-DISEASE-02 is around 1.

Co-funding Requirement: Yes, co-funding is required. Proposals should pool the necessary financial resources from the participating national research programmes. The funding rate is up to 30% of the eligible costs.

Summary: This opportunity is a Horizon Europe co-funded partnership focused on brain health research and innovation. It aims to strengthen the EU's position as a leader in brain health research, promote collaboration among various stakeholders, and improve the lives of people living with brain disorders. The partnership encourages a wide range of actors to participate, including ministries, research funders, healthcare authorities, researchers, industry, and patient organizations. The program supports activities from research to translation into tailored products, technologies, interventions, and policies. The funding is provided through grants, with a co-funding requirement from participating national research programs. The call is open to EU Member States, countries associated with Horizon Europe, and third countries. The application process is a single-stage submission, and the expected duration of the partnership is seven to ten years. The partnership is expected to establish relevant collaborations with other Horizon Europe partnerships and missions, as well as to explore synergies with other EU programmes, including EU4Health and the Digital Europe Programme. The Partnership should align with EU-wide initiatives on open access and FAIR data, including the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC).