The Fondation Leducq 2020-2021 Transatlantic Networks of Excellence Program provides $ 7.000,000 over five years to teams of researchers working collaboratively in the areas of cardiovascular and neurovascular disease.
Applicants are encouraged to think innovatively and to propose bold new ideas. While the foundation will bear the risks inherent in innovative research, submitted proposals should not be merely speculative, however, and applicants should provide a clear rationale for the research plan. Networks should strive to advance knowledge on a defined theme, which may cover a variety of interrelated topics or subjects, by capitalizing on the resources and multidisciplinary expertise available within the network.
Fondation Leducq accepts applications in basic and/or clinical science, including translational science, and collaborative “bench to bedside and back” programs. Applicants should aim for results that, at the conclusion of the five-year term, have the potential to advance the diagnosis, management, or prevention of human disease, consistent with the overall mission of the Fondation Leducq.
Each network is built around a transatlantic research alliance involving two network coordinators, the European Coordinator and the North American Coordinator. Fondation Leducq recognizes the two coordinators as the leaders of, and representatives for, the network. The coordinators are jointly responsible for the design of the research program, the composition of the network, the execution of the research plan, and the oversight and allocation of the budget.
Networks should be organized in such a way that their members clearly and demonstrably benefit from the international collaborative opportunities the network provides. The added value of the collaborative effort to the overall network scientific program is an important measure of a network’s potential at the stage of the application, and of its success at the stage of later Fondation Leducq review. Interdisciplinary collaboration is particularly encouraged, as, for example, the strategic inclusion into a Leducq network of an outstanding scientist who is new to cardiovascular and neurovascular research and brings vital new technology and perspectives.
The size of the network may vary depending on the theme and on the type of research, and may not be determined fully at the outset. More important than the size of the network is the rationale for the inclusion of the members, and the case to be made for the collaborative benefit to be gained by their inclusion. At a minimum a Leducq network should have three institutional members. As a general recommendation, the total number of institutions should not be greater than six, at which point the network becomes more difficult to manage.
Deadline for the LoI: 3rd September 2020