This call for proposals is dedicated to support applied research projects in neuroscience, addressing questions in ways not possible through other LabEx BRAIN programmes. The specific objectives of this call is to promote
i) transfer projects with foreseeable economical value, including pre-clinical proof of concept for potential applications,  ii) clinical and iii) translational research projects

3 categories of projects are elegible, with specific eligibility criteria

Eligibility criteria

General eligibility criteria

1. The PI must belong to one of the Bordeaux Neurocampus institutions and hold a permanent position (Neurocentre Magendie, IINS, IMN, INCIA, SANPSY, NutriNeuro)
2. Only one application per person as a PI. An applicant can also be a partner in one other application (i.e. two applications as a participant maximum).
3. Projects can last up to 3 years for a total amount of maximum 300K€/project

Specific eligible projects and criteria:

A- Clinical research projects:

• the projects must be conducted in humans
• the clinical research protocol must be submitted to an ethics committee

B- Translational research projects; that gathers all the projects with the aim to "translate" findings of fundamental research into medical practice and vice versa for meaningful health outcomes.

• These projects should involve at least 2 teams: basic scientists and clinicians

C- Transfer and applied research projects: The projects could concern discovery, development or optimization of innovative therapeutic or diagnostic products; as well as valorisation of research tools dedicated to the discovery of new therapeutic or diagnostics (e.g. screening methods, in silico, cellular or animal models); technology transfer (e;g numeric, instrumentation, biological , pharmacological fields) with economical valorisation. It concerns biological and biomedical research projects with a strong potential economic impact and ideally a predefined business model.

• Mandatory cooperation between academic and industrial teams with a significant financial contribution of the industrial partner (at least 1/3 of the total budget of the project)

Selection Criteria:

General selection criteria

• the strength of the research team and partnership, including the relevant expertise and track-record of the applicants in conducting high-quality applied research, appropriate partnership for the scientific and technical objectives of the project
• the relevance of the proposed research to the priorities the call
• the quality of the research planned
• the value for money provided by the application

Specific selection criteria

C-      Transfer and applied research projects:

• Economic potential: Does the project have real economic potential (describe target market, market size, pathway to market...)?

Evaluation process:

After eligibility criteria check, eligible projects will be sent for advisory opinion of the project, based on the evaluation criteria to:

• External experts without conflicts of interest for the clinical and translational research projects:
• the SATT Aquitaine Science Transferfor the transfer and applied research projects

The steering committee members and experts will all sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).

The members of the BRAIN Steering Committee will evaluate all the projects based on expert opinions. As it is the rule for all the LabEx BRAIN call for proposals, all the proposals are evaluated by the whole LabEx BRAIN steering committee. To reduce conflicts of interest, proposals are not evaluated by steering committee members belonging to at least one partner of the project. Moreover, when one member of the steering committee is belonging to the same team as one partner of the discussed projects, the member of the steering committee leaves the room during the discussion.

The ranking list is established exclusively on excellence criteria, and during the final selection discussion, committee members will be watching to a scientific thematic balance within the selected proposals.

For additional information, please contact:

Claire Herzog, Claire.Herzog@u-bordeaux.fr; Tél. 05 33 51 47 92

The proposal has to be sent by e-mail to Claire Herzog, by 17/10/2018