2023-24 Leducq International Networks of Excellence Program

Eligibility

Participants in a Leducq Foundation International Network of Excellence Program (INEP) must have expertise in cardiovascular or neurovascular disease, or a related field, and must be affiliated with an academic research center. The two Network Coordinators must be from different continents. In the consideration of continent boundaries, conventional geographic definitions will obtain. The INEP is open to investigators worldwide. Participation in a Leducq International Network is contingent upon the commitment of the participant’s affiliated academic institution to abide by the financial and intellectual property provisions. Participants sign a customary research agreement which outlines the conditions of support, the powers of the coordinators to modify the program, and the responsibilities and accountability of network members.

International Network grants are not renewable. Members of concluding networks who wish to reapply with a team that consists of largely of the same participants, and with a theme similar to that of the existing network, are urged to present a new and original direction for research. All applications are considered on a de novo basis.

The Leducq Foundation has established the following rules for investigators who may wish to participate in multiple Leducq International Networks:

• Network coordinators may not participate concurrently in any other Leducq network, in any capacity. Following the conclusion of the program of which they were the coordinators, they are ineligible to apply again to the International Networks of Excellence Program as a network coordinator, although they are eligible to participate as a member of another network. An exception is made for network members who, for whatever reason, have taken up the responsibility of network coordinator during the term of the network grant; they may apply to the foundation as the coordinator of a new network.
• Network members may not participate in more than two Leducq International Networks concurrently. (This rule applies only to the 5-year term of the grant, and not to the no- cost extension period that networks may wish to pursue.)

Investigators are not permitted to submit more applications in an application cycle than the number in which they are allowed to participate if all applications were successful. Practically, this means that in any given year:

• Applicants for the role of coordinator cannot have their name on any other application submitted to the foundation.
• A member of a current Leducq network, which is expected to continue the following year, can be included in only one application to the foundation.
• An investigator not currently participating in a Leducq network can submit a maximum of either one application where his/her role will be that of coordinator, or two applications for that of member.
• An investigator who is a member of two Leducq networks can participate in a network application only when one of the networks of which he/she is a member comes to the end of its five-year term.

Summary

Leducq Foundation is an international grant-making organization dedicated to improving human health through international efforts to combat cardiovascular and neurovascular disease. In support of this mission the Leducq Foundation has created the International Networks of Excellence in Cardiovascular and Neurovascular Research Program, which promotes internationally collaborative basic, translational, and clinical research in cardiovascular and neurovascular disease. The principal aim of this program is to foster outstanding and innovative scientific research by bringing together international teams of researchers with complementary expertise and resources to work together on a common thematic problem. The proposals should aim to generate new knowledge with the potential to advance the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cardiovascular and/or neurovascular disease. Early career investigators play a vital role in these networks, which provide an excellent context for training and career development in cardiovascular and neurovascular research.

The International Networks of Excellence Program award is $8,000,000 over five years.  The INE program is open to investigators worldwide.  Network coordinators must be from different continents.  All Leducq networks should demonstrate the added value of international collaboration for their research program. In the 2023-2024 application cycle, the Leducq Foundation will award four International Network of Excellence grants, each for an amount not to exceed U.S. $8,000,000 over five years.

With the International Network of Excellence (INE) Program, the Leducq Foundation looks to support original and outstanding research in the areas of the foundation’s mission, namely, cardiovascular and neurovascular disease. Applicants are encouraged to think innovatively and to propose bold new ideas. Nevertheless, while the foundation will bear the risks inherent in innovative research, submitted proposals should not be merely speculative, and all applicants should provide a clear hypothesis and 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. Their overarching principal aim might be, for example, to test a specific hypothesis, to seek to understand a fundamental mechanistic question, to attempt a breakthrough on a particularly difficult research problem, or to propose a big new idea in cardiovascular or neurovascular research. Network activities should be oriented towards long-term goals, not at producing pre-defined results.

Leducq Foundation accepts applications in basic, translational, and clinical science, including 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 Leducq Foundation. For clarity, however, it is not obligatory that a basic science network program contain a translational component. Rather, it is sufficient that the outcome of the network program is expected to have translational potential that can be further developed by appropriate parties in academia or industry.

Information about the International Networks of Excellence, including evaluation criteria for applications, can be found in the INE program description.

Application Process

Applicants are advised to read the International Networks of Excellence Program Description for important information about the application process and Leducq Foundation policies.  Detailed instructions about the application submission are available on the Fluxx website and should be consulted in preparing the application.

Applicants to the International Networks Program must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) through the online application service hosted by Fluxx. Click here to go directly to the application website. Letters of Intent must be submitted before the end of the day, 11:59 p.m. Central European Time (3:59 pm Mountain Time) on Wednesday, September 6, 2023.

Applicants must obtain institutional approval from the University of Calgary prior to submitting their Letter of Intent to Leducq Foundation. Initiate required University of Calgary internal approvals by completing a Pre-Award/Letter of Intent record in RMS (https://my.rms.ucalgary.ca/), attaching a PDF of your completed LOI, and submitting for approvals from your department head and/or faculty Associate Dean (Research). Please ensure that you allow time for academic approvals prior to the Research Services Office internal review deadline of 12:00pm MT, August 31, 2023.

The Leducq Foundation will notify applicants about the status of their applications following the fall meeting of the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), which will take place at the end of October. At that meeting, the SAC will select 8-14 network applicants to submit a full application, information about which will be provided at the time of notification.

Overhead

he following expenditures are not covered by Leducq Foundation funding:

• Patient care expenses, including hospitalization or routine diagnostic tests
• Parking
• Malpractice insurance
• Textbooks or subscriptions
• Building construction or renovation
• Tuition or education expenses
• Professional society dues
• Items ordinarily considered overhead (e.g., telephone, lights, rent, postage, office furniture and equipment, janitorial service, etc.), beyond those subsumed under indirect costs
• Personnel recruitment, including luncheons, receptions or meals for this purpose
• Uniforms, apparel, or laundry charges
• Expenses related to obtaining a visa

Pre-application deadlines

RSO internal deadline

Pre-application program deadline

Application deadlines

RSO final internal review deadline

Program application deadline

NOTE: Consult your Faculty Associate Dean (Research) (ADR) regarding Faculty-specific deadlines and submission processes.

Principal Investigators: Complete a Research Management System (RMS) record, including a copy of your complete application, and submit this for approvals in RMS.

Approvals: The University of Calgary requires that all funding applications be approved prior to submission. Approval requires signatures via either RMS or the RFAA Trainee form, in the following order:

• Principal Investigator
• Department Head
• Faculty ADR/Dean
• Research Services (on behalf of the Vice-President Research)

Read the Meaning of Grant Signatures policy to understand what your approval means. Please see the agency guidelines for details about which signatures are required on your application, as it may differ from internal requirements.

Late submissions: Late submissions will only be accepted in cases of medical or family emergencies, or other exceptional circumstances. If you submit your RMS record to Research Services after the internal deadline has passed, you must secure additional approvals. Please read: Late Applications Process.

Additional Resources

Application Timetable 2023-2024

Application Instructions

INE program description

FAQs

Policies and Documents