Success of the first call for Pasqual Maragall Researchers Program scholarships with more than 60 applications received

During the month of September, the Pasqual Maragall Foundation, in its scientific and social commitment to Alzheimer's research, presented the Pasqual Maragall Researchers Program (PMRP) research grant program, with the aim of promoting projects of clinical or translational research focused on Alzheimer's or other age-related neurodegenerative diseases.

The first PMRP call has an allocation of €1,600,000, which will be allocated to projects with a maximum duration of five years. Each winning project can receive up to €800,000. These grants may be allocated to individual projects directed by a principal researcher, or collaborative projects (of a maximum of three groups) led by a researcher coordinating the consortium. Principal researchers or consortium coordinators must carry out their research activity in public or non-profit research organizations in Spain.

The PMRP is the most important private aid program in Spain specifically intended for research on Alzheimer's or other age-related neurodegenerative diseases. "This scholarship program is a great opportunity for Alzheimer's and other dementias, it will help advance researchers from all over the country to do more and better research against this disease. For this reason, we value very positively the good reception of the first call, it demonstrates the interest and talent we have in science throughout the state and, specifically, for research into neurodegenerative diseases", said Arcadi Navarro, director of the Pasqual Maragall Foundation. Since the call for proposals opened at the end of September and until its closure on October 27, 2022, the scholarship program has received 66 requests, known as Letters Of Intent (LOI), of which 38 they are for collaborative projects and 28 for individual projects.

Regarding the geographical distribution in Spain, the LOIs requested from Catalonia stand out, with a total of 29 requests from research centers, and the Community of Madrid, with 14 requests received. In addition, other universities and foundations in Andalusia, Castilla y León, Castilla La Mancha, the Valencian Community, the Basque Country or La Rioja have sent a proposal to be able to obtain one of the grants that the Pasqual Maragall Foundation will award for research of age-related neurodegenerative diseases in this first call for the program. Among the requests are 17 collaborations with research staff from international centers in Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States or Canada, among others.

Approximately one third of the requests come from women (21 requests out of 66 in total), and 7 LOIs have been sent by junior researcher profiles, less than ten years since they completed their doctoral studies. An external evaluation committee made up of experts is studying and analyzing each of the requests. The resolution of the scholarships is expected to take place before the summer.