European UnionDeadline PassedNon-profit, Private Business, Research Institution, Public Institution, Other
Nutrition and Mental Health
Fair, healthy and environment-friendly food systems from primary production to consumption
Funding Amount
€5.0M - €5.0M
Deadline
16/09/2025
Eligible Organization Types
Non-profit, Private Business, Research Institution, Public Institution, Other
Trusted by
What is the Nutrition and Mental Health Call?
Grant Description
This research and innovation action seeks to improve understanding of how specific food groups, beverages, macro- and micronutrients and the diet-gut microbiome interplay affect mental health and well-being across children, adults and older populations. It will map current research, elucidate molecular mechanisms and biomarkers, develop standardized metrics (including omics approaches), and produce science-based recommendations and communication materials to prevent or mitigate mental health dis...
Required Results for Successful Funding
Expected Outcomes
- Enhanced monitoring of healthy diets and the effects of unhealthy dietary patterns on mental health across children, adults and older populations under varying social and economic contexts, providing a comprehensive European overview.
• Improved science-based communication tools for policymakers and professionals, facilitating understanding of the interlink between healthy diets, nutrition and mental health well-being across age groups.
• Identification of mechanisms by which specific food groups, beverages and macro-/micronutrients influence mental health disorders, including gender-specific dietary patterns, and how they may prevent or exacerbate mental health disease development.
• Generation of new and improved evidence supporting decision-makers, public authorities, health and nutritional institutes (public and private) and stakeholders in assessing dietary impacts on mental health.
• Availability of sound, standardized data and validated metrics (including Omics approaches) on gut microbiome function and its interplay with host metabolism in relation to mental health.
• Enhanced knowledge base to inform nutritional interventions for individuals with mental health disorders, aiming to ensure better health outcomes and longevity.
• Development and use of indicators to measure the beneficial or detrimental effects of food groups, beverages and macro- and micronutrients in daily diets or dietary behaviors on preventing mental health disorders.
• Improved science-based communication tools for policymakers and professionals, facilitating understanding of the interlink between healthy diets, nutrition and mental health well-being across age groups.
• Identification of mechanisms by which specific food groups, beverages and macro-/micronutrients influence mental health disorders, including gender-specific dietary patterns, and how they may prevent or exacerbate mental health disease development.
• Generation of new and improved evidence supporting decision-makers, public authorities, health and nutritional institutes (public and private) and stakeholders in assessing dietary impacts on mental health.
• Availability of sound, standardized data and validated metrics (including Omics approaches) on gut microbiome function and its interplay with host metabolism in relation to mental health.
• Enhanced knowledge base to inform nutritional interventions for individuals with mental health disorders, aiming to ensure better health outcomes and longevity.
• Development and use of indicators to measure the beneficial or detrimental effects of food groups, beverages and macro- and micronutrients in daily diets or dietary behaviors on preventing mental health disorders.
Funded areas
Scope Requirements
- Address mental health as a major public health, economic and social concern, focusing on how inadequate intake, malnutrition and unhealthy diets affect mental health and well-being via anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neurogenesis, microbiome- and immune-modifying, and epigenetic mechanisms.
• Cover all age cohorts: children (>36 months), adults (>18 years) and older people (>65 years) across diverse social and economic contexts in EU Member States and Associated Countries.
• Conduct comprehensive dietary analysis to identify protective or risk-enhancing food groups, beverages and nutrients and their links to specific mental health disorders.
• Elucidate diet–microbiome–host interactions at molecular level, including the development of standardized/validated metrics and Omics-based analysis approaches.
• Develop policy-relevant communication tools and prevention strategies aligned with existing international and national health and dietary policies.
• Propose evidence-based nutritional interventions for individuals with mental health disorders to improve health and longevity.
• Include activities to measure and develop indicators of beneficial or detrimental dietary effects on mental health disorders.
• Employ Citizen Science methodologies where appropriate and ensure produced data are FAIR.
• Demonstrate a clear multi-actor approach with involvement of all relevant stakeholders and value chain actors.
• Integrate contributions from SSH disciplines and ensure complementarity with existing/funded projects to avoid duplication.
• Cover all age cohorts: children (>36 months), adults (>18 years) and older people (>65 years) across diverse social and economic contexts in EU Member States and Associated Countries.
• Conduct comprehensive dietary analysis to identify protective or risk-enhancing food groups, beverages and nutrients and their links to specific mental health disorders.
• Elucidate diet–microbiome–host interactions at molecular level, including the development of standardized/validated metrics and Omics-based analysis approaches.
• Develop policy-relevant communication tools and prevention strategies aligned with existing international and national health and dietary policies.
• Propose evidence-based nutritional interventions for individuals with mental health disorders to improve health and longevity.
• Include activities to measure and develop indicators of beneficial or detrimental dietary effects on mental health disorders.
• Employ Citizen Science methodologies where appropriate and ensure produced data are FAIR.
• Demonstrate a clear multi-actor approach with involvement of all relevant stakeholders and value chain actors.
• Integrate contributions from SSH disciplines and ensure complementarity with existing/funded projects to avoid duplication.
Additional Conditions for Applicants
Special Conditions
- Citizen Science approach is encouraged but not mandatory; any such activities must uphold ethical standards and data quality.
• All project data must comply with FAIR principles; proposals must allocate specific tasks and resources for FAIR data management and sharing.
• Projects must include a dedicated collaboration task and resources to liaise with other projects funded under this topic.
• Proposals must implement the multi-actor approach, ensuring active and sustained engagement of industry, nutritionists, healthcare professionals, scientists, patients and consumer associations throughout the project.
• Effective integration of SSH disciplines in project teams and work-plan is required.
• Proposals should not duplicate efforts of or overlap with ERA 4 Health Nutribrain, JPND ERA-NET Cofund (JPcofund 2), EURO-FINGERS or other closely related initiatives; any planned synergies must be described.
• Eligibility of participants is subject to Horizon Europe rules (Annex B General Annexes) and lump-sum grant conditions; financial and operational capacity must be demonstrated as per Annex C.
• Projects must adhere to lump-sum funding rules as defined in the Horizon Europe Lump Sum decision.
• All project data must comply with FAIR principles; proposals must allocate specific tasks and resources for FAIR data management and sharing.
• Projects must include a dedicated collaboration task and resources to liaise with other projects funded under this topic.
• Proposals must implement the multi-actor approach, ensuring active and sustained engagement of industry, nutritionists, healthcare professionals, scientists, patients and consumer associations throughout the project.
• Effective integration of SSH disciplines in project teams and work-plan is required.
• Proposals should not duplicate efforts of or overlap with ERA 4 Health Nutribrain, JPND ERA-NET Cofund (JPcofund 2), EURO-FINGERS or other closely related initiatives; any planned synergies must be described.
• Eligibility of participants is subject to Horizon Europe rules (Annex B General Annexes) and lump-sum grant conditions; financial and operational capacity must be demonstrated as per Annex C.
• Projects must adhere to lump-sum funding rules as defined in the Horizon Europe Lump Sum decision.
Important dates
Open from: 06/05/2025
Deadline:16/09/2025
Application period has ended
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