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International Networks of Excellence

The Leducq Foundation

The Leducq Foundation announces a call for applications typically in June of each year. The International Networks of Excellence Program award is $9,500,000 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.

How to Apply: Letter of Intent (LOI)

APPLICATION INFORMATION FOR THE 2026-2027 INTERNATIONAL NETWORKS OF EXCELLENCE PROGRAM

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 managed by Fluxx, which will be accessible beginning on June 15, 2026. A link to the website is provided here. The application should be assembled as outlined below, and uploaded as one single word of pdf file, not to exceed 10Mb. (Disclosure forms and CVs are uploaded separately.). Letters of Intent must be submitted before the end of the day, 11:59 p.m. Central European Time (5:59 pm US Eastern Time) on Wednesday, September 2, 2026.

The Applicant designated to submit the application through Fluxx should be one of the two coordinators who lead each Leducq network. The final submission must come from the coordinator who is registered on the Fluxx site.

Full applications

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. It is the express intention of the members of the SAC to limit requests for full applications to those proposals with a signiﬁcant chance of success in the ﬁnal round. Full applications are due in the foundation oﬃce in February 2027 and the ﬁnal recommendation of the SAC, to select up to four networks for support, will be made at a meeting in May 2027. The Leducq Foundation Board of Directors will consider the SAC’s recommendation in early June 2027.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Outstanding Scientific Quality and Innovation (Strongest Predictor)

The Foundation's published evaluation criteria identify the quality, originality, and level of innovation of the proposed science as one of the primary determinants of funding.

Competitive proposals generally feature:

Transformative scientific questions
Original concepts
Innovative methodologies
Significant advances beyond current knowledge

While bold ideas are encouraged, proposals must not be speculative; they should be supported by a clear hypothesis and scientific rationale.

2. Strong International Collaborative Network

Unlike traditional investigator-initiated grants, Leducq funds international research networks.

Successful applications typically demonstrate:

Complementary expertise across institutions
Coordinators from different continents
Genuine scientific integration
Collaboration that could not be achieved by individual laboratories alone

The Foundation specifically evaluates the added value of international collaboration.

3. Potential Impact on Human Health

Projects should have the potential to advance:

Diagnosis
Prevention
Treatment
Understanding of cardiovascular or neurovascular disease

Although basic science is welcomed, applicants should explain how their work could ultimately improve human health.

4. Clear Scientific Theme and Hypothesis

Networks are expected to unite around a clearly defined scientific theme.

Strong proposals include:

A compelling central hypothesis
Cohesive research aims
Logical integration among participating groups
A unified long-term scientific vision

The Foundation favors focused, coherent programs rather than loosely connected projects.

5. Excellence of Network Members

Reviewers assess the overall quality of the participating investigators based on:

Publications
Scientific achievements
Patents
International reputation
Independent research accomplishments

Successful networks are generally composed of established investigators with complementary expertise.

6. Integration of Early-Career Investigators

Leducq explicitly evaluates plans for involving early-career investigators.

Competitive networks provide:

Meaningful research roles
Mentorship
International exchanges
Career-development opportunities
Protected research experiences

The Foundation views training the next generation of scientists as a core objective.

7. Demonstrated Added Value of Collaboration

Reviewers specifically ask whether the proposed network creates value beyond what individual laboratories could accomplish independently.

Successful proposals demonstrate:

Shared resources
Joint experiments
Data integration
Cross-disciplinary collaboration
International synergy

Simply assembling multiple investigators is insufficient without a compelling collaborative rationale.

8. Feasibility and Network Management

Large international awards require confidence that the collaboration can be managed effectively.

Successful applications describe:

Governance structure
Resource allocation
Administrative coordination
Communication plans
Appropriate institutional support

The Foundation evaluates whether the network has the capacity to execute its five-year research program successfully.

9. Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Leducq encourages networks that combine expertise across fields such as:

Cardiology
Neurology
Genetics
Immunology
Bioengineering
Computational biology
Imaging
Translational medicine

Interdisciplinary approaches often strengthen the scientific program.

10. Long-Term Vision

The Foundation states that networks should pursue ambitious, long-term goals rather than narrowly defined short-term outputs.

Examples include:

Understanding disease mechanisms
Developing breakthrough concepts
Establishing new research directions
Creating lasting international collaborations

Projects designed to transform a field over five years align particularly well with the INE program.

Frequently Funded Research Themes

Recent Leducq-funded networks commonly focus on:

Atherosclerosis
Heart failure
Cardiac arrhythmias
Hypertension
Stroke
Cerebral small vessel disease
Vascular inflammation
Congenital heart disease
Pulmonary hypertension
Precision cardiovascular medicine
Immunotherapy for cardiovascular disease
Rheumatic heart disease
Regenerative cardiovascular biology

Funding Strategy

A highly competitive Leducq Foundation application typically includes:

A transformative cardiovascular or neurovascular research question.
Outstanding scientific quality with a clear hypothesis.
A multinational network of complementary investigators.
Demonstrated added value of international collaboration.
Strong plans for involving and mentoring early-career investigators.
A feasible governance and management structure.
Clear potential to improve human health through advances in cardiovascular or neurovascular research.

Specialties

Cardiovascular Diseases

Others

Neurosciences

Vascular Surgery

Eligibility Requirements

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, with the exception of the coordinator role, as described above. 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.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: The Leducq Foundation

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 265 Franklin Street, Suite 1902 Boston, Massachusetts 02110

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