ERA-HDHL (2020) - Prevention of Undernutrition for older adults
Development of targeted nutrition for prevention of undernutrition for older adults (PREVNUT)
In January 2020, the JPI HDHL launched PREVNUT, the 5th call organized under the umbrella of ERA-Net ERA-HDHL to promote collaborative international research on nutrition and health.
Background
Consistent with the global increase of lifespan around the world, the number of older citizens is constantly rising. Following the WHO estimation, the number of citizens over sixty will double between 2002 and 2025, to reach a population of 1.2 billion in 2025. Older adults are particularly vulnerable to undernutrition, defined as a state resulting from a defective food intake or uptake (nutrient deficiencies) that leads to an altered body composition and to a weight loss. Prevention of undernutrition is critical. Undernutrition correlates with a general decline in health conditions (aggravation of both physical and cognitive/mental deficiencies), with an increased number (and duration) of hospital stays, increased frailty and poor health, and finally with a higher rate of mortality. Research providing a better understanding of how food is metabolised in the body, how nutrients are made available for absorption and the development of new tailored foods designed to overcome undernutrition can be part of the solution.
Aim of the call
The aim of this call is to support transnational and transdisciplinary research projects that will improve the prevention of undernutrition in older adults. Proposals should focus on one or both of the following topics:
- Improved understanding of how the balance between nutrition, lifestyle and physical exercise can prevent undernutrition. The studies should focus on the underlying biological mechanisms of the bioavailability, assimilation and metabolism of the macro- and/or micronutrients in food or food products and show how lifestyle and physical activity could modify these processes.
- Development of innovative food products. The developed product should be based on new research on metabolism, on macro- and/or micronutrient bioavailability and absorption in older adults.
Participating countries
| Country | Funding Organisation | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium* | The Research Foundation - Flanders | FWO |
| France | French National Research Agency | ANR |
| Germany | Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture | BMEL (represented by BLE) |
| Ireland | Health Research Board | HRB |
| Ireland | Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine | DAFM |
| Israel | Ministry of Science and Technology | MOST |
| Italy* | Italian Institute of Public Health Istituto Superiore di Sanità | ISS |
| Italy | Ministry for Universities and Research | MUR |
| Latvia* | Ministry of Education and Science | IZM |
| Norway | The Research Council of Norway | RCN |
| Poland* | National Centre for Research and Development | NCBR |
| Spain | National Institute of Health Carlos III | ISCIII |
| United Kingdom | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council | BBSRC (part of UKRI) |
| United Kingdom | Medical Research Council | MRC (part of UKRI) |
* Did not fund research projects in this call
Funded projects
| Project | Coordinator |
|---|---|
| AMBROSIA | Amedeo Amedei University of Florence, Italy |
| APPETITE | Dr. Dorothee Volkert Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Institute for Biomedicine of Aging, Germany |
| CHOKO-AGE | Francesco Galli University of Perugia, Italy |
| EAT4AGE | Paula Varela Nofima, Norway |
| FORTIPHY | Claire Sulmont-Rossé INRAE, France |
| PROMED-COG | Dr Claire McEvoy Queen's University Belfast, UK |
More Information
Contact Call Secretariat: ANR (France) JPI-HDHLCalls@agencerecherche.fr
