BELSPO - Federal Research Programme Drugs - Call or proposals 2024

Research

Funding organisation:

POD Wetenschapsbeleid

What?

The Research Programme Service of the Federal Science Policy (BELSPO) organises the Federal Research Programme Drugs. Through the scientific research that it implements, this programme supports the integral and integrated drug policy for Belgium.

This year, the following themes are proposed: 

A. Traumas and substance use: Scientists are invited to inform policymakers on the state of the art of the place of the traumatic dimension in the health process, on sources of inspiration of initiatives that could exist elsewhere, on the needs in terms of prevention, harm reduction and care of those users who have suffered traumatic episodes. Policy recommendations and good practices, especially in the context of prison, are expected.
Budget: 200.000 EUR

B. The role of peer support: Ex-substance users play already an important role within specialised treatment centres where they act as a relay between substance users and the health care professionals. Their experience enables them to be legitimate in establishing a trusted relationship. Which institutional place should be given to these peer supports? Which health trajectories suit best their support? Researchers interested in this topic could review the existing literature, compare practices in Belgium and abroad, point out the strengths and weaknesses and finally provide policy recommendations and good practices. Additionally, the research team would examine the inclusion of peer support in the pilot project “care models for inmates using drugs”, as recommended in the RECOPRIS and RECOPRIS Bis studies.
Budget: 275.000 EUR (250.000 EUR BELSPO + 25.000 EUR FPS Health)

C. Development of indicators for the interfederal plans on alcohol, tobacco, and gambling: The interfederal strategy for a global and integrated drugs policy and the interfederal action plans for a smoke-free generation, to combat the harmful use of alcohol and gambling all point out the lack of (and even absence of) indicators to evaluate their implementation and their impact. All strategies and plans call for monitoring systems using newly developed indicators. The General Drugs Policy Cell calls the Belgian scientific community to examine closely the Actions Plans Tobacco, Alcohol and Gambling and, on this basis suggest indicators that could allow a monitoring of these plans and the actions they contain, accounting for existing indicators based on existing data, and designing new indicators based on data yet to be collected. They are seeking for a set of indicators that are rigorously discussed within the scientific community and with decisionmakers in the follow-up committee of the project, and evaluated in terms of their pertinence and the cost efficiency.
Budget: 350.000 EUR

D. Social cost of psychoactive substances in Belgium: We invite the scientific community to provide an update of the last study on social costs of drugs. This social cost study is essential for policymakers and the intention is to implement the methodology that will be developed in order to continue the monitoring on a stand-alone basis.
Budget: 200.000 EUR

E. Providing an evidence base for alcohol related issues: Applicants are invited to develop a project including at least two of the following sub-topics:
• An evaluation of Tournée minérale
• A better understanding of the social norm that supports and legitimizes drinking behaviour in Belgium, with a view to enable deconstruction and universal prevention of not drinking as the “new normal”.
• Low-alcohol and alcohol free drinks: are these beverages substitutes to regular alcoholic drinks or consumed in complementarity?
Budget: 250.000 EUR

Who?

Projects are submitted by a network, composed of at least two partners from at least two different eligible Belgian scientific institutions and from different scientific disciplines.

Networks jointly share obligations and responsibilities during the implementation of the project. The project should be fairly balanced (see budget rules), even if different partners may have different tasks and subsequently different budgets.

The cooperation between research partners of different Communities or Regions is encouraged. At equal scientific quality between the proposals submitted, preference will be given to proposals composed of partners from different communities and/or that cover the Belgian territory.

Application?

Deadline submission Expression of interest (EOI): 5 September 2024 – 15:00
Deadline submission full proposal: 10 October 2024 – 15:00

The EoI and the proposals must be sent in word and pdf to drugs_call@belspo.be.

More information?

You can find more information, including the templates, on the Belspo website.

Please contact research@uhasselt.be if you want to apply.

Deadline

05.09.2024

Contact Hasselt University?

E-mail sarah.szyr@uhasselt.be

Tel. +3211269052