The new Joint Transnational Call (JTC8), launched by the ERA4Health Partnership, has been announced under the title “Preventing and Understanding Overweight and Obesity (PREVENT-OO)”. This call aims to support projects that conduct an in-depth investigation to prevent and understand overweight and obesity. ERA4Health, via this call, encourages the development of preventive and therapeutic strategies—covering areas such as public health and policy development— by supporting international and multidisciplinary collaborations that investigate the causes of obesity and overweight and their complications. International research teams are also expected to develop new treatment approaches and solutions by gaining a better understanding of these interactions.
The aim of this call is to support research that:
Improves the understanding of the causes for obesity, overweight and its complications by using a mechanistic approach.
1a. Investigates biological mechanisms, including chronobiological, genetic and/or epigenetic mechanisms, underlying the onset and progression of overweight and obesity, and related diseases. Secondary factors with potential influence on the biological mechanisms such as the living environment, lifestyle or psychological status should also be considered where relevant.
1b. Investigates how overweight and obesity contribute to the development of related clinical complications and/or affect the mechanism of action of therapeutics against other diseases/disorders.
Focuses on prevention and public health strategies for critical transitional periods of life.
2a. Understands and addresses neglected determinants, including their interdependency, in the onset and the progression of overweight and obesity in transitional periods of life.
2b. Develops novel tools or preventive strategies that can be implemented against the onset and the progression of overweight and obesity in transitional periods of life taking into consideration physiological, pathophysiological, psychological behavioral influences and/or socioeconomic status of the citizens/patients. Importantly, the proposal should present the assessment of the economic impact of the proposed tools or strategies on the healthcare system and issue orientations that will help policymakers to define new regulations and guidelines to prevent overweight and obesity.
And more specifically:
Both subtopics 2a. and 2b. should be addressed for critical transitional periods of life only. The choice of the critical transitional periods of life to be studied must be clearly justified in the proposal. It should be due to biological changes (e.g. postpartum, menopause, andropause), or socio-environmental changes (e.g. period in between pregnancies, diagnosis of a chronic disease, recovering from disease, retirement etc.).
A virtual information event will be held on the 4th of December 2025 at 10:30 for project teams in Türkiye who wish to submit a joint R&D and Innovation project under the PREVENT-OO Call. The event will cover both the international and national application procedures. To participate in the event, you must register using the link below. The meeting link will be shared after the registration is completed.
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_FrDDLTcBRmmRf4X3KAmT2w
Application Requirements:
International Applications must be submitted through the ERA4Health Electronic Submission System.
National Applications must be submitted through the TÜBİTAK Project Application System.
Call Contacts:
For information on the International Application process and the 2026 ERA4Health Call:
Şükran Alpdemir
Bilateral and Multilateral Cooperation Department (İÇİM)
E-mail: sukran.alpdemir@tubitak.gov.tr
Tel: (0312) 298 1781
For TÜBİTAK- 1071 programme details:
Azmi Serhat Yıldırım
International Cooperation Projects Research Support Group (UPAG)
E-mail: azmiserhat.yildirim@tubitak.gov.tr
Tel.: (0312) 298 1823