The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (NIN) is investing in closer collaboration with the field of psychiatry over the coming years. Through a dedicated grant programme, the institute is supporting joint research projects that bring together fundamental neuroscience and clinical psychiatry. The aim is to improve our understanding of how changes in the brain give rise to psychiatric disorders, paving the way for better diagnosis and treatment.
Psychiatric disorders—including depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and schizophrenia—are among the leading causes of reduced well-being and societal burden worldwide. Yet diagnoses are still largely based on clinical interviews and behavioural observations. Reliable biological markers (biomarkers) are often lacking, making it difficult to establish accurate diagnoses or predict which treatment is most likely to be effective.
Advances in research technologies now enable scientists to study brain cells and neural circuits with unprecedented precision. These developments are helping researchers unravel the biological mechanisms underlying psychiatric symptoms, creating opportunities for more objective diagnostics, more targeted treatments, and ultimately a better quality of life for people living with psychiatric disorders.
Investing in collaborative research
To accelerate progress in this field, the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, in collaboration with psychiatrists from Amsterdam UMC, has launched a new grant programme. The programme will fund two collaborative research projects that bring together neuroscientists and psychiatrists to combine their expertise. An important objective is to train early-career psychiatrists in fundamental neuroscience while also giving neuroscientists greater exposure to clinical psychiatric research.
Prior to the selection process, the institute organized a series of thematic meetings bringing together researchers from both disciplines to discuss psychiatric disorders and related symptoms. These meetings led to the development of collaborative research proposals, which were subsequently evaluated by an international panel of experts. The selected projects will receive support from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience and will form the foundation for long-term collaborations between fundamental and clinical research.
The selected projects focus on:
This strengthened collaboration is closely aligned with the mission of the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience: to understand the neural circuits that enable mental function and how these circuits are altered in brain disorders. By fostering closer links between fundamental and clinical research, the institute aims to translate fundamental discoveries more rapidly into improved care for people with psychiatric and neurological disorders.