News

The University of Naples opens a new cascade funding call to finance innovative research projects on food and nutrition

Related to

  1. Home

     / 
  2. Magazine

     / 
  3. The University of Naples opens a new cascade funding call to finance innovative research projects on food and nutrition

Published: July 12, 2024
Share:
Evaluation of the mechanisms of action of bioactive compounds in plant-based foods. Dietary patterns, fertility, and longevity. Innovative approaches to creating functional foods. These are the research themes of interest for Spoke 05, which will be funded through the new cascade funding call promoted by the University of Naples Federico II. The deadline for application submissions is 5th August 2024.

Full text of the call published on 05/07/2024

Eligible interventions include activities involving fundamental research, industrial research, and experimental development. Project proposals must be submitted exclusively by research partnerships consisting of public and private legal entities, external to the OnFoods partnership.

Each proposal must focus on only one of the three themes mentioned above and detailed in the following paragraphs. The duration of the projects, which can be extended only once, must be a maximum of 12 months, and the total cost of each project must be between €300,000.00 and €800,000.00.

 

 

Theme 1 - Evaluation of the mechanisms of action underlying the beneficial effects of bioactive compounds characteristic of dietary patterns based on plant-based foods

In 2019, the EAT-Lancet Commission proposed a healthy and sustainable dietary pattern based on a drastic reduction in the consumption of unhealthy foods, such as red meat, animal fats, and sugars, in favour of doubling the intake of plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils.

Numerous epidemiological and clinical evidence suggest many beneficial effects of plant-based foods and the bioactive compounds they contain. However, it is necessary to deepen the understanding of the mechanisms of action through which these components can exert their health benefits without posing a risk to consumers.

The objective is to characterise the bioactive components of certain food matrices widely used in the national territory (e.g., olive oil, fruit, etc.) and study their effects in in vitro models and animal models. The information obtained will then be used to develop new, healthier, and more sustainable dietary models, with positive impacts on human health and the environment. Particular attention will be paid to basic research models that allow exploring the effects of these bioactive compounds in pregnant women and children during the first thousand days of life.

Furthermore, the potential of using nutraceuticals containing these bioactive compounds to enhance the sustainability of innovative dietary models must be investigated. The project proposals presented may foresee numerous final research products (deliverables) that must be possibly added to one or more of the deliverables provided within Spoke 5 (WP5.3 - https://onfoods.it/Spokes/Spoke-05/wp-53).

Theme 2 - Dietary patterns, fertility, and longevity

According to the "One Health" approach to health, based on the interconnection of the health of all terrestrial ecosystems, every food system must be structured and, if necessary, integrated and implemented to ensure fertility, longevity, and prosperity for humanity and the planet.

In this context, careful monitoring of measurable determinants and their relative impact is necessary to ensure prosperity, quality of life, and longevity of individuals.

The objective is to map populations representative of the general population (from young adults to those over 70 years) to identify the main variables to be used as targets for interventions aimed at improving lifestyle (particularly, zero-mile diet and psycho-physical activities).

Additionally, the information collected must be used to create predictive algorithms to estimate the potential effects of lifestyle interventions involving not only individuals but also national and local public administrations.

The project proposals presented may foresee numerous final research products (deliverables) that must be possibly added to one or more of the deliverables provided within Spoke 5 (WP5.1 - https://onfoods.it/Spokes/Spoke-05/wp-51, WP5.3 - https://onfoods.it/Spokes/Spoke-05/wp-53, WP5.4 - https://onfoods.it/Spokes/Spoke-05/wp-54).

Theme 3 - Innovative approaches for the creation of functional foods

Improving the safety and nutritional quality for the general population can also be promoted through strategies for producing innovative functional foods from new food matrices. This approach will improve the diet quality of the general population by providing alternatives for consumers to integrate into a healthy diet.

The activities may involve the use of new raw materials, innovative processes, and technologies to develop new functional products containing bioactive components. Additionally, the implementation of strategies for personalising new functional products based on the specific needs of vulnerable population groups will be particularly important.

The project proposals presented may foresee numerous final research products (deliverables) that must be possibly added to one or more of the deliverables provided within Spoke 5 (WP5.3 - https://onfoods.it/Spokes/Spoke-05/wp-53) in connection with Spoke 2 (WP2.1 – https://onfoods.it/Spokes/Spoke-02/wp-21) of OnFoods.

This blog post is related to

Spoke 05

Lifelong nutrition

A healthy diet for all

Lead organisationUniNa

Spoke leaderAnnamaria Colao

You might be interested in...

NewsNov 12, 2024
How do maternal lifestyle factors influence the microbial composition of human breast milk? A narrative review by UniPv and Spoke 5

InterviewNov 11, 2024
Nutrition and Health: From Research to Communities, for a Conscious Food Culture

Professor Annamaria Colao, coordinator of Spoke 5 of the OnFoods project discusses the challenge of transforming scientific knowledge on nutrition into public awareness.


NewsSep 9, 2024
From the LIMIT study, new evidence of associations between maternal lifestyle factors and inadequate pregnancy weight gain

EventApr 29, 2024
Naples Hosts the International Agora of the Mediterranean Diet: 3rd to 5th May 2024

At the Historical Complex of Saints Marcellino and Festo


NewsDec 18, 2023
University of Naples launches a funding call for innovative research partnerships on Lifelong Nutrition

The call is open until February 1, 2024, and the funding is €5,270,000.00.


EventSep 13, 2023
OnFoods at Parma Pediatria 2023

The OnFoods project, with the participation of prof. Daniele Del Rio, will be featured in a talk during the Parma Pediatrics meeting.


FeaturesMay 11, 2023
Protecting present and future lives through a healthy and sustainable early nutrition

Programme of Work Package 5.3 of OnFoods and research flagship project “PERMED”