The primary goal of the Priority Programme is to understand glial cell specialisation and to elucidate its role in the mammalian brain. Specifically, the following questions shall be addressed:

• What defines functional heterogeneity of macroglial cells and where does it occur?
• What are the mechanisms that generate heterogeneity?
• What are the consequences of glial heterogeneity for brain function?

To foster optimal synergy and collaboration between groups, the following topics are explicitly excluded: glial cells of the peripheral nervous system, microglia, merely descriptive comparisons of different macroglial cell types, pathology of CNS diseases, injury, degeneration and regeneration processes, projects based purely on cell culture.

Special emphasis will be given to the acquisition and analysis of cell-specific gene profiling data as well as collaborative experimental animal models. Each applicant will receive support by coordinating teams in (1) cell physiology, (2) development and (3) methodology to identify synergisms and optimise interactions between individual research projects. In addition, the Priority Programme will provide a setting to enable active support for early career scientists and to promote gender equality.

Applications for the second three-year funding period should be written in English. Deadline for proposal submission is 31 January 2017. Proposals must be submitted via the DFG’s electronic submission system “elan”, selecting “SPP 1757”. In addition to submitting your proposal to the DFG, please send an electronic version (pdf format) to the Priority Programme’s coordinator .

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