On 19 September, the project leaders of the 10 funded projects in the HealthEquity Call met in Bonn for a joint kick-off meeting. In addition to discussing the projects that have just started, the meeting will focused on networking with stakeholders and Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI).

The ten consortium leaders from the HealthEquity Call met in sunny Bonn on 19 September 2024 for a collegial exchange. There was also the opportunity for the other project leaders, funding organisations and additional experts to join in online.

In addition to presentations on the funded projects, the focus was on exchanging ideas with each other. There was a very open atmosphere and it became clear that the projects have many synergies that can be utilised in the future.

Representatives from the STAB of ERA4Health had also travelled to Bonn to get in contact with the funded projects. Samuele Tonello (EuroHealthNet), Philip Calder (FENS) and Antonio Labisa Palmeira (ISBNPA) presented their organisations and then networked with the attendees.

The topic of responsible research and innovation was also addressed. Ellen-Marie Forsberg (Norwegian Institute for Sustainability Research and ERA4Health Responsible Research and Innovation Advisor) introduced the topic and then discussed it with the participants in small groups. Online participants had the opportunity to take part in a parallel online workshop on the topic held by Robert Smith (University of Edinburgh and ERA4Health Responsible Research and Innovation Advisor).

The kick-off meeting was organised by the Joint Call Secretariat at the DLR Project Management Agency (DLR-PT), Germany. HealthEquity was the first call published in December 2022 as part of the new ERA4Health partnership co-funded by the European Union. In it, 19 funders from 17 countries have joined forces to initiate research projects that develop novel strategies and targeted approaches to identify, understand, and modify determinants and mechanisms of diet-related behaviour and physical activity as well as sedentary behaviour. Research results should help to break through the cycles maintaining unhealthy behaviours and lifestyles and to reduce health inequalities. In a competitive evaluation process, the ten most promising transnational consortia were selected to receive around 13 million euros of funding in total for three years. The first projects were launched at the beginning of 2024.