The Priority Programme “SEXandGLIA – Sex-Specific Mechanisms in Glial Biology” (SPP 2561) from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) supports interdisciplinary research that investigates sex differences in glial biology and their implications for brain function and disease. The programme addresses the longstanding underrepresentation of females in biomedical research and the lack of systematic studies on how sex-specific factors influence the brain, particularly through glial cells. The programme focuses on two main objectives:
- Understanding Sex-Driven Mechanisms in Glial Biology – exploring how genetic and hormonal influences shape physiological, transcriptional, and epigenetic regulation in glial cells.
- Deciphering Functional Consequences of Sex-Specific Glial Biology – identifying how sex-based differences at the molecular level affect glial function and contribute to disease, ideally using single-cell or cell-type–specific approaches.
Proposals should integrate expertise across disciplines such as neuroscience, molecular biology, epigenetics, endocrinology, and systems biology, and contribute to a more complete understanding of sex-specific brain function.
The programme is designed to run for six years. The present call invites proposals for the first three-year funding period (2026–2029).
Applications close on December 3, 2025.