Objective
Developmental stuttering is a common neurodevelopmental condition affecting up to 8% of children, of whom one in five continue to stutter into adulthood. Persistent stuttering disrupts communication, undermines mental health, and limits educational and occupational outcomes. Despite decades of research, the neural mechanisms underlying persistence and recovery in stuttering remain poorly understood, and effective interventions for adults remain limited.
The STUTTER project will investigate the brain mechanisms of developmental stuttering across the lifespan, integrating neuroimaging with neuromodulation-based intervention. In children, we will use behavioural measures alongside advanced brain imaging to identify signatures of persistence and recovery, focusing on speech motor control networks and their developmental trajectories. Longitudinal data will allow us to model how these networks change over time and how they relate to individual outcomes. In adults who stutter, we will evaluate the therapeutic potential of non-invasive brain stimulation, delivered alongside speech fluency training, in a randomised controlled trial. Finally, we will investigate auditory–motor integration and speech timing, employing magnetoencephalography (MEG), quantitative MRI and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to examine neural oscillations, microstructure and neurochemistry.
Together, these work packages will generate the most comprehensive characterisation to date of the neural basis of stuttering across the lifespan, bridging developmental and clinical neuroscience. By linking mechanisms of speech motor control to clinical outcomes, STUTTER will establish biomarkers of persistence and recovery, and test translational interventions to improve fluency in adults. Beyond stuttering, the project will provide new insights into the neurobiology of speech timing and sensorimotor integration, with implications for other speech and movement disorders.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-ADG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
OX1 2JD Oxford
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.