The mission of DIAMAP was to undertake a wide survey of the European diabetes research landscape, from which expert opinion could identify gaps and highlight strengths, to guide a Road Map strategy for future diabetes research in Europe. The original report was published in 2010 with funding from the European Commission.

The challenge to the diabetes stakeholder community was to respond to the burden of the European diabetes epidemic with coordinated research that could be translated into effective treatments. While support from the European Commission Research Programmes, national funding agencies and private foundations played an important role in advancing research there remained a lack of information on gaps and overlap in diabetes research.

Better-targeted approaches to research funding as well as a more coordinated response to emerging health needs and research opportunities are still necessary – and even more so in 2021 in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The FP-7 funded DIAMAP Road Map for Diabetes in Europe was the response of EURADIA to the research challenge. It was central to EURADIA’s mission and generated material essential for a diabetes research advocacy strategy, driving support for diabetes research at European and national levels. In 2016 EURADIA undertook an impact survey, that showed the original DIAMAP to be current and useful.

The impact of DIAMAP went beyond the field of diabetes research:

• It was used by the European Commission to inform topics for research funding calls in the Research Framework Programmes
• It was used to inform other European disease specific roadmaps and surveys such as Cardioscape
• It was used by national funding organisations to inform topics for research funding
• It was used by applicants developing proposals to apply for funding
• It highlighted synergies and cooperation, reduced duplication of efforts and identified gaps and priorities for attention by funding and research organisations