NIRO Europe - Navigating Innovation & Research Opportunities

European Commission Research & Innovation Initiatives and Programme Opportunities

Overview of all programmes

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EU Mission on Cancer

One of five EU Missions, the Mission on Cancer together with the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan aims to provide a better understanding of cancer, allow for earlier diagnosis and optimisation of treatment and improve cancer patients’ quality of life during and beyond their cancer treatment. The Mission aims to support: an understanding of cancer, prevention and early detection, diagnosis and treatment, and quality of life for patients and their families.
Under the 2023-2024 work programme, there are no open calls for proposals.

European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator

The European Innovation Council (EIC) supports innovations with breakthrough and market-creating potential. It provides funding through open calls with no defined thematic priorities or a challenge-driven approach, focusing on a specific thematic breakthrough. EIC is divided into three different schemes: EIC Pathfinder, EIC Transition and EIC Accelerator. EIC Accelerator supports smaller actors in developing innovative solutions that would allow them to scale up.

Under the 2024 work programme, two types of calls for proposals are open: EIC Accelerator Open for projects in any field of science, technology or application without predefined thematic priorities, and EIC Accelerator Challenges for projects that match any of the predefined thematic areas of the Accelerator Challenges.

European Innovation Council (EIC) Pathfinder

The European Innovation Council (EIC) supports innovations with breakthrough and market-creating potential. It provides funding through open calls with no defined thematic priorities or a challenge-driven approach, focusing on a specific thematic breakthrough. EIC is divided into three different schemes: EIC Pathfinder, EIC Transition and EIC Accelerator. EIC Pathfinder supports projects focusing on early-stage scientific innovation with the potential of developing scientific breakthroughs.

Under the 2024 work programme, two types of calls for proposals were planned. First, the calls under EIC Pathfinder Open, which closed in Q1 2024. Second, five calls under EIC Pathfinder Challenges for projects that match any of the predefined thematic areas of the Pathfinder Challenges, which are currently open.

European Innovation Council (EIC) Transition

The European Innovation Council (EIC) supports innovations with breakthrough and market creating potential. It provides funding through open calls with no defined thematic priorities or a challenge-driven approach, focusing on a specific thematic breakthrough. EIC is divided into three different schemes: EIC Pathfinder, EIC Transition, and EIC Accelerator. EIC Transition supports the maturation and validation of novel technology in the lab and in relevant application environments, as well as the development of a business case and business model to commercialise this novel technology.
Under the 2024 work programme, one call for proposals is currently open: EIC Transition Open. It is for projects in any field of science, technology, or application without predefined thematic priorities.

European Investment Bank (EIB)

The European Investment Bank (EIB) works closely with other EU institutions to foster European integration, promote the development of the EU and support EU policies in over 160 countries around the world. It offers loans, guarantees, equity investments and advisory services to help finance large and small-scale investment projects that support EU policy objectives.

European Partnership for Fostering a European Research Area for Health (ERA4Health)

The European Partnership for Fostering a European Research Area for Health (ERA4Health) is a partnership bringing together 27 funding organisations and 33 partners from 22 countries, covering 17 of the 27 European Union (EU) Member States, 3 third countries associated to Horizon Europe (Israel, Norway, Turkey), and 2 third countries (Egypt and Taiwan). It aims to support transnational medical research across prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, capacity building and responsible research and innovation (RRI).

In 2024, two calls for proposals opened: NutriBrain, focused on modulation of brain ageing through nutrition and healthy lifestyle, and NANOTECMEC, focused on nano and advanced technologies for disease prevention, diagnostic, and therapy. The calls closed in May and June 2024, respectively; the projects are expected to start between December 2024 and May 2025.

European Partnership for Pandemic Preparedness

The European Partnership on Pandemic Preparedness aims to improve the European Union’s (EU) preparedness to predict, prevent and respond to emerging infectious health threats by better coordinating funding for research and innovation at EU, national (and regional) levels.
Under the 2023-2024 work programme, three calls for proposals were expected: two to support the preparation for the partnership’s launch, which are now closed, and one to launch the partnership, which is currently open.

European Partnership for Personalised Medicine (EP PerMed)

The European Partnership for Personalised Medicine (EP PerMed) supports synergies in research on personalised medicine across the European Union (EU) and its regional partners. The main objectives of the partnership are to (i) ensure a faster uptake of research and innovation (R&I) results into clinical practice and secure Europe’s position in state-of-the-art healthcare provision; (ii) facilitate approaches that take into account individual differences and better utilise the accumulating data to manage health, disease and its predisposition; (iii) contribute towards more sustainable healthcare systems and independence in data intensive healthcare.
Under the 2023-2024 work programme, one call for proposals was launched in 2023 and one in 2024. Both calls are now closed.

European Partnership on Innovative SMEs (INNOVSMES)

The European Partnership for Innovative SMEs (INNOVSMES) supports small- and medium-sized companies (SMEs) and project partners (such as large companies, universities and research organisations) by funding international collaborative R&D and innovation projects. By participating, organisations can increase their research and innovation (R&I) capacity, their productivity and successfully embed in global value chains and new markets. The partnership is co-funded by the European Union through Horizon Europe.

Under the 2023-2024 work programme, one call for proposals opened in 2023 and is now closed. Additionally, a joint transnational call for proposals to support Eurostars, one of the funding instruments introduced by INNOVSMES in 2021, has been published.

European Partnership on One-Health Anti-Microbial Resistance (OH AMR)

The One Health Antimicrobial Resistance (OH AMR) partnership aims to support the coordination and alignment of AMR research activities and funding in Europe and beyond. The main goal is to contribute to achieving the objectives of the European One Health Action Plan against AMR and the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Action Plan on AMR by reducing the threat of AMR and contributing to achieving the objectives of the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA).
Under the 2023-2024 work programme, one call for proposals, launching the partnership, is currently open.

European Partnership on Rare Diseases (RD)

The Rare Diseases partnership aims to enhance stakeholder collaboration on rare diseases to improve the life of patients by developing treatments and diagnostics.
Under the 2023-2024 work programme, there was one call for proposal in 2023. It is now closed.

European Partnership on Transforming Health and Care Systems (THCS)

The European Partnership on Transforming Health and Care Systems (THCS) aims to support the transition towards more sustainable, resilient, innovative and high-quality people-centred health and care systems by pooling resources to tackle future health challenges.
Under the 2023-2024 work programme, there was one call for proposals. It closed in Q2 2024.

European Research Centre (ERC) Advanced Grants

The European Research Council (ERC) supports frontier research in any field. It is open to investigators worldwide, as long as the host institution (HI) of the principal investigator that receives ERC funding is established in a Member State or a Country Associated to Horizon Europe. The ERC has four major grant programmes: Starting Grants, Consolidator Grants, Advanced Grants, and Synergy Grants.
The ERC Advanced Grant supports leading researchers with noteworthy accomplishments who wish to obtain long-term funding for ambitious research projects. The European Research Centre Advanced Grants are dedicated to experienced scientists who want to pursue groundbreaking and high-risk projects.
Under the 2024 work programme, one call for proposals is currently open.

European Research Centre (ERC) Synergy Grant

The European Research Council (ERC) supports frontier research in any field. It is open to investigators worldwide, as long as the host institution (HI) of the principal investigator that receives ERC funding is established in a Member State or a country associated to Horizon Europe. The ERC has four major grant programmes: Starting Grants, Consolidator Grants, Advanced Grants, and Synergy Grants.
The ERC Synergy Grant supports joint projects of multiple researchers focusing on research problems that could not be solely addressed by one principal investigator.
Under the 2024 work programme, there was one call for proposals. It is now closed.

European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grant

The European Research Council (ERC) supports frontier research in any field. It is open to Principal Investigators (PIs) worldwide, as long as the Host Institution (HI) of the principal investigator that receives ERC funding is established in a Member State or a country associated to Horizon Europe. The ERC has four major grant programmes: Starting Grants, Consolidator Grants, Advanced Grants, and Synergy Grants.

The ERC Consolidator Grant supports researchers with 7-12 years of experience.

Under the 2024 work programme, a call for proposals is ongoing (submission closed).

European Research Council (ERC) Proof of Concept

The European Research Council (ERC) supports frontier research in any field. It is open to investigators worldwide, as long as the host institution (HI) of the Principal Investigator (PI) that receives ERC funding is established in a Member State or a country associated to Horizon Europe. The ERC Proof of Concept programme supports the further development of projects funded by other ERC support programmes in an earlier stage.
Under the 2024 work programme, a call for proposals is open.

European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant

The European Research Council (ERC) supports frontier research in any field. It is open to investigators worldwide, as long as the host institution (HI) of the principal investigator that receives ERC funding is established in a Member State or a country associated to Horizon Europe. The ERC has four major grant programmes: Starting Grants, Consolidator Grants, Advanced Grants, and Synergy Grants. The ERC Starting Grant programme supports early-career scientists developing a wide range of innovative projects.
Under the 2024 work programme, there was one call for proposals. It is now closed.

Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking (GH EDCTP3 JU)

The Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking (GH EDCTP3 JU) is a partnership between the European Union (EU) and the EDCTP Association, whose members are several European and African countries. It supports the development of new solutions for reducing the burden of infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, and strengthen research capacities to prepare and respond to re-emerging infectious diseases in this region and worldwide.
Under the 2024 work programme, two calls for proposals opened: a two-stage call covering six topics for Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and a two-stage call covering one topic for Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). All calls closed in Q1 2024.

Horizon Europe Collaborative Programmes – Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions COFUND

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) COFUND supports regional, national and international programmes for training and career development. There are 2 types of COFUND: (i) doctoral Programmes that offer research training activities to allow doctoral candidates to develop and broaden their skills and competences, which will lead to the award of a doctoral degree; (ii) Postdoctoral Programmes, which will fund individual advanced research training and career development fellowships for postdoctoral researchers.
Under the 2023-2024 work programme, a call for proposals is currently open.

Innovative Health Initiative (IHI)

The Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking (IHI JU) aims to foster innovation across the health industry, covering the entire cycle of healthcare, in close cooperation with industry players.
Under the 2024 work programme, a call for proposals is currently open.

Research Infrastructures (RIs)

Research Infrastructures (RIs) aim to address global environmental, social and economic challenges by maximising science and technological contributions to meet societal needs whilst increasing the European Union’s (EU) competitiveness. RIs provide resources and services for the research communities to conduct research and foster innovation in their fields. Examples of resources and services provided include, but are not limited to equipment or sets of instruments, knowledge-related facilities, archives or scientific data infrastructures, computing systems, and communication networks.