Horizon Europe

Horizon Europe

Horizon Europe is the ninth framework programme of the European Union for Research and Innovation. It runs from 2021 to 2027, with a total budget of €95,5 billion. The programme succeeds the Horizon 2020 programme. Horizon Europe facilitates cooperation and strengthens the effects of research and innovation on the development, support and execution of the EU-policy and tackling global challenges.

All calls for Horizon Europe can be found on the Funding & Tender portal of the European Commission.

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Contact Hasselt University: research@uhasselt.be

The ERC offers grants for excellent individual researchers and their team for groundbreaking, high-gain/high-risk research. All research areas are eligible. There are five different types of ERC grants:

• Starting grants: for researchers with 2-7* years of experience since obtaining their PhD.
• Consolidator grants: for researchers with 7-12* years of experience since obtaining their PhD.
• Advanced grants: for researchers with a minimum of 10 years of experience since obtaining their PhD.
• Proof of Concept grants: only for researchers who were awarded an ERC-grant before. This grant serves to develop ideas from the earlier ERC-project.
• Synergy grants: for cooperations between 2 to 4 PIs to work on an ambitious research problem.

*these periods can be extended in case of pregnancy-, parental-, and/or sickleave.

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Website ERC
Contact UHasselt: research@uhasselt.be
Hasselt University contact person: Annelies Stockmans
UHasselt intranet page

With MSCA, there is an emphasis on mobility, career development and education researchers. All research areas are eligible. MSCA supports different possibilities for (worldwide) exchange of researchers and support staff in the same sector or between sectors. The focus point is to develop competences or projects where trainings are offered to PhD students and postdocs, with the aim to develop successful careers.

More information?
Website MSCA
Contactperson UHasselt: Ilse Das
UHasselt intranet page

This programme part funds the development, maintenance and use of pan-European research infrastructures. There are possibilities for education and exchange of staff for the use and maintenance of the infrastructure. Coordination of the use of these infrastructures between different member states is a high priority.

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Website research infrastructures
Contactperson UHasselt: Ilse Das
UHasselt intranet page

The clusters are one of the largest parts of Horizon Europe. Within these 6 groups of subjects, many calls are published.

• Cluster 1: Health
• Cluster 2: Culture, Creativity, and Inclusive Society
• Cluster 3: Civil Security for society
• Cluster 4: Digital, Industry and Space
• Cluster 5: Climate, Energy and Mobility
• Cluster 6: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

More information?
Contact UHasselt: research@uhasselt.be
Hasselt University contact person: Dennis Vanden Auweele

The three parts of Innovative Europe are:

• European Innovation Council (EIC): to identify, develop and scale-up ground-breaking technologies and innovations.
• European innovation-ecosystems: to connect people and organisations, to improve technological developments and innovation.
• European Institute for Innovation and Technology (EIT): supports the innovating power of Europe, by Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs).

More information?
Contact UHasselt: research@uhasselt.be
Hasselt University contact person: Dennis Vanden Auweele

The missions are a new part of Horizon Europe. The goal is to increase the effectiveness of research and innovation, by striving for a clearly formulated mission. These missions are:

• Adaptation to Climate Change mission
• Cancer mission
• Restore our Oceans and Waters mission
• Climate-neutral and Smart Cities mission
• Soil deal for Europe mission

More information?
Website Missions
Contact UHasselt: research@uhasselt.be
Hasselt University contact person: Dennis Vanden Auweele

This horizontal part of Horizon Europe consists of two parts:

• Widening Participation and Spreading Excellence: to support countries that are lagging in research and innovation.
• Reforming and enhancing the European R&I system: to improve the European Research Area (ERA), for example by Open Science, mobility and gender equality.

More information?
Contact UHasselt: research@uhasselt.be
Hasselt University contact person: Dennis Vanden Auweele

Even though Horizon Europe is by far the European programme for research and innovation, there are other European programmes that can be relevant for researchers.

• Digital Europe: digital technologies
• Research Fund for Coal & Steel (RFCS)
• Connecting Europe Facility: energy, transport and telecom
• Euratom: nuclear research
• European Defence Fund: defence research
• EU4Health: healthcare
• LIFE: environment and climate change
• INNOVFUND: innovative low-carbon technologies
• Just Transition Mechanism: climate transition
• JUST: legal cooperation
• CERV: equality, rule of law

Calls from these programmes can also be found on the Funding & Tender portal.

More information?
Contact UHasselt: research@uhasselt.be
Hasselt University contact person: Dennis Vanden Auweele

For an overview of lesser-known European funding programmes, you can consult the VLEVA EU funding guide. The guide will offer you information on the aim of the funding programmes, budget,... Or discover open calls via the VLEVA EU calls website.