Horizon Europe
The ambitious EU research and innovation framework programme (2021-2027) is one of the key instruments of the EU's efforts:
- to strengthen the EU's scientific and technological bases and the European Research Area (ERA);
- to boost Europe's innovation capacity, competitiveness and jobs;
- to deliver on citizens' priorities and sustain our socioeconomic model and values.
The Horizon Europe R&I programme also aims to implement mission-driven research focusing on five different missions. A mission is a set of actions across multiple disciplines with the aim of reaching a bold and inspirational goal with a high impact on society to achieve a measurable goal that could not be achieved through individual actions.
are aimed at bringing concrete solutions to some of our greatest challenges by 2030:
- Adaptation to Climate Change;
- Cancer;
- Restore our Ocean, seas and waters;
- Climate neutral and smart cities;
- Soil health and food.
The missions will be addressed within the second pillar of Horizon Europe (Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness).
Following the amendment to the , a wide range of new topics for all five missions is now available for applications. were held on 17 and 18 May 2022, followed by a (19 May 2022). The event provided potential applicants with specific information on the new Missions' Work Programme calls, funding opportunities and timelines for all five missions (recordings from the event can be found here: ; .
European Research Council (ERC grants)
Competitive grants from the support investigator-driven frontier research projects across all fields, on the basis of scientific excellence, for up to five years. ERC-funded research is expected to lead to advances at the frontiers of knowledge, and is the most prestigious funding a researcher can receive. Scientific excellence is the sole criterion for selection, and potential ERC candidates must be able to clearly demonstrate the ground-breaking nature, ambition and feasibility of their research proposal.
The ERC is divided into four main grant categories that offer financial support for such pioneering research (the dates for the upcoming ERC calls 2023 are still tentative and subject to change):
The Horizon Europe R&I programme also aims to implement mission-driven research focusing on five different missions. A mission is a set of actions across multiple disciplines with the aim of reaching a bold and inspirational goal with a high impact on society to achieve a measurable goal that could not be achieved through individual actions.
- : €1.5 million for 5 years for early-career researchers with 2-7 years post-PhD experience - Tentative publication 12/07/2022, Tentative deadline 25/10/2022
- : €2 million for 5 years for excellent researchers with 7-12 years post-PhD experience - Tentative publication 28/09/2022, Tentative deadline 02/02/2023
- : €2.5 million for 5 years for established researcher leaders with a recognised track record of research achievements - Tentative publication 08/12/2022, Tentative deadline 23/05/2023
- : €10 million for 6 years for a small group of 2-4 Principal Investigators (PIs) - Tentative publication 13/07/2022, Tentative deadline 08/11/2022
In addition, (Lump Sum Grant of €150.000) are opened as a complementary source of funding for facilitating exploration of the commercial and social innovation potential of ERC-funded research, and are therefore available only to ERC grant holders. The tentative cut-off dates or deadlines under the Work Programme 2023 can be seen .
Please get in touch with RSSD regarding your proposal ideas today! These calls are extremely competitive; hence, it is imperative to plan ahead so as to draw up a proposal of adequate quality. RSSD is able to provide support in respect of:
- evaluation of your project idea;
- upgrading your CV with experience and publications;
- advice regarding choice of evaluation panels;
- proposal-reading sessions, whereby a successful proposal will be available for reading and discussion;
- training programmes;
- recommendations in respect of proposal-writing consultants;
- proposal-reviewing support.
Additional opportunities for excellent PIs and their teams to obtain grants from ERC are provided by the National Research Funding Agency at MCST under the . Since the MCST ERC Support Scheme is divided into two options, it is recommended that you apply under both options; that is, the ERC mentoring scheme and the proposal-writing workshops. The Scheme will close on the 15/11/2022, and will have the following cut-off dates: 30/06/2022,15/09/2022, closing on 15/11/2022.
Furthermore, MCST is also supporting international research under the Internationalisation Partnership Awards Scheme + (IPAS+).
The IPAS+ Call II will be launched in Q3 of 2022, when up to €6,000 will be available for interested applicants to hire a high-calibre proposal-writer or consulting service.
Horizon Europe - Global challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
The second pillar of Horizon Europe, with more than €53 billion, encourages cross-disciplinary, cross-sectoral, cross-policy and cross-border collaboration and will be key to accelerating the twin green and digital transitions as well as helping to achieve the SDGs.
Check out these calls which are currently open under the relating to the following topics (each cluster having a number of different deadlines):
- : Health – Deadlines: 30/08/2022; 21/09/2022; 27/09/2022
- : Culture, creativity and inclusive society – Deadlines: 06/09/2022; 21/09/2022; 27/09/2022
- : Civil Security for Society – Deadlines: 06/09/2022; 27/09/2022; 16/11/2022; 23/11/2022
- : Digital, Industry and Space – Deadlines: 06/09/2022; 21/09/2022; 27/09/2022; 27/10/2022; 16/11/2022
- : Climate, Energy and Mobility – Deadlines: 23/06/2022; 06/09/2022; 20/09/2022; 27/09/2022; 13/10/2022; 27/10/2022
- : Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment – Deadline: 06/09/2022; 27/09/2022
Widening Participation and Strengthening the European Research Area
With the aim of achieving a wider participation and spreading excellence, the has opened the following calls:
- – this new funding line in the programme creates the possibility for partners from "widening countries" to join ongoing projects. This call aims to increase the participation of these countries in specific thematic areas of the Horizon Europe Framework Programme (from Pillar 2 of the thematic clusters or from Pillar 3 the EIC Pathfinder), and to facilitate access to EU networks for institutions from widening countries, thus improving the R&I excellence and international visibility of these institutions. Please refer to the . Deadline 10/11/2022
- - this call is open for the very first time! At the individual talent level, the goal of Brain Circulation Grants is to enhance the creative and innovative potential of researchers, wishing to diversify their individual competence in terms of skill acquisition, knowledge development and improvement of researchers’ career prospects based on advanced training and international and intersectoral mobility in low R&I performing countries (widening countries). Deadline 29/09/2022
- - this action builds on the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2022 action (HORIZON-MSCA-PF-2022) for widening countries. The application is the same whereby applicants tick a box to be eligible under this scheme in case the MSCA PF proposal is not selected for funding, giving them a second chance under the widening scheme. Deadline 14/09/2022
General information on the conditions of participation, eligibility, application and evaluation criteria can be found in the and the .
Applications have to be submitted via the , which requires prior registration.
Kindly note that all calls for proposals and documents are available in the Funding & Tenders Portal, and that only the information given there is legally binding.
Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions (MSCA)
• – These training and mobility actions support excellent pre-defined Post-Doctoral researchers from anywhere in the world for 2 years, undertaking interdisciplinary and/or intersectoral cross-border mobility to engage in R&I projects by either coming to Europe from any country in the world or moving within Europe. Applications are expected to be made jointly by the researcher together with a beneficiary (host organisation) in the academic or non-academic sector. Deadline 14/09/2022.
• – provide the opportunity to develop excellent doctoral and post-doctoral training programmes and collaborative research projects by partnerships of organisations in and outside academia from different sectors across Europe and beyond. Besides standard Doctoral Networks, incentives have been introduced to promote two specific types of doctorates as well:
- Industrial Doctorates – an incentive with the joint collaboration of academic and non-academic partners, to train PhD candidates who wish develop their skills and step outside academia, in particular in industry and business;
- Joint Doctorates – an incentive for the provision of a jointly supervised programme as a highly integrated type of international, inter-sectoral and interdisciplinary collaboration in doctoral training, leading to a joint doctoral degree or multiple doctoral degrees awarded by the participating institutions. Deadline 15/11/2022.
The UM is having good success in MSCA; therefore, we are envisaging that more proposals will be funded. Be sure to take advantage of this great opportunity, with all expenses covered!
COST is an EU programme funding interdisciplinary research networks in Europe and beyond. These networks, called COST Actions, provide open spaces where researchers and innovators at all levels of seniority can connect, collaborate, and grow their ideas together in any science and technology field by sharing them with their peers. COST Actions are bottom-up, meaning that researchers can create a network based on their own research interests and ideas by submitting a proposal through a continuous COST Open Call regardless of the field of interest. COST Actions are highly interdisciplinary, open (it is possible to join ongoing Actions), and have multi-stakeholders, often involving the private sector, policymakers as well as civil society. It also enhances the mobility of researchers across Europe and fosters scientific excellence. The programme provides funds for organising conferences, meetings, training schools, short scientific exchanges or other networking activities concerning a wide range of scientific topics, with a duration of four years. The next collection date is 20/10/2022.
Erasmus+
The EU programme for education, training, youth and sport - Erasmus+ 2021-2027 now offers more mobility and cooperation opportunities than ever before, with a budget of some €26 billion. A comprehensive list of opportunities supported by the programme is available in the .
The following calls are open:
- – these provide opportunities for the initial training of young people as well as the continuous up-skilling and re-skilling of adults, through the involvement of a wide range of local stakeholders and strengthening of links with industry and communities. They act as catalysts of skills ecosystems for innovation, regional development, and social inclusion, while working with CoVEs in other countries through international collaborative networks. Deadline 07/09/2022
- – these promote European and international dimensions of support and continuous professional development opportunities based on high-quality and research-based education for teachers, trainers, educators and school leaders at all stages of their careers, through cooperation between teacher education and training providers. Deadline 07/09/2022
- – these transnational, structured and results-driven projects are aimed at boosting innovation through cooperation and the flow of knowledge both in the spheres of higher education, vocational education and training, and also within the broader socio-economic environment, including research; these aims are achieved through the implementation of a coherent and comprehensive sectoral or cross-sectoral national education and training curricula to meet emerging professional needs for digital skills, green skills and sustainable development. Deadline 15/09/2022
National Funding
The PF2MT supports travel and accommodation expenses for experienced researchers (from any nationality and any age that meet the eligibility and mobility conditions) willing to submit a proposal with a Maltese entity host (Beneficiary) for the , with the deadline falling on the 14/09/2022 (MSCA-PF-2022). The support will be in the form of a lump sum grant, and it is available to cover the participation of the researchers in the one-day MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship training that will be held on 6 July 2022 in Malta. Eligible applicants residing in Malta will not receive a lump sum grant; however, they may participate in the training free of charge, following confirmation of registration. Registrations will open in June 2022. Deadline 08/06/2022
This programme support innovative projects under the theme of Smart Cities for 2022. Smart cities can be defined as cities where the interaction between different forms of data across buildings, vehicles, citizens & assets is used to manage and improve all aspects of city life. The goal of smart cities is to make them more efficient and sustainable to improve quality of life for their residents. The proposed framework considers all the 3 phases of a smart city: Building (which targets materials & systems), Operating (which targets urban assets) and Living (which targets dwellers) in the City. Based on this framework, there are several sub-themes which fall under the scope of the Smart Cities Programme. Maltese public entities, Maltese public research and knowledge-dissemination organisations as well as eligible Maltese undertakings that carry out economic activity may apply for a grant of up to €150,000. Deadline 13/06/2022
This fund supports research, development, and innovation projects between Maltese and Chinese researchers in the thematic areas as followed:
- Digital Technologies;
- Health Innovations;
- Green Transitions.
Application follows a two-stage submission process. At pre-proposal stage, applicants are given the opportunity to find Chinese partners to collaborate and work on a common research idea. The full-proposal stage will then allow further elaboration on the ‘state of the art’, methodology and implementation aspects, implementation, and foreseen outcomes.
Interested applicants are invited to make use of plumtri’s matchmaking SINO-MALTA Fund 2022 Call page by registering interest .
Stage 1 Pre-proposal Deadline 30/06/2022
A scheme has been launched in collaboration with the European Space Agency to provide financial support for research, development and innovation (R&D&I) in the downstream Satellite Earth Observation (EO) sector to tackle societal challenges in Malta. There are three Funding Modalities available (funding rate 100%, up to €150,000):
- (public entities);
- (private entities);
- (private entities).
An applicant or each partner within a consortium must opt for only one type of funding modality. Whoever submits a proposal can apply for a grant in order to carry out research projects during a period of 20 months across two stages. Deadline 11/07/2022.
Fusion Technology Development Programme
FUSION is a portfolio of various national funding programmes that drive and support local Research and Innovation (R&I), as well as providing the necessary support for researchers and technologists to turn their innovative ideas into a market-ready reality preferably within the SMART Specialisation Areas identified in Malta’s National Research and Innovation Strategy 2021.
The priority areas are set through the selection process of the precursor Commercialisation Voucher Programme (CVP). Furthermore, here the focus is on innovative research, knowledge transfer and establishing collaborations between (1) Public Entities and (2) Industry, with the intention of commercialising the technology developed. Opening soon!
The CVP is launched as an OPEN CALL for the first time! This programme is aimed at increasing research, technological development, and innovation activities, which can be implemented in industry. The Commercialisation Vouchers are subject to a Scientific Evaluation, and priority will be given to the Smart Specialisation Areas.
General information on the conditions of participation, eligibility, procedures and application can be found in the documents attached with this call:
This call will remain open between the 15/03/2022 and 30/11/2022.
Upcoming Events
More info coming soon.
Crowdhelix Network!
UM is a member of the Crowdhelix Network and leads the Marine & Maritime Helix! It is now possible to join winning consortia under Horizon Europe through the Crowdhelix platform (the network currently has 561 members from 51 countries as well as an impressive number of opportunities -1670 and collaborators – 8926, and hosts 34 active Helixes). We are pleased to announce that YOU as a University of Malta Academic / Researcher can now use this platform in order to:
- beat the competition in Horizon Europe by fining trusted partners to address the challenge of building a strong consortium (from both academia and industry) with the expertise and experience for a proposal you wish to lead;
- join targeted cooperation between academia, business and society at the international level by applying under a particular call as a partner;
- add Crowdhelix as the efficient project management tool in your proposal, in terms of effective communication, dissemination and exploitation of project results;
- increase visibility of your research, networking and participation in funding opportunities from international programs, by engaging with other users and benefitting from the platform’s matchmaking capabilities.
The UM so far is involved in three Horizon 2020 awarded projects in partnership with Crowdhelix. These are: , and . The next one could be you!
The users can profile themselves and their teams, and post opportunities to collaborate. An intelligent recommender system then matches these opportunities with the most suitable prospective collaborators.
What are you waiting for? Registration is quick and easy, and . It will also be possible to join thematic or 'Helix’ events, with the aim of joining such consortia.
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