International Research Funding Circular – 4 October 2024

News

  1. NEW: UK Universities publishes report ‘Opportunity, growth and partnership: a blueprint for change’ https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/what-we-do/policy-and-research/publications/features/opportunity-growth-and-partnership

The report sets out a package of reform to stabilise, mobilise and maximise the contribution of UK universities to economic growth and widening opportunity.

Events

  1. NEW: ERC 2025 Consolidator Grant: Call Information Webinar, 17 October 2024, 10:00 to 12:30 UK time https://erc.europa.eu/apply-grant/consolidator-grant

The webinar will provide participants with a detailed practical overview of the ERC Consolidator Grant scheme. Viewers will gain a deeper understanding of the proposal format and the key issues they are required to address in planning, writing and costing a proposal. The evaluation procedure and how to approach writing an application will also be explained. Register to attend here.

 

  1. Getting Those Grants: Writing Retreat for Established (Mid-Career) Researchers: https://forms.office.com/e/3iUD5fP6m3

The Research Funding Development Team are holding a Research Funding Writing Retreat on the 24th and 25th October, 9.15am-4.45pm, at The Common Room in Newcastle City Centre. The Writing Retreat is aimed at Established (Mid-Career) Researchers from all faculties who are preparing a research funding application and want to block time out to focus on writing. There is space for a maximum of 20 people, if we have more than that register, we will select applicants based on their answers to the form with a view to providing a spread across the faculties.

 

European related funding

 

  1.  NEW: Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) Call 9: New Applicant Driven Approach + How To Get Ready (Webinar 10 Oct, Brokerage Event in Brussels on 12-13 Nov and online 14 Nov 2024, and Innovate UK Travel Grants for SMEs)

Horizon Europe’s Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) will be piloting a new, applicant-driven approach for Call 9. Although Call 9 will not open until January 2025, the IHI plans to publish the draft call text on their ‘future opportunities‘ webpage in mid October. To help you get ready for the call there is various support available:

  • a webinar (10 October – registration is free but obligatory) to help people prepare for Call 9, which will present the scope of the IHI’s next call for proposals, and also explain how to get the most out of both the new online brokerage platform and the brokerage event. This will be recorded and the slides and recording will be published here.
  • a brokerage event (in person in Brussels on 12-13 Nov, with an additional day on 14 Nov for online brokerage). Registration is now open and the agenda will provide you with the opportunity to network face-to-face and start forming consortia. There will also be pitching sessions (the deadline to apply to pitch is 28 Oct) and poster sessions to give those attending the chance to showcase their capabilities. There will also be an ‘ask the experts’ Q&A sessions at the end of both days.
  • the 14 November will be dedicated to online networking with virtual lounges so that new consortia forming can keep working and bring in people who were not able to attend the face-to-face event.
  • the new IHI online brokerage platform will allow you to showcase your own and your organisation’s expertise, and share project proposals with other participants. Once you’ve registered, you will be able to search for and contact potential partners and project proposals that could be relevant for you. The platform will remain open for networking until the call deadline.

 

 

  1. European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grants Open: https://erc.europa.eu/apply-grant/consolidator-grant

The 2025 edition of the ERC Consolidator Grants are now open for applications. The grants are designed to support excellent Principal Investigators (PIs) at the career stage at which they may still be consolidating their own independent research team or programme. Applicant PIs must demonstrate the groundbreaking nature, ambition and feasibility of their scientific proposal. The 2025 budget for Consolidator Grants is €719.9 million to fund an estimated 354 grants. Applicants may request up to a maximum of €2 million for a period of five years, in addition to a maximum of €1 million in additional start-up costs to move country, purchase major equipment or access large facilities. Deadline 14 January 2025. Please get in touch asap with Jarlath.mckenna@newcastle.ac.uk if you have an interest to apply or wish to discuss.

 

  1. EIT HEI Initiative Call for Proposals 2024: https://eit-hei.eu/calls/call-for-proposals-4/

The EIT HEI Initiative Call for Proposals 2024 has a strong focus on enhancing the quality and competitiveness of European higher education.  It will improve research and technology transfer from higher education and support business creation through strengthening collaboration between HEIs and business partners across Europe. This call aims to fund up to 42 projects, with each selected project having a total duration of 25 months and an overall budget of EUR 1.34 million. Deadline 12 December 2024.

 

  1. MSCA Staff Exchange: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Staff Exchanges fund short-term international, inter-sectoral and interdisciplinary exchanges of staff members involved in research and innovation activities at all stages of the innovation chain. Secondments must be between different countries and should lead to knowledge transfer between participating organisations. The 2024 Staff Exchanges call will have a budget of €99.5 million. The call will open on 19 September 2024 and close on 5 February 2025.

 

  1. DRAFT Climate, Energy and Mobility consortium call topics for Horizon Europe 2025 Work Programme

We have obtained, in strict confidence, an early draft of the Horizon Europe Cluster 5: Climate, Energy and Mobility consortium call topics for the 2025 Work Programme – please note these are subject to redrafting and change but may help indicate potential call topics to start to find partners and build European country consortia. Formal Work Programmes will not be finalised and published until about April 2025. Please treat for INTERNAL-USE only:  Cluster 5 call topics WP2025_draft Sept 2024.pdf Should you require more detail behind any given call topic of interest to you, please contact Jarlath.mckenna@newcastle.ac.uk

 

  1. Horizon Europe Climate Neutral and Smart Cities Mission Call: https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/funding-opportunities/calls-proposals/horizon-europe-eur-98-million-available-climate-neutral-and-smart-cities-mission-projects_en

A new call for projects has now launched to support research and innovation under the Cities Mission titled: Changing urban spaces and mindsets to accelerate the transition to climate neutrality. A total of €98 million is available for proposals across the following four topics with deadlines 11 February 2025:

  • Rethinking urban spaces towards climate neutrality, €45 million budget
  • Zero-pollution cities: €20 million budget
  • Mobility management plans and behavioural change: €5 million budget
  • Integrated peri-urban areas in the transition towards climate neutrality: €28 million budget

 

  1. Water4All European Partnership Joint Transnational Call on Water for Circular Economy: https://www.water4all-partnership.eu/joint-activities/water4all-2024-joint-transnational-call

The Partnership’s third joint transnational call for research and innovation projects focuses on the general theme of ‘Water for Circular Economy’. The aim of the call is to stimulate research and innovation to improve water security in the long term. The call is planned to be officially launched on 12 September 2024. Research and innovation proposals submitted under the Water4All 2024 Joint Transnational Call are required to address at least one of the following topics: Topic 1: Enhancement of water circularity in industries. Topic 2: Urban water circularity. Topic 3: Resource recovery and valorisation. Topic 4: Economic, environmental and social implications of water reuse and recovered products. The call follows a two-step application procedure, with a closing date for mandatory pre-proposals of 13 November 2024.

 

  1. canSERV TransNational Access Call for Early Career Researchers: https://www.canserv.eu/calls/challenge-call-training-the-next-generation-of-cancer-researchers/

canSERV is an EU-funded Research Infrastructure cluster project under the Horizon Europe programme that unites leading cancer research services onto a single platform, providing cutting-edge, interdisciplinary and customised oncology services across the entire cancer continuum. canSERV is inviting applications for service provision for early career researchers (ECRs) around the globe through its ‘Training the Next Generation of Cancer Researchers’ Challenge call. The ambition is to provide free access for ECRs to cutting-edge transnational research services and training to enable them to advance their scientific merits and careers. ECRs include PhD students, junior researchers without PhD, postdocs, assistant professors, and young investigators. Deadline 17 December 2024.

[Open Call: https://www.canserv.eu/calls/open-call-for-transnational-service-provision/ Note that there is also an Open Call for any career stage with deadline 28 November 2024.]

 

  1. Driving Urban Transitions European Partnership Joint Call: https://dutpartnership.eu/dut-call-2024/

The purpose of this Call for proposals is to support transnational research and/or innovation projects addressing urban challenges to help cities in their transition towards a more sustainable economy and functioning. The challenges are grouped into three themes called ‘Transition Pathways’: Circular Urban Economies, 15-minute City and Positive Energy Districts. Deadline 28 November 2024.

 

  1. EASO/Novo Nordisk Foundation Obesity Prize for Excellence and New Investigator Awards: https://easo.org/2025-award-applications/

The European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) and the Novo Nordisk Foundation co-fund the Obesity Prize for Excellence to recognise researchers who have made outstanding research or technological contributions to understanding of the aetiology, complications, treatment or prevention of obesity. Deadline 16 December 2024.

 

  1. Eureka Globalstars Japan: https://iuk.ktn-uk.org/opportunities/eureka-globalstars-japan-round-3/

The aim of this competition is to fund business led, collaborative research and development (CR&D) projects focused on industrial research. This competition will be for innovative proposals developed between the UK, Japan and the other Eureka participating countries. Innovate UK will be funding the UK partners only. Deadline 4 December 2024.

 

  1. Eureka Open call for Network projects applications: https://eurekanetwork.org/opencalls/network-projects-all-year/

The call for Network projects is open for applications all year round. Access national funding for your international collaborative R&D projects using our simple flexible programme. Your project idea must represent international cooperation in the form of a specific project, directed at researching or developing a product, process or service, and must have a civilian purpose.

 

  1. European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis Research Training Fellowship: https://ectrims.eu/fellowships/ectrims-postdoctoral-research-fellowship-exchange-programme/

The ECTRIMS Research Training Fellowship Programme is a one- or two-year research-focused fellowship for young, postdoctoral neuroscientists to undertake training in basic, clinical or applied research related to MS at a host institution in Europe. The overall goal of the programme is to maximise exchange of information between MS research/training institutions and researchers and to help grow the pool of well-trained research scientists focused on problems in MS. The annual fellowship stipend is €55,000 for one or two years. Deadline 01 December 2024.

 

  1. European Research Council (ERC) 2025 call deadlines adopted

The European Research Council (ERC) is the European Commission’s leading funding organisation for supporting bottom-up, investigator-driven frontier research. This approach to research funding ensures that support is aimed primarily at new and promising opportunities, with a greater degree of flexibility. Research funded by the ERC is expected to lead to advances at the frontiers of knowledge and to set a clear and inspirational target for frontier research across Europe. The ERC has published the preliminary opening and deadline dates for its calls to be released for the 2025 cycle of applications:

  • Starting Grants – For promising early career researchers with 2 to 7 years’ experience after PhD: Opening 10 July 2024, closing 15 October 2024
  • Consolidator Grants – For excellent researchers with 7 to 12 years’ experience after PhD: Opening 26 September 2024, closing 14 January 2025 
  • Synergy Grants – For groups of two to four PIs to address ambitious research questions requiring coordinated work: Opening 11 July 2024, closing 6 November 2024
  • Proof-of-Concept Grants – For previous and current ERC grantees who want to explore the commercial or societal potential of their work. Opening 13 November 2024, closing 13 March 2025 and 18 September 2025

Note on ERC 2025 Starting Grant webinars: slides and recordings available for Webinar 1 and Webinar 2.

 

  1. MSCA Doctoral Networks: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks support doctoral programmes, by partnerships of universities, research institutions and infrastructures, businesses including SMEs, and other socio-economic actors from different countries across Europe and beyond. These doctoral programmes will respond to well-identified needs in various research and innovation areas, expose the researchers to the academic and non-academic sectors, and offer research training, as well as transferable skills and competences relevant for innovation and long-term employability. The 2024 Doctoral Networks call will have a budget of €608.6 million. The call will open on 29 May 2024 and close on 27 November 2024.

 

  1. COST Action Open Call 2024: https://www.cost.eu/funding/open-call-a-simple-one-step-application-process/

COST Actions provide researchers from all sectors with funding for a broad range of networking and collaboration activities and opportunities within a network. COST does not provide funding for research itself, but for a broad range of networking and collaboration activities and opportunities, including meetings, workshops, conferences, training schools, short-term scientific missions (STSM), and dissemination activities. COST Actions are bottom-up and can be on any topic, however they must fulfill certain criteria in order to be approved, such as including researchers from at least seven COST Member countries, half of whom come from the Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITC). Deadline 23 October 2024.

 

 

Official development assistance (ODA) related funding

 

  1. NEW: International Writing Workshops, The British Academy https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/writing-workshops/

Invitations are open for proposals for Writing Workshops in Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Philippines, South Africa, Turkey, Thailand, Vietnam and/or LDC’s. These workshops should aim to develop the skills of early career researchers, including supporting and promoting the uptake of their research in journals and publications. Closes 25 January 2025

 

21.NEW: ODA Research Management Capacity Strengthening, The British Academy https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/oda-research-management-capacity-strengthening

Aims to enhance the capabilities of institutions in Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Philippines, South Africa, Turkey, Thailand, Vietnam and/or LDC’s and UK-based institutions to overcome systemic barriers of working across borders and to embed the resulting best practise within the institutions to support sustained, equitable, international research collaboration. Closes 30 October

 

  1. CLARE (Climate Adaptation and Resilience) R4I Opportunities Fund: https://clareprogramme.org/update/clare-r4i-opportunities-fund/

CLARE is a UK-Canada framework research programme on Climate Adaptation and Resilience, aiming to enable socially inclusive and sustainable action to build resilience to climate change and natural hazards in Africa and Asia-Pacific. The purpose of the Opportunities Fund is to enable the tailoring of existing knowledge towards useful outcomes that support the needs identified by decision-makers and other knowledge users. Towards this purpose, the CLARE R4I Hub will: collate the needs expressed by decision-makers and other knowledge users; assess for eligibility and, if needed, prioritise the requests based on set criteria; and fulfil these established needs through identifying, directing, adapting, and deploying existing research outputs. The Opportunities Fund is an essential tool for achieving CLARE’s strategic objectives of: getting research and evidence into use; and strengthening agency in the Global South to do and use research on adaptation. Small-scale requests (around £35k) from decision makers by using existing evidence to meet local adaptation priorities. The focus of the fund is on tailoring existing research towards useful outcomes that support adaptation knowledge.

 

  1. British Academy ODA Global Innovation Fellowships 2024: https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/oda-global-innovation-fellowships-2024/

The objective of the ODA (Official Development Assistance) Global Innovation Fellowships is to provide opportunities to UK-based early- and mid-career researchers from across the humanities and social sciences to develop their skills, networks and careers in the creative and cultural, public, private and policy sectors to address challenges that require innovative approaches and solutions. Awards are for up to £150,000 for 12 months, with application deadline 6 November 2024.

 

  1. British Academy ODA Global Innovation Fellowships: South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA)

The British Academy call ODA Global Innovation Fellowships: South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) is supported under the UK Government’s International Science Partnerships Fund. The £337 million International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF) is designed to enable potential and foster prosperity. Fellowship award holders will embed themselves in a South Africa office (Johannesburg or Cape Town) of the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA). SAIIA is an independent public policy think tank advancing a well-governed, peaceful, economically sustainable and globally engaged Africa. Their work spans foreign policy, governance, the environment, economic policy and social development. The fellowships are worth up to £150,000 at 80% full economic costing (fEC) over 12 months. One or two awards will be given. Deadline 27 November 2024.

 

 

General international

  1. NEW: Michael J Fox Foundation (MJFF) Opens New Fund for Understanding, Assessing and Improving Gait in Parkinson’s Disease

https://www.michaeljfox.org/grant/personalized-approaches-understanding-assessing-and-improving-gait-parkinsons-disease

MJFF’s Personalized Approaches for Understanding, Assessing and Improving Gait in Parkinson’s Disease Research Program seeks to fund clinical studies that promote understanding of gait disturbances in PD and the development of personalised treatments for patients across the continuum of disease. Proposals should delineate how the expected results directly contribute to more precise understanding and detection contributions to individualised gait impairment in PD. Proposals evaluating both motor and cognitive contributors to gait disturbances will be prioritised as will proposals with direct applications for development of personalised treatments. Award amounts range from $250,000 for smaller, targeted programmes to $2 million for larger, multi-stage clinical programmes. Project duration is two to three years.

There is a two-stage application process consisting of a mandatory pre-proposal followed by an invited full application. Pre-proposals must be submitted by the deadline of 14 January 2025.

 

  1. NEW, IMMINENT: Call for applications: Next Generation UK – Canada Arctic Science Engagement Scheme 2024-25 (Natural Environment Research Council) – deadline extended to 7 October 2024 https://www.arctic.ac.uk/news/call-for-applications-next-generation-uk-canada-arctic-science-engagement-scheme-2024-2025/

This scheme is an opportunity for early to mid-career researchers – including Inuit knowledge holders and community members – from across Canada and the UK to apply for travel funds to attend the final Canada – Inuit Nunangat – United Kingdom Arctic Research Programme (CINUK) Annual Science Meeting in Ottawa, Canada, 4 – 6 December 2024. The UK’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, working closely with the Science and Innovation Network Canada, UKRI North America and the NERC Arctic Office, is funding a travel bursaries scheme to enable travel to the final CINUK meeting in December 2024, in Ottawa. Please note, that the deadline for applications has been extended to 7 October 2024

 

  1. NEW: Huo Family Foundation funding opportunity on the impact of digital technology on young people https://huofamilyfoundation.org/funding-areas/scientific-research/

The Huo Family Foundation (HFF; based in London) is expanding its scientific research grant-giving in the UK and US. The Foundation is establishing a research portfolio on the impact of digital technology on brain development, social behaviours and mental health in young people. A funding call will be announced in early 2025. Some preliminary details on this future call are available on the website.

 

  1. UK and Japan quantum technology networking fair 2024: https://www.ukri.org/events/uk-and-japan-quantum-technology-networking-fair-2024/

This online networking fair (9:30am to 12:00pm, 6 December 2024) will provide an opportunity to listen to and ask questions from quantum science and technology researchers and funders from the UK and Japan. Registration deadline 8 November 2024.

 

29.Single Ventricle Research Fund: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/work-with-us-researchers-bbsrc-nsf-bio-lead-agency-2024/

The Single Ventricle Research Fund (SVRF) is an annual research award programme that supports foundational research to improve mechanistic understanding of single ventricle congenital heart disease through multi-year, high-impact grants. It is designed to fund research that will lead to both improved care and novel treatments based on a mechanistic understanding of single ventricle. There are two programme tracks – Independent Investigator and Career Development – offering up to $600k and $300k over three years, respectively. Letter of Intent deadline 21 November 2024.

 

  1. EPSRC-NSF: Exploiting Quantum Information Science in Chemistry: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/epsrc-nsf-exploiting-quantum-information-science-in-chemistry/

Apply for funding to create UK-US research partnerships to explore QIS concepts in the context of chemical systems, or that leverage QIS concepts to advance chemistry research. We will fund up to four joint projects, to start 1 July 2025 lasting up to 36 months. Mandatory expression of interest stage first – if accepted, application deadline is 27 February 2025.

 

31.World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Social Science Research Grant: https://www.wada-ama.org/en/news/wada-launches-call-proposals-2025-social-science-research-grant-program

Social science research (SSR) is an integral part of the anti-doping system. Using SSR to better understand doping as a human behavior helps support the prevention model that underpins the anti-doping system, which is built around rule of law, education, deterrence, detection, and enforcement. Open to any country, WADA seeks to enhance SSR capability in traditionally under-represented and underfunded regions—namely, Asia, Latin America, and Africa—and encourages researchers from these regions to apply. Grants from $20k-150k. Deadline 18 November 2024.

 

  1. American Association of University Women International Fellowships: https://www.aauw.org/resources/programs/fellowships-grants/international/

The program provides $20k-50k support for women to pursue full-time graduate or postdoctoral study in the United States who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and who intend to return to their home country to pursue a professional career. Deadline 15 November 2024.

 

  1. Gastrointestinal Manifestations of Cystic Fibrosis: https://www.cff.org/researchers/gastrointestinal-manifestations-cf-basic-science-projects

Funding of up to $450,000 ($150,000 per year, for up to three years – plus 12% for indirect costs) is available to researchers based at academic and research institutions in the US and overseas proposing basic science research projects that investigate GI manifestations associated with CF. Deadline 5 December 2024.

 

  1. UKRI International partnership: Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases (UK-USA, or tri with China or Israel): https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/international-partnership-ecology-and-evolution-of-infectious-diseases/

Apply for funding for internationally collaborative projects to understand the ecological, evolutionary and social drivers of infectious disease transmission in animals, humans and plants, using a quantitative or mathematical approach combined with qualitative principles. You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for funding from UKRI or Defra and collaborate with a partner from the USA. You can also have partners from China and Israel to form tri or quadrilateral collaborations. The full economic cost of your project can be up to £1 million, funding available for up to four years. Webinar on 25 September 2024 and deadline 20 November 2024.

 

  1. NEW: NIH funding opportunities for which foreign organizations and/or foreign components of U.S. organizations may apply:

 

 

Project Initiation Form (PIF): https://www.cognitoforms.com/NewcastleUniversity1/NewcastleUniversityNuTHProjectInitiationFormV2

If you’re in the process of developing a research proposal please ensure you submit a PIF as soon as possible. The PIF is not just a mechanism to initiate a costing, it enables the research support team to identify and engage on your behalf the varying types of research and business support beneficial to your bid. Please note you don’t need to define all resources required before engaging with the team. To maximise the support available to you, PIF submission is advised at your earliest convenience.

 

Category
Tags

LEAVE A REPLY