International Research Funding Circular -7 August 2026

Please see the latest European and International research funding information, event and opportunity updates.

News

 

1. NEW: US Stand Up for Science movement expands to Europe: https://sciencebusiness.net/news/international-news/us-stand-science-movement-expands-europe

The Stand Up for Science movement, which began in the US, is expanding into Europe, helping to strengthen collaboration and advocacy across the international research community. The initiative aims to promote the value of research and encourage scientists to engage proactively in discussions about the future of science, research funding and evidence-based policymaking.

 

2. NEW: EIC to revamp Pathfinder and Transition grant schemes in 2027: https://sciencebusiness.net/news/european-innovation-council/eic-revamp-pathfinder-and-transition-grant-schemes-2027

The European Innovation Council (EIC) is proposing changes to its Pathfinder and Transition schemes for 2027. Pathfinder Open is expected to move to a two-stage application process, while Transition funding may be limited to single applicants rather than consortia, with the aim of better identifying and supporting high-potential breakthrough innovations.

 

Events

 

2. ERC Consolidator Grant 2027 Webinar, 30 September 2026, 10:00 to 12:00 UK time: https://www.ukro.ac.uk/events/erc-consolidator-grant-2027-webinar/

The overall aim of this webinar is to provide participants with detailed, practical information about the ERC Consolidator Grant scheme. It will cover information on the submission process, how proposals are evaluated and other elements you’ll need to consider when designing a project for your research excellence idea.  Attendance will be free of charge, but registration for the webinar is required.

3. Kick-off event of the European Partnership for Resilient Cultural Heritage, 29 September 2026 at Mucem – Musée des civilisations de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée (1 Esplanade J4), Marseille, France and online: https://www.heritageresearch-hub.eu/event/european-partnership-for-resilient-cultural-heritage-to-have-its-kick-off-event-in-september-2026/

The Marseille event will mark the start of a decade-long initiative focused on improving the structuring and coordination of research at the nexus of cultural heritage and climate change, across Europe but with a global perspective. Registration is free of charge, but places may be limited for in-person participation. We therefore encourage you to register as early as possible. You can find more details at this link. Event details will be updated as more information becomes available.

 

4. Getting those Grants: Horizon Europe Proposal Development for Consortium Projects, 10^th September, Stephenson Building, STB 1.010, 09:00-16:30: https://elements.ncl.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=2821

This practical intensive one-day training course provides a comprehensive insight into writing and submitting competitive Pillar 2 (large collaborative consortium) proposals under Horizon Europe. You will learn the features of winning proposals and gain practical tools to develop your proposal with confidence. Please register here.

 

5. Horizon Europe UK-EU Brokerage Event, Thursday 3rd September 2026, AMIC Factory of the Future, Newtownabbey (near Belfast), Northern Ireland: https://iuk-business-connect.org.uk/events/horizon-europe-cluster-4-and-5-inward-multilateral-brokerage-event/

Innovate UK and partners are hosting an in-person brokerage event to support consortium building for selected Horizon Europe 2027 Cluster 4 (Industry) and Cluster 5 (Mobility) calls. The event will bring together UK and EU organisations to explore collaboration opportunities in advanced manufacturing, materials, raw materials processing and sustainable aviation technologies. UK-based attendees may be eligible to claim up to £200 towards travel and accommodation costs. Registrations close on 12th August 2026.

 

 

European related funding

6. NEW: COST Actions Networking Grants Open for 2026: https://www.cost.eu/how-to-apply/

The 2026 COST Actions call is open to researchers from academia, industry, SMEs and public organisations to establish international research networks in any scientific or technological field. COST funds networking activities such as workshops, conferences, training schools and research visits, rather than research itself. Successful Actions typically receive around €150,000 in the first year and €180,000 per year for the following three years, with up to 80 new COST Actions expected to be funded in this round. Deadline: 28 October 2026.

 

7. NEW: Access EuroHPC supercomputers for AI development: https://www.eurohpc-ju.europa.eu/ai-factories/ai-factories-access-calls_en

Apply for access to EuroHPC supercomputers to develop artificial intelligence, through the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU). These access modes support AI and data-intensive work, with a focus on foundation models and generative AI, such as large language models. No funding is provided; awards are allocations of compute time. UK applicants are eligible as the UK is a participating state in EuroHPC.

On a separate note, the EuroHPC JU has several R&I calls open at present for large European consortia that are quantum-related.

 

8. NEW: Harald Fey Award 2027 Welcomes Entries from Around the World: https://www.stiftung-michael.de/feypreis/EN/feypreis.php

The Harald Fey Award 2027, offered by the Michael Foundation, recognises outstanding research on Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) and is open to researchers in medicine, neuropsychology and rehabilitation worldwide. The €5,000 award may be given for published research, educational activities, project plans or conference travel that advances understanding, prevention or management of SUDEP. Applications must be submitted in English or German. Deadline: 31 December 2026

 

9. New SPRIND Challenge Supports AI-ready Health Datasets and Clinical Use Cases: https://www.sprind.org/en/actions/challenges/recoding-medicine

The new SPRIND Challenge ‘Recoding Medicine’ by the German Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovation (SPRIND) aims to improve access to high-quality, AI-ready health datasets and demonstrate their value in clinically relevant applications. Funding is provided through pre-commercial procurement, with amounts per selected team of up to €480,000 in Stage 1, up to €455,000 in Stage 2 and up to €550,000 in Stage 3, plus VAT and subject to the approved cost estimate. Deadline: 16 October 2026.

10. Integrated Research Infrastructure Services for Climate Change Risks Opens Fourth Access Call: https://www.iriscc.eu/article/4th-open-call-for-access

IRISCC is offering funded access to European climate change research facilities, data and expertise for projects addressing challenges such as ecosystem resilience, health risks, water management and food systems. Researchers, policymakers and industry professionals can apply for physical, remote, hybrid or virtual access, with up to €2,000 available for travel and subsistence. Deadline: 15 October 2026.

11. EIC Launches Three Pathfinder Challenges for 2026: https://eic.ec.europa.eu/eic-funding-opportunities/eic-pathfinder/eic-pathfinder-challenges-2026_en

The 2026 round of Pathfinder Challenge calls are now open for application. Applicants are able to submit projects to achieve breakthroughs in the following three strategic areas:

• Advanced Materials for Miniaturised Energy Harvesting Systems
• Biotechnology for Healthy Ageing
• Deep Reasoning, Abstraction & Planning Towards Trustworthy Cognitive AI Systems

The total indicative budget is €96 million, which is expected to be allocated in approximately equal shares across the Challenges. Grants of up to €4 million are available per project to enable them to achieve the proof of principle and validate the scientific basis of breakthrough technology (eg TRL 1-4). Deadline: 26 October 2026.

12. Nordic Institutes for Advanced Studies Fellowship on Health and Sustainability Open for Applications: https://aias.au.dk/nnf-ias-fellowships

The programme will support five early- to mid-career researchers (2–10 years post-PhD) from any discipline to undertake 23-month interdisciplinary research projects at partner Institutes for Advanced Studies in Denmark, Finland, Norway or Sweden. Funding covers salary, travel and research costs, alongside career development and training opportunities. Applications are open to researchers of any nationality. Deadline: 1 October 2026.

13.  British Council Springboard Programme for UK–France, UK–Germany and UK–Spain Research Partnerships: https://opportunities-insight.britishcouncil.org/short-articles/opportunities/springboard-2026-research-grants-france-germany-spain

The British Council has opened applications for its Springboard Programme, which supports early career researchers in the UK to develop collaborations with partners in France, Germany or Spain. Open to all disciplines, the programme provides grants of up to £10,000 to strengthen international networks, support knowledge exchange activities and lay the foundations for future collaborative funding bids, including Horizon Europe opportunities. Deadline: 30 September 2026.

 

14. INHA/MIAM History of Art Research Grant to Return for 2026: https://www.inha.fr/recherche/appels/appel-candidature/bourse-de-recherche-miam-inha/

France’s Institut National de l’Histoire de l’Art (INHA – National Institute of Art History) was founded in 2001 and is a public scientific, cultural and professional establishment under the authority of the French ministries of Education and of Culture. Its objective is to provide a meeting point for researchers and curators from museums and libraries, in conjunction with other French and international art history institutions. The Institut National d’Histoire de l’Art (INHA) and the Musée International des Arts Modestes (MIAM) have launched a €20,000 research grant focused on the figurine in art history, particularly from the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The 12-month award is open to doctoral, postdoctoral and established researchers of any nationality, and includes workspace at INHA. Deadline: 30 September 2026.

15. Launch of Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) Call 13: https://www.ihi.europa.eu/ihi-call-13

The Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) has launched Call 13, inviting innovative solutions across three topics: boosting health innovation through a network; using AI to reduce animal use in drug safety studies; and decoding diseases related to ageing and the immune system. A total budget of €84,824,750 is available for projects tackling these issues within IHI public-private partnerships; €53.2 million from Horizon Europe, €27,196,000 from IHI’s industry members and €4,428,750 from IHI contributing partners. Call 13 is a two-stage call. Short proposal submission deadline: 08 October 2026.

16. NOW OPEN: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026: https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/actions/postdoctoral-fellowships

The MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026 call will open in April. Postdoctoral Fellowships (PF) target researchers holding a PhD with up to eight years of research experience who wish to carry out their research activities abroad, acquire new skills and develop their careers. PFs help researchers gain experience in other countries, disciplines and non-academic sectors.  If you are interested in hosting (as named supervisor) a MSCA Postdoctoral Fellow currently based overseas we encourage you to reach out to them and get in touch with sarah.urquhart@newcastle.ac.uk. Deadline: 9 September 2026.

17. Horizon Europe – FINAL Work Programmes 2026-27 published

The European Commission has published the final versions of the 2026-27 call topics for all the clusters and missions and a number of the other main funding instruments (to download work programmes see here: https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe/horizon-europe-work-programmes_en ). For convenience, we have put together summary tables of all call topic titles in the ​​ linked Excel spreadsheet​​​ ​which has been updated to reflect the final work programmes – please use these to browse any topics that are of interest to you and that you may be able to contribute to (if you have looked at earlier versions, please check in case of changes). Once you have identified a topic(s) of interest, please search their call reference within the relevant full Work Programme PDF for full details. Many of the 2026 call topics have deadlines in March-April with some later around September — while we advise you to already start taking action for the 2027 calls. [For reference, you can find historic and future draft work programmes at: https://sciencebusiness.net/horizon-papers] They include:

• Cluster 1 – Health: FINAL
• Cluster 2 – Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society: FINAL
• Cluster 3 – Civil security for society:  FINAL
• Cluster 4 – Digital, industry, space: FINAL
• Cluster 5 – Climate, energy and mobility: FINAL
• Cluster 6 – Food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture and environment: FINAL
• Missions: FINAL
• New European Bauhaus Facility: FINAL
• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions: FINAL
• European Research Council: 2026 (2027 is expected around May 2026)
• European Innovation Council: FINAL
• European Innovation Ecosystems: FINAL
• WIDERA (Widening, European Research Area): FINAL
• Research infrastructures: FINAL
• Horizontal activities: FINAL

For reference: General Introduction and General Annexes

**Please do reach out to the Research Funding Development team for support: jarlath.mckenna@newcastle.ac.uk or sarah.urquhart@newcastle.ac.uk**

 

18. Opportunities for Researchers from the Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) in Horizon Europe: https://horizoneuropencpportal.eu/sites/default/files/2026-01/ssh-opportunities_2026-27_final.pdf

A guide that maps all Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) funding opportunities for 2026–2027, including an in‑depth analysis of SSH‑relevant topics across the entire Work Programme has been released.

19. NOW OPEN: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Networks 2026: https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/actions/doctoral-networks

MSCA Doctoral Networks fund doctoral programmes, consisting of a European consortium recruiting up to 15 PhD studentships, designed to respond to identified needs in various research and innovation areas. MSCA Doctoral Networks design doctoral programmes to develop entrepreneurial, innovative doctoral candidates. The aim is to equip these candidates with the right combination of research-related and transferable competencies, enhancing their career perspectives both within and outside academia. The funded Doctoral Networks will hold open recruitment procedures throughout the course of the maximum 48-month project and the recruited candidates must meet specific eligibility criteria outlined in the MSCA Work Programme. Please reach out to jarlath.mckenna@newcastle.ac.uk if interested with the next annual deadline 24 November 2026.