Consolidation of the research infrastructure landscape – individual support for evolution, long-term sustainability and emerging needs of pan-European research infrastructures
Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
This topic targets the consolidation of the EU research infrastructures landscape through the support, together with the countries that are members of the research infrastructures, to the strengthening, long-term sustainability, reorientation or evolution of ESFRI Landmarks[1] or European Research Infrastructure Consortia (ERICs)
Detailed Call Description
The proposed action should justify the specific objectives and focus on activities that are critical for the sustainability and optimised use of the ESFRI Landmarks or ERICs, such as activities aiming at several of the following objectives:
- enlargement of the membership or broadening of the base of participating countries, notably widening countries and candidate countries;
- addressing critical aspects raised following an assessment or monitoring exercise, e.g. in the context of ESFRI activities;
- reinforcing international cooperation;
- revision of business/funding plan;
- development of managerial and technical skills for research infrastructure staff;
- structuring and strengthening of national/thematic nodes;
- extension of remote and/or virtual access;
- management of research data according to the FAIR principles;
- reorientation or evolution of the research infrastructure scope;
- development, update and or implementation of impact assessment of the research infrastructure.
In case of reorientation or evolution of the research infrastructure scope, activities should fill gaps in the research infrastructures landscape[3], enabling the research infrastructure to address new research or societal challenges and/or serve new user communities, increasing and improving service capacity and/or integrating new resources/facilities.
Due attention should be given to related EU initiatives, strategies and priorities and, where relevant, to complementarity and relevance to activities in other parts of Horizon Europe, such as better addressing SRIAs of Horizon Europe partnerships. Proposals should explain concrete complementarities and any synergies with previous or current EU grants, notably under the research infrastructures part of the Horizon Europe work programme, e.g. INFRADEV and INFRATECH grants.
Given the funding rate, proposals should ensure a minimum adequate backing by the beneficiaries, who should provide the remaining share for the activities covered by the Grant Agreement and foster the sustainability of the ESFRI Landmark or ERIC.
Specific attention should be given, where relevant, to the greening of technologies and methodologies used by the research infrastructure, to the interaction with industry/SMEs, to the fostering of the innovation potential of the infrastructures, and to their integration into local, regional and global innovation ecosystems.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
100%
Expected EU contribution per project: between €3.00 and €4.50 million.
Thematic Categories
- Information and Communication Technologies
- Information Technology
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
Eligibility for Participation
- Educational Institutions
- Large Enterprises
- Legal Entities
- Other Beneficiaries
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
Eligibility For Participation Notes
The following additional eligibility criteria apply:
Due to the scope of this topic, proposals must include at least one of the ESFRI Landmarks[[See the list of ESFRI ‘Landmarks’ in the 2021 ESFRI Roadmap on https://roadmap2021.esfri.eu/ For ESFRI Landmarks that are not an ERIC or an international European research organisation, the beneficiary must be the legal entity hosting the infrastructure in the lead country (such legal entity is a minimum requirement to become an ESFRI Landmark).]] or European Research Infrastructure Consortia (ERICs)[[European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) | European Commission (europa.eu)]] as beneficiary. Such beneficiaries, and the research infrastructure(s) that they operate, must be explicitly identified in the proposal. For distributed ERIC the ERIC must be the beneficiary.
A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Research and Innovation Foundation
Address: 29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia, P.B. 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Telephone: +357 22205000
Email: support@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/en/