FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
The programme “Widening Participation & Strengthening of the European Research Area - WIDERA” offers funding opportunities for fellows as well as for the legal entities acting as their supervisors with the ultimate purpose to forge more and better links between research and innovation actors across the European Research Area.
- ERA Fellowships (HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-TALENTS-02): ERA Fellowships are a widening extension of the regular MSCA Fellowships. Candidates to MSCA Fellowships to an institution in a widening country are automatically eligible to ERA Fellowships: provided that the application passes the evaluation threshold, namely the 85%, it will have the possibility to be funded under the widening budget when the MSCA budget runs out. The result is that an additional number of excellent MSCA proposals to widening countries that are on the reserve list can be funded. Under Horizon Europe, annual calls are conducted, each with a budget of EUR 8 million. Two calls have already implemented. So far 116 ERA Fellowships have been awarded
Deadline for applications: 11 September 2024
- ERA Talents (HORIZON-WIDERA-2024-TALENTS-03-01): A staff exchange scheme aiming to boost interoperability of careers and employability of research and innovation talents across sectors, with a centre of gravity in widening countries. Cross-sectoral talent circulation and academia-business collaboration for knowledge transfer is key component of this call.
Deadline for applications: 28 September 2024
Previously funded projects available here
- ERA Chairs (HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-TALENTS-01): A bottom-up scheme aimed at fostering brain circulation for researchers and innovators, by attracting in a sustainable manner outstanding scientists and innovators, to universities or research organisations in catching up countries and regions. Research-based organisations located in Widening Countries interested in establishing an ERA Chair should submit a proposal with the prospective ERA Chair holder of their choice with leadership qualities for structural changes in the host entity. The ERA Chairs call foresees the creation of a permanent and excellent research group in the chosen scientific field.
Deadline for applications: 7 March 2024
Previously funded projects available here
- Hop On Facility (HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ACCESS-06-01): Foresees the possibility for legal entities from low R&I performing countries to join already collaborative R&I actions from Pillar II and EIC Pathfinder, subject to an agreement of the respective consortium and provided that legal entities from such countries are not yet participating in the consortium. The list of eligible projects is available here. The next cut-off is on 26 September 2024.
SUPPORT SERVICES OFFERED BY THE NCP_WIDERA.NET PROJECT
The NCP_WIDERA.NET project offers the following support services for applicants coming from Widening countries:
- Travel Grants to facilitate networking at Horizon Europe Pillar II clusters brokerage events. More information available here: https://www.ncpwideranet.eu/travel-grants/
- Study visits to non-widening internationally leading organisations. More information available here: https://www.ncpwideranet.eu/study-visit-call-for-rmas-ibec/
- Proposal pre-check services: free-of-charge pre-screening of project proposals for coordinators and work package leaders from Widening countries facilitated through wideraexperts.eu portal
For more information on how to access support services, please contact your country’s National Contact Point for WIDERA, available on Funding and Tenders opportunities Portal: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/support/ncp;sortQuery=country;functions=14
WHICH ARE THE WIDENING COUNTRIES?
According to the Horizon Europe regulation the less advanced countries in R&I performance, eligible for hosting the co-ordinator of widening actions:
- Member states: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia
- Associated countries: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo 2 , Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Morocco, Tunisia, Ukraine, Faroe Islands
- Outermost Regions (defined in Art. 349 TFEU). Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Réunion, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin, the Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands
