Developing European and international funding
We can help you with developing research project ideas for European funding, such as the European Commission, or International funding, such as the National Institutes for Health and National Science Foundation.
We can advise you on developing your collaborations and networks, finding research collaborators and identifying international funding opportunities.
Horizon Europe
This advice was updated in January 2024. UK applicants are eligible to apply to Horizon Europe calls, now and in the future.
From 2024 onwards
The UK’s Associated Country status gives UK applicants to calls in the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2024 onwards the same rights as EU participants, with very limited exceptions*. UK entities are eligible for funding at the same rates and under the same conditions. As a UK applicant, you are able to lead project consortia and the UK will count towards the minimum number of countries required to meet eligibility rules for applications for transnational projects.
*Exceptions
You will be ineligible to receive funding via the following schemes:
- The European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund – which provides equity finance support to EIC Accelerator projects; and
- individual funding calls where eligibility is limited to member states or certain other countries under current Work Programmes. These will be limited exceptional cases and the eligibility rules will be clearly indicated in the call text.
2023 calls
If you have applied for any calls under the 2021, 2022 and 2023 Work Programmes, you remain fully eligible for evaluation by the EU and, if successful for 2023 calls, will receive funding through the UK guarantee in line with existing eligibility rules. For these calls, UK applicants cannot lead consortia or count towards the minimum number of countries required to meet eligibility rules for applications for transnational projects.
You can read archived advice for 2023 calls via the following links, but note that the information does not relate to any Horizon Europe funding opportunities launched in 2024 or beyond:
The Horizon Europe Framework Programme offers numerous funding opportunities tailored to discovery, applied, and translational research. Opportunities are clustered under three ‘Pillars’, and most are open to UK-based researchers.
Below are details of available funding through Horizon Europe.
Pillar I: Excellent Science
European Research Council
The ERC offers four core grant schemes and an additional Proof of Concept Grant scheme. These grants are intended to fund creative researchers of any nationality and age, to run projects based across Europe. These calls open once a year. Opening and closing dates for calls in 2024 (for 2025 starting dates) have not been announced yet.
ERC Starting Grant
The ERC Starting Grant is for early-career researchers to establish their own (and often first) research group. They will then obtain independence through excellent research.
- eligibility: 2-7 years post PhD
- duration: up to 5 years
- budget: €1.5 million (pro rata)
ERC Consolidator Grant
The ERC Consolidator Grant is for researchers to consolidate their independence with a view to becoming a future research leader.
- eligibility: 7-12 years post PhD
- duration: up to 5 years
- budget: €2 million (pro rata)
ERC Advanced Grant
The ERC Advanced Grant is for excellent researchers making breakthroughs through high quality research ideas. Applicants must still be active researchers and have a strong track record over the previous 10 years.
- eligibility: >12 years post-Ph.D. but usually Professorial researchers
- duration: up to 5 years
- budget: €2.5 million (pro rata)
ERC Synergy Grant
The ERC Synergy Grant provides funding for 2-4 Principal Investigators (PIs) to propose an ambitious, interdisciplinary research project. Projects will lead to breakthroughs not possible by any individual PI working with a single team.
- eligibility: No specific criteria but all PIs are assessed for ERC quality relative to career stage
- duration: up to 6 years
- budget: €10 million (pro rata)
ERC Proof of Concept ERC Proof of Concept grants are only open to current or recent ERC grant holders to demonstrate potential commercialisation opportunities that have arisen from their ERC-funded research.
- eligibility: Current ERC grant, or grant ending in last 12 months
- duration: 18 months
- budget: €150,000
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions fund excellent research and innovation and equip researchers at all stages of their career with new knowledge and skills, through mobility across borders and exposure to different sectors and disciplines. The MSCA also fund the development of doctoral and postdoctoral training programmes and collaborative research projects worldwide.
MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships
MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships (PF) aim to enhance the creative and innovative potential of postdoctoral researchers, providing them with a period of international mobility and facilitating a two-way exchange of knowledge between the researchers and their host organisation(s).
MSCA Doctoral Networks
MSCA Doctoral Networks (DN) are training for doctoral candidates via international networks of academic and non-academic institutions.
MSCA Staff Exchanges
MSCA Staff Exchanges fund short-term international and inter-sectoral exchanges of staff members involved in research and innovation activities of participating organisations.
MSCA COFUND
COFUND action provides funding for regional, national and international programmes for training and career development, through co-funding mechanisms.
Research Infrastructures
Research Infrastructures are facilities that provide resources and services for the research communities to conduct research and foster innovation in their fields.
These include:
- major equipment or sets of instruments
- knowledge-related facilities such as collections
- archives or scientific data infrastructures
- computing systems
- communication networks
Pillar II: Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
Calls under the Global Challenges Pillar of Horizon Europe are top-down, challenge-led and extend across a range of themed areas. They primarily support multi-disciplinary cooperation via international consortia. See the summary.
2021-2027 Work Programmes
All the forthcoming calls for proposals can be found in each work programme:
- Cluster 1: Health
- Cluster 2: Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society
- Cluster 3: Civil Security for Society
- Cluster 4: Digital, Industry and Space
- Cluster 5: Climate, Energy and Mobility
- Cluster 6: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
Open and forthcoming calls for each of these global challenges can be found on the EU Funding and Tenders Opportunities portal.
EC: Missions
Each mission from the European Commission (EC) will operate as a portfolio of actions, such as research projects, policy measures or even legislative initiatives, to achieve a measurable goal that could not be achieved through individual actions.
The five EU Missions:
- Adaptation to Climate Change: support at least 150 European regions and communities to become climate resilient by 2030
- Cancer: working with Europe's Beating Cancer Plan to improve the lives of more than 3 million people by 2030 through prevention, cure and solutions to live longer and better
- Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030
- 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030
- A Soil Deal for Europe: 100 living labs and lighthouses to lead the transition towards healthy soils by 2030
Pillar III: Innovative Europe
European Innovation Council
EIC Pathfinder supports the exploration of bold ideas for radically new technologies - welcomes high-risk / high gain and interdisciplinary cutting-edge science collaborations that underpin technological breakthroughs
EIC Transition funds innovation activities that go beyond the experimental proof of principle in laboratory
EIC Accelerator funds and invests in individual start-ups and small companies to develop and scale up game changing innovations. (Note, restrictions apply on UK access to Investment component of EIC Accelerator)
See the summary of the EIC Calls.
Find other international funding opportunities
Global R&I funding gateway
Universities UK international (UUKi) has a Global Research and Innovation Funding Gateway which you can access.
This a regularly updated depository of funding opportunities for international research and innovation collaboration and knowledge exchange, aimed at UK based researchers/institutions.
International Relations Office
The International Relations Office works with and builds partnerships with other international universities and organisations. It also runs the Bath international research funding scheme, which is an internal call inviting applications for developing international partnerships.