EU and International Funding Programmes
Horizon Europe: Current Calls
Horizon Europe is the EU-programme for research and innovation for 2021 – 2027. It offers a broad range of funding opportunities, from support for basic scientific research to application-oriented collaborative projects and market launch activities. Open and upcoming calls for Horizon Europe can be found below.
Other EU Programmes: Current Calls
In addition to Horizon Europe, there are a number of other EU programmes that offer funding opportunities for research projects. Below you will find upcoming and open calls for other EU programmes.
EU Office
The EU Office of the Office of the Dean for Research at the Faculty of Medicine supports scientists in the application and handling of projects in the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon Europe of the European Union and in other EU and international funding programmes.
For further information and consultation, please contact the EU Liaison Officers.
EU Work Programmes and General Information
This section will provide you with links to current EU work programmes, useful templates and information sheets on several aspects of EU research funding and a link to an overview of countries associated to Horizon Europe.
Information on EU Programmes
The EU offers a wide range of programmes designed to support various sectors, including research, innovation and regional development. These programmes provide funding for individuals and collaborations across Europe. This section provides an overview of the main EU initiatives with which we can assist during the application process.
Horizon Europe is the current European Union’s framework programme for research and innovation with a budget of EUR 95.5 billion up to 2027. Horizon Europe offers a broad range of funding opportunities, from support for basic scientific research to application-oriented collaborative projects and market launch activities.
Horizon Europe is structured in three central pillars:
- Excellent Science
- Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
- Innovative Europe
An additional underlying pillar “Widening Participation and Strengthening the European Research Area” supports the entire programme and serves to optimise national research and innovation potential across Europe, thereby strengthening the European Research Area.
Source: factsheet “Horizon Europe – Investing to shape our future“ of the European Commission
The first pillar „Excellent Science“ primarily supports bottom up (individual) research at all levels and includes the European Research Council (ERC), Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) and Research Infrastructures. ERC Advanced Grants fund established, active researchers with a track record of outstanding research contributions of 10 years or more. ERC Consolidator Grants fund promising researchers at the start of their careers as independent group leaders. These grantees have already established their own research group. ERC Starting Grants support young, innovative researchers who are setting up their own research groups. ERC Synergy Grants assemble two to four Principal Inverstigators who aim at implementing an ambitious, synergistic, inter- or transdisciplinary research programme. An ERC Proof of Concept funds researchers who are already ERC Grantees and who aim to use particular results from their grants by pre-commercial exploitation. MSCA Doctoral Networks are networks of European institutions with the purpose of training doctoral researchers in a structured manner to increase their competences in an international, interdisciplinary and intersectoral research and training programme.and MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships. MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships promote individual research projects of Postdocs at research institutions in Europe and abroad. They aim to enhance the career opportunities of Postdocs through international and inter-sectoral mobility.
The second pillar “Global Challenges & European Industrial Competiveness” comprises six thematic clusters, including the Cluster Health. This part of the programme provides funding for collaborative research, in which partners from different countries work together on a project. Applications can only be submitted in relation to topics within six different areas of intervention: 1) Health throughout the Life Course, 2) Environmental and Social Health Determinants, 3) Non-Communicable and Rare Diseases, 4) Infectious Diseases, including poverty-related and neglected diseases, 5) Tools, Technologies and Digital Solutions for Health and Care, including personalised medicine, 6) Health Care Systems.
The third pillar “Innovative Europe” bundles together instruments with a focus on innovation and market uptake. These include, among others, the European Innovation Council (EIC). From basic research to the marketability of a product, this creates a wide range of participation opportunities.
Horizon Europe introduces missions for the first time in Pillar II to increase the effectiveness of funding by pursuing clearly defined targets. Five missions have been identified, one of which is the Mission Cancer. This mission addresses the understanding of cancer, prevention, diagnosis and treatment, quality of life and equal access to care. In addition, partnerships within the Cluster Health contribute to the implementation of Horizon Europe.
More information about Horizon Europe and the different programme parts can be found in the following links:
National Institutes of Health (NIH), US Federal Grants and Other International Programmes
Scientists are eligible to apply for grants of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other US-federal grants. Please note: The Medical Center – University of Freiburg can only participate in NIH funding or other US federal funded grants as a sub-awardee or sub-recipient (and not as main-awardee). Applying for external funding from US funding institutions often involves a great deal of administrative work and is subject to strict regulations. Therefore, please contact us as early as possible, if you are planning on applying for US federal grants.
Update from 18.09.2025: NOT-OD-25-155: NIH will no longer support traditional foreign subawards, but only foreign components that are structured as independent subprojects.
In addition, the Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) is an international programme to promote excellent research in the life sciences. The programme supports interdisciplinary basic research elucidating the sophisticated and complex mechanisms of living organisms. The focus is on new collaborations between different fields, such as Biology, Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry and Engineering.