Overview of International Funding
International funding programmes enable multi-partner projects in research, education, innovation, digital transformation, and institutional capacity development. In addition to a strong project idea, successful applications require the right call, a suitable consortium, clear responsibilities, and a realistic implementation plan.
Principal International Programmes
- Horizon Europe: The European Union’s research and innovation programme. It supports scientific excellence, researcher mobility, global challenges, industrial competitiveness, innovation, and research capacity. The ERC, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, and collaborative cluster calls are among its principal components.
- Erasmus+: Supports education, training, institutional cooperation, and mobility. Cooperation Partnerships, Alliances for Innovation, Erasmus Mundus, Centres of Vocational Excellence, Capacity Building, and Jean Monnet Actions are particularly relevant to universities.
- COST: Supports international research networks that bring researchers from different countries together around a scientific topic. COST primarily funds networking activities such as meetings, scientific visits, working groups, training schools, and communication rather than direct research costs.
- Digital Europe: Supports projects involving artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, cybersecurity, advanced digital skills, data spaces, and the wider deployment of digital technologies.
- EUREKA and Eurostars: Provide opportunities for international, market-oriented R&D projects developed in cooperation with private-sector organisations.
- EIT and Other European Programmes: Offer thematic opportunities focusing on innovation, entrepreneurship, education, and sectoral cooperation.
- Other International Sources: The World Bank, United Nations agencies, NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme, and similar organisations may publish periodic thematic calls.
Support Provided by the Projects Office Directorate
The Directorate provides support in:
- Matching project ideas with suitable international calls
- Determining coordinator or partner roles
- Searching for consortium and project partners
- Reviewing institutional profiles and PIC, OID, and portal records
- Reviewing proposals, work packages, budgets, and allocation of responsibilities
- Coordinating internal approval, authorisation, and submission processes
Application preparation should begin sufficiently in advance of the call deadline.