Enabling research infrastructure services for better use of imaging data to address challenges in thematic research areas

Inclusive access to the services provided by research infrastructures in the European Research Area is essential both for the quality of the research produced and for the training of researchers. Easy access to high-quality resources, based on clear conditions and with appropriate funding, is an important and attractive feature of the EU research and innovation system, allowing researchers to move within or from outside Europe to perform their research. An open landscape of RIs in Europe contributes to the circulation of skills and attraction of talents and promotes European cohesion.

The support under past Framework Programmes of trans-national and virtual access to RIs has opened to research communities across Europe state-of-the-art services and resources for their scientific activities. RIs are key players in the generation of knowledge and drivers of scientific excellence in Europe. In conjunction with the European Open Science Cloud and Technology Infrastructures, they are crucial enablers of research and innovation. The provision of services at EU level has been so far mainly organised per types of infrastructures or disciplines. The complexity and urgency of the socio-economic and environmental transition that Europe is facing requires interdisciplinary approaches and a new challenge-driven provision of customised services able to accelerate the pace of the research cycle and the delivery of solutions.

Actions under this destination will provide efficient and customised research infrastructure services to drive and enable the transition toward a sustainable Europe and a prosperous economy. RI services (e.g. access to unique scientific tools and facilities, samples provision, processing and analysis, data and modelling services) will be directed to support an effective and responsive health system and to accelerate the transition towards a green and digital future. Specific alignments and synergies with priorities in Pillar 2 will be developed and research infrastructure support will duly contribute to the identified missions and partnerships under Horizon Europe. At the same time, research infrastructures, which are key players in the generation of fundamental knowledge and drivers of scientific excellence in Europe, will also continue enabling the advancement of frontier knowledge in areas complementary to those addressed through a challenge-driven approach.

Proposals for topics under this destination should set out a credible pathway to contributing to several of the following impacts:

• Reinforced research infrastructures capacity to provide at scale and across the EU services to support excellent research to address societal challenges, and Horizon Europe missions and partnerships’ objectives;
• Enhanced and increased society’s long-term and consistent problem-solving capacity and evidence-based policy making in areas linked to health, and the green and digital transition, including a better understanding of socio-economic implications, through the provision of innovative, customised and efficient RI services;
• New discoveries and knowledge breakthroughs enabled by access provision to the best and in some cases unique state-of-the-art RIs;
• A new generation of researchers trained to optimally exploit all the essential and advanced tools for their research;
• Cross-fertilisation and a wider sharing of knowledge and technologies across disciplines and between academia and industry and businesses.

Online Manual is your guide on the procedures from proposal submission to managing your grant.

Horizon Europe Programme Guide contains the detailed guidance to the structure, budget and political priorities of Horizon Europe.

Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ – find the answers to most frequently asked questions on submission of proposals, evaluation and grant management.

Research Enquiry Service – ask questions about any aspect of European research in general and the EU Research Framework Programmes in particular.

Enterprise Europe Network – contact your EEN national contact for advice to businesses with special focus on SMEs. The support includes guidance on the EU research funding.

IT Helpdesk – contact the Funding & Tenders Portal IT helpdesk for questions such as forgotten passwords, access rights and roles, technical aspects of submission of proposals, etc.

European IPR Helpdesk assists you on intellectual property issues.

CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk –  the European Standards Organisations advise you how to tackle standardisation in your project proposal.  

The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment– consult the general principles and requirements specifying the roles, responsibilities and entitlements of researchers, employers and funders of researchers.

Partner Search Services help you find a partner organisation for your proposal.