Horizon Europe Pump Priming Collaboration between UK and EU Partners 2025: scheme guidance notes
PLEASE READ THESE SCHEME NOTES CAREFULLY
ANY APPLICATION INCORRECTLY SUBMITTED WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR AWARD
Applications should be submitted well in advance of the deadline; we recommend at least five days prior to allow for institutional approval.
- The UK’s association to Horizon Europe was a significant achievement that has been widely welcomed across the sector in the UK, as well as by the UK’s colleagues and counterparts elsewhere in Europe and beyond. It is imperative now that the opportunities that association provides are taken up swiftly and substantially. The Academy is aware that there are particular hurdles for UK-based researchers, innovators and institutions in bringing together partners and consortia for calls related to Pillar 2. This is why the Academy is pleased to be able to open a third round of this pump priming call.
- The Academy fully understands the time and effort that is required to reach out to potential partners, to identify possible opportunities to collaborate on, to develop a co-designed proposal and to submit a high-quality application. The time this requires is often considerably more than the time a call may be open on the Horizon Europe Portal, especially given the catch-up UK-based partners may have to undertake given the UK’s recent association. The Academy is well aware of this and the importance that UK-based researchers, innovators and institutions place on having as much time as possible to prepare for Horizon Europe calls.
- That is why in this call it will be possible for applicants to apply both for calls on the Horizon Europe Portal and in relation to the possibilities for future calls that the European Commission has set out in its Strategic Orientations documents for Clusters 1-6. For ease of reference, it is possible to review the various ‘Destinations’[1] set out in those documents in Annex 1 below (page 10-11). The documents themselves via the link above do provide further information, which applicants should carefully review before applying.
[1] Destinations can be understood as a grouping or heading under which a number of future calls will be launched.
4. The British Academy with the support of the Royal Society, the Academy of Medical Sciences, and the Royal Academy of Engineering are inviting proposals from UK researchers and proposals from UK-led consortia containing EU/Associated Countries-based researchers to pump prime collaborations to support the effective uptake of the opportunities provided by the UK’s association to Horizon Europe. For the purpose of this call, Associated Countries include those countries in the process of associating as listed on the European Commission website.
5. Proposals are welcome in all disciplines – engineering, natural sciences, medical and health sciences, humanities, and social sciences.
6. This call for applications is supported by the UK’s Department for Science, Innovation & Technology. We are able to offer awards of up to £10,000.
7. The aim of the call is to develop collaborative activity between UK and EU/Associated Countries’ entities in Pillar 2 of Horizon Europe. Proposals are welcome from research organisations and universities based in the UK. Proposals that involve collaboration with any other type of organisation eligible for Horizon Europe funding (based in the UK and/or the EU/Associated Countries), including small and medium sized businesses (SMEs), third parties, end users and similar bodies/organisations such as hospitals, libraries, regulators, commercial partners, creative industry partners, museums, local authorities and associations, NGOs, charities and companies are encouraged and welcome.
8. Assessment will be undertaken over multiple rounds with applications submitted by Wednesday 4 December 2024, 17.00 (UK time) considered initially, then a second deadline (if funding remains available) of Wednesday 15 January 2025, 17.00 (UK time), then a third deadline (if funding remains available) of Wednesday 12 February 2025, 17.00 (UK time), and then a final deadline (if funding remains available) of Wednesday 5 March 2025, 17.00 (UK time). If there is a high number of applications submitted before the 4 December 2024 deadline, the Academy reserves the right to begin assessment prior to the formal deadline.
9. The Academy will hold a series of webinars related to the call and how to apply. The webinars will be on the following dates. To register your interest, please sign up here: https://forms.office.com/e/ZsZ1WZv7k7
- Tuesday 19 November 2024, 14.00-15.00UK time
- Wednesday 8 January 2025, 14.00-15.00 UK time
- Wednesday 5 February 2025, 14.00-15.00 UK time.
10. This programme is providing pump priming funding to seed collaborations for applications to specific Horizon Europe topics in Pillar 2. The aim is to build collaborative activity between UK and EU/Associated Countries’ entities in Pillar 2 where the major consortia building type of applications in Horizon Europe are centred. This will help UK-based entities overcome the barriers to collaborative engagement with EU/Associated Countries’ partners to maximise the opportunities Horizon Europe presents. For the purpose of this call, Associated Countries include those countries in the process of associating as listed on the European Commission website. Third country partners, such as Switzerland, can also be considered as appropriate, but projects and proposed consortia must provide confidence that they will address necessary eligibility and impact criteria.
11. Horizon Europe is the largest ever EU Framework Programme for research and innovation, with a budget of over €95bn (2021–2027, excluding contributions from Associate Countries). Such EU programmes offer significant opportunities to access new knowledge, partners, markets, customers and suppliers.
12. Funding of up to a maximum of £10,000 per grant will be awarded to support a proposal. This will cover collaboration preparation activities to enable multinational consortium building, as well as costs for developing the project ideas and gaining a better understanding of the market opportunities.
13. The expectation is that this funding will be utilised in a variety of ways but could include feasibility studies, application advice and training, partnership building, and dedicated resource to take forward an application.
14. The purpose of this call is not to implement the proposed projects that will be submitted to Horizon Europe, but to give the UK-based partners the resources needed to collaborate with EU organisations and stakeholders to further develop the idea and the market opportunities. Any applications that apply to implement the proposed project will be considered ineligible.
15. The call is focused solely on Pillar 2 of Horizon Europe – Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness.
16. Within Pillar 2 applications for this pump priming funding can be used in one of two ways.
- The first is Calls and Topics from the 2024 Work Programmes onwards (i.e. Calls and Topics with 2024 in the call code) that are listed on the Horizon Europe funding portal as either ‘open for submission’ or ‘forthcoming’. There are only a limited number of calls currently listed on the Portal, however, applications targeting them are most welcome.
- The second is to review the Strategic Orientations documents that the European Commission has published as listed here [Office1] , which give an indication of the content that future calls will focus on. For ease of reference, it is possible to review the various ‘Destinations’ set out in those documents in Annex 1 below (page 10-11).[1] The documents themselves via the link above do provide further information that applicants will need to review in order to submit an effective application.
17. From either source applicants may target any type of action and focus on any cluster in Pillar 2: 1 (Health), 2 (Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society), 3 (Civil Security for Society), 4 (Digital, Industry and Space), 5 (Climate, Energy and Mobility) and 6 (Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment).
[1] Destinations can be understood as a grouping or heading under which a number of future calls will be launched.
18) Applicants will be required to complete a short form that will include detailing the following:
- The Call and Topic within Pillar 2 that the application is targeting, including title and call code;
- An indication of the expected UK participation in the proposed Horizon Europe project (i.e. the extent/scale of involvement the application is looking to see UK organisations have – the level of involvement is not a factor in assessment, however, that there is some level of involvement is a requirement);
- The alignment of the application with the proposed targeted Call and Topic explaining how the application would address the scope and expected outcome specified in the Call and Topic text;
- An overview of the research proposed in the pump priming application with an outline of activities, including the role and expertise of both the UK and non-UK potential partners and how together they will meet the requirements of the Call and Topic that is being targeted in Pillar 2;
- An outline on how this pump priming funding would add value in enabling and improving the development of the proposal;
- The deliverable: providing information on the anticipated level of funding that will be sought from Horizon Europe and the activities that would be fulfilled if the Horizon Europe bid is successful;
19) In all cases, it is for the applicants to demonstrate the feasibility of their proposed pump priming grant.
Applying having reviewed the Strategic Orientations documents that the European Commission has published, which give an indication of the content that future calls will focus on
20) Applicants will be required to complete a short form that will include detailing the following:
- Confirming the Destination (see Annex 1) of the Strategic Orientations documents that their application is focused on;
- The alignment of the application with the expected opportunities in the ‘Destination’ area chosen, explaining how the application would address the selected aspect and/or expected outcome(s) of the Destination;
- An overview of the programme plan proposed in the pump priming application with an outline of activities, including the role and expertise of both the UK and non-UK potential partners and how together they will be able to take advantage of the expected opportunities in the ‘Destination’ area chosen;
- An outline on how this pump priming funding would add value in enabling and improving the development of a future proposal to Horizon Europe Pillar 2, including where relevant how the application would enable new collaborations to be forged and/or enable applicants who have not yet had the opportunity to apply to Horizon Europe to do so;
- An indication of the expected UK participation in the proposed Horizon Europe project (i.e. the extent/scale of involvement the application is looking to see UK organisations have);
21) In all cases, it is for the applicants to demonstrate the feasibility of their proposed pump priming grant.
22. Each project will be led by a named Principal Investigator (PI). The PI must be a researcher in the eligible disciplines for this call and from an eligible UK-based organisation. The PI is expected to direct and manage the grant and has responsibility for the overall project reporting requirements.
23. Proposals are welcome in all disciplines – engineering, natural sciences, medical and health sciences, humanities, and social sciences.
24. Proposals are encouraged and welcomed that involve working closely with any type of organisation eligible for Horizon Europe funding (based in the UK and/or the EU/Associated Countries), including SMEs, third parties, end users and similar bodies/organisations such as hospitals, libraries, regulators, commercial partners, creative industry partners, museums, local authorities and associations, NGOs, charities and companies as appropriate to the selected Call and Topic.
25. The PI must be of postdoctoral or above status (or have equivalent research or innovation experience). The PI’s position must last at least the duration of the grant funded by the Academy.
26. An individual cannot be the PI on more than one bid under this call.
27. Projects may also include any number of specified ‘Other Participants’, who may, for example, be relevant stakeholders participating in networking or dissemination events, academic or policy advisers, practitioners, industry representatives, etc.
28. Research and/or clerical assistance is an eligible cost under this programme and it can be supported where a reasonable case is made in line with the type of work that is required to be undertaken.
29. For all applications to two-stage Pillar 2 Calls and Topics for which the first stage deadline has passed, evidence of submission to the first stage will be required in order for your proposal to be assessed. Please also note that any funding provided by the Academy will be conditional upon your success in the first stage. Funds may not be used for any activities until you have been notified of your success in the first stage. If successful, funds may then be used to prepare a second stage application, if unsuccessful, funds must be returned to the British Academy.
30. Funding may be used to support:
- costs for concept or proof of market work and proposal development
- costs of meetings for the organisations involved in the UK or the EU to prepare the proposal
- travel and subsistence, including costs to participate in information days, brokerage events directly related to Horizon Europe objectives, relevant discussions with European Commission officials or similar
- research and/or clerical assistance (based in the UK or internationally)
- due diligence work on partners
- costs towards child or parent care if activity is conducted away from home and it is not possible to make alternative arrangements
- contributions towards support services such as proposal writing not exceeding 50% of the total value sought
31. The following items are not currently eligible for funding (applicants registered with additional needs may consult the Academy about possible exceptions prior to application):
- institutional overheads, or any element that should properly be ascribed to institutional overheads
- purchasing of assets
- computer hardware including laptops, electronic notebooks, digital cameras, etc.
- books and other permanent resources
- the preparation of camera-ready copy, copy-editing, proof-reading, indexing, nor any other editorial task
- subventions for direct production costs (printing, binding, distribution, marketing etc.)
- costs of publication in electronic media
- travel and maintenance expenses for purposes such as lecture tours or to write up the results of research
- carbon offsetting
- open access fees
32. As institutional overheads are an ineligible cost for this scheme, PI time can only be costed to the proposal if it is related to points 30.a and 30.b.
33. All grants will be paid to the employing institution of the PI, and not to the individual researchers involved. Institutions must be officially recognised by the British Academy prior to the proposal being submitted.
34. Additional Needs Funding – The British Academy has set aside specific funding to support any additional needs that applicants and award holders may have. This funding is available both to applicants, to assist in making an application to British Academy schemes, and award holders. Funding is managed outside of the Pump Priming Collaboration between UK and EU Partners application process. Further information can be found here: https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/additional-needs/
35. An interim report with a final financial statement must be submitted, and all award activity concluded, prior to the deadline of the Horizon Europe call being applied to. Funds must not be used after submission of the interim report, and any underspend must be returned to the British Academy. Awards will be required to provide further reporting on their award after the interim report, including in relation to the outcome of their application to Horizon Europe.
36. All eligible proposals submitted in response to this call will be assessed by relevant peer reviewers.
37. Applications for calls on the Horizon Europe Portal will be assessed against the following criteria:
- The expertise of the applicants in the specific selected Horizon Europe Call and Topic and the alignment of that expertise and the content of the application with that Call and Topics;
- The feasibility of the pump priming proposal including the timescale of the award, and its plan of action in terms of supporting the delivery of a successful application to Horizon Europe (noting that the deadline of your chosen Call and Topic must be at least three weeks after the planned start of the award);
- The commitment and ability of the organisations involved to work together and make a successful application to Horizon Europe;
- The added value of this funding to the proposed pump priming activity, including a particular focus on the relevance of the items listed in the budget and the quality of the financial justification.
38. Applications for the expected opportunities as set out in the Strategic Orientations documents will be assessed against the following criteria:
- The expertise of the applicants in the area of the expected opportunities as set out in the Destination selected from the Strategic Orientations documents;
- The alignment of the applicants’ expertise with the focus selected from the relevant Strategic Orientations Destination;
- The feasibility of the pump priming proposal including the timescale of the award, and its plan of action in terms of supporting the delivery of a successful application to Horizon Europe’s future calls;
- The commitment and ability of the organisations planned to be involved to work together and make a successful application to Horizon Europe;
- The added value of this funding to the proposed pump priming activity, including a particular focus on the novelty of the collaboration for the partners involved, the early or mid-career stage of the applicants or lack of previous experience engaging with EU Framework Programmes, and the relevance of the items listed in the budget and the quality of the financial justification (including the overall scale of funding sought for what are expected to be multimillion euro grants).
39. Please note when planning your application that the earliest possible start date for the pump priming activity is expected to be 1 January 2025.
40. All applicants must register in the British Academy’s online Flexi-Grant system to enable the processing and assessment of their application. All applications must be submitted in English.
41. All applications will be subject to an eligibility check undertaken by appropriate British Academy staff before being put forward for assessment, and applications that are not completed correctly and on time will not be considered.
42. The deadline for submissions and UK institutional approval for the first round of assessment is 4 December 2024 at 17.00 (UK time). Applicants will not be allowed to make any changes to their applications or submit any additional information after the 4 December deadline.
43. Assessment will be undertaken over multiple rounds with applications submitted by 4 December 2024, 17.00 (UK time) considered initially, then a second deadline (if funding remains available) of 15 January 2025, 17.00 (UK time), then a third deadline (if funding remains available) of 12 February 2025, 17.00 (UK time), and then a final deadline (if funding remains available) of 5 March 2025, 17.00 (UK time). If there is a high number of applications submitted before the 4 December 2024 deadline, the Academy reserves the right to begin assessment prior to the formal deadline.
44. The British Academy has a Code of Practice for assessing applications, setting out the principles of equity, integrity and confidentiality governing the treatment of all applications for research support. The Code of Practice also covers Data Protection, the Academy’s ethics policy and the appeals procedure.
45. Feedback is not generally a feature of this programme and the Academy is, regretfully, unable to enter into correspondence regarding the decisions of the awarding committee, which are governed by the Code of Practice. Please note that by applying to this programme, applicants undertake to accept the terms under which applications are assessed.
46. The Academy will hold a series of webinars related to the call and how to apply. To register your interest, please sign up here: https://forms.office.com/e/ZsZ1WZv7k7
Cluster 1 (Health) Destinations:
- Staying healthy in a rapidly changing society
- Living and working in a health-promoting environment
- Tackling diseases and reducing disease burden
- No Destination published
- Unlocking the full potential of new tools, technologies and digital solutions for a healthy society
- Maintaining an innovative, sustainable and globally competitive health industry
Cluster 2 (Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society) Destinations
- Innovative research on democracy and governance
- Innovative research in European cultural heritage and cultural and creative industries
- Innovative research on social and economic transformations
Cluster 3 (Civil Security for Society) Destinations
- Better protect the EU and its citizens against crime and terrorism
- Resilient infrastructure
- Effective management of EU external borders
- Increased cybersecurity
- Disaster-resilient society for Europe
- Strengthened security research and innovation
Cluster 4 (Digital, Industry and Space) Destinations
- Achieving global leadership in climate-neutral, circular and digitised industrial and digital value chains
- Achieving technological leadership for Europe’s open strategic autonomy in raw materials, chemicals and innovative materials
- Developing an agile and secure single market and infrastructure for data-services and trustworthy artificial intelligence services
- Achieving open strategic autonomy in digital and emerging enabling technologies
- Achieving open strategic autonomy in global space-based infrastructures, services, applications and data
- Achieving open strategic autonomy in global space-based infrastructures, services, applications and data
Cluster 5 (Climate, Energy and Mobility) Destinations
- Climate sciences and responses for the transformation towards climate neutrality
- Cross-sectoral solutions for the climate transition
- Sustainable, secure and competitive energy supply
- Efficient, sustainable and inclusive energy use
- Clean and competitive solutions for all transport modes
- Clean and competitive solutions for all transport modes
Cluster 6 (Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment) Destinations
- Biodiversity and ecosystem services
- Fair, healthy and environment-friendly food systems from primary production to consumption
- Circular economy and bioeconomy sectors
- Clean environment and zero pollution
- Land, ocean and water for climate action
- Resilient, inclusive, healthy and green rural, coastal and urban communities
- Innovative governance, environmental observations and digital solutions in support of the Green Deal
Applications can only be submitted online using the British Academy Flexi-Grant® Grant Management System (GMS) via (https://britishacademy.flexigrant.com/). If you have not previously used the British Academy’s Flexi-Grant® GMS and were not registered in the previous e-GAP system, please follow the registration process from the Flexi-Grant® homepage.
Applications cannot be submitted on paper or in any other format.
Before completing the online form, all applicants should check that they comply with the eligibility requirements and ensure all necessary information is presented in the application. These requirements are strictly adhered to, and applications without all the necessary information, or evidence to show the assessment criteria are met, will be rejected.
Registered approving organisations will be available in the search bar. If your organisation is not listed and is not affiliated with any organisations already in the system, then please contact us at [email protected] to request the addition of the organisation.
The deadline for submissions and UK institutional approval for the first wave of assessment is 4 December 2024 at 17.00 (UK time). Applicants will not be allowed to make any changes to their applications or submit any additional information after the 4 December deadline.
The call will remain open for further submissions if funding remains available. The Academy will announce on its website when the funding has been fully utilised.
Further assessment will be undertaken with applications submitted by 15 January 2025 (if funding remains available), 17.00 (UK time), then a third deadline (if funding remains available) of 12 February 2025, 17.00 (UK time), and then a final deadline (if funding remains available) of 5 March 2025, 17.00 (UK time)
When completing your application on the British Academy Flexi-Grant® GMS, it is recommended that you take particular note of the following points:
- Personal details: When registered in the British Academy Flexi-Grant® GMS, a user has the option to add or update personal information such as contact details, log-in details (including email address and password), interests, research and employment details, at any time. This represents a personal record of your account in the system and will help to populate the contact details in any application form you complete. It is useful if this information is kept up to date, but it is not essential to the progress of an application.
- Automatic log-out: You are strongly advised to save your work regularly to prevent accidental loss of information. In particular, you should be aware that if the system does not detect any activity for 1 hour it will log out and save the application at that time. Please note that moving between pages within an application form will save the page that you are exiting but completing a field on a page is not considered an activity. It is recommended that you write the text for longer sections/fields in a word processor such as Word and then copy and paste into the relevant text box to avoid being timed out in this way.
- Multiple sessions: You should not have multiple browser windows/tabs of your application open at the same time as this may cause information to be lost. Only one user should edit an application at a time, otherwise changes might be lost.
- Word limits: When completing boxes that have a restricted length (note that it refers to words) you should note that if you exceed the specified amount you will not be able to save when you press the save button. You should type the text for the longer-length boxes in a word processor. You will then be able to check the word count and paste it into the British Academy Flexi-Grant® system. You will then still have a copy of the text to return to in the word processor. The word limit applies to text boxes.
- Plain text: If entering plain text, please avoid using symbols as some may not be accepted by the British Academy Flexi-Grant® system. You should generate and view a PDF of your application to check that the application appears as you want it to by clicking on ‘print application’.
- Email addresses: The British Academy Flexi-Grant® GMS relies heavily on automatic email contact. It is essential that you ensure you enter accurate email addresses where requested as it may cause considerable delay in the submission/processing of your application if any of these are incorrect. You cannot make changes to email addresses after your application has been submitted for approval.
- Submission of application: You will not be able to submit your application until you have completed each section in full. You should submit your application for approval by a designated approver at your host organisation at least 5 working days before the closing date to allow for your host organisation’s administrative procedures. Please note that the institutional approver is a person within the UK host organisation, usually within the central research support office, who has authority for approving all applications submitted to the British Academy.
Once you have submitted your application for approval by your host UK organisation, automatic emails will be sent to your host UK organisation approver asking them to log on to the system. You will not be able to edit your application after it has been submitted to your host UK organisation for approval. The host UK organisation approver will either: approve and submit your application, ‘send back’ your application and contact you to request modifications (if before the deadline) or decline your application and contact you.
Please be aware that it is your responsibility to ensure that you complete your application in time for your host UK organisation to process it (including requesting changes) and provide their approval by the closing date. It is recommended that you allow at least five working days for this process, but please check with your proposed host UK institution as their internal timetables may require earlier submission.
If your host UK organisation approver requests modifications through the British Academy GMS email facility, they can unlock your application, allowing you to edit it. They can do this by selecting ‘Return to Applicant’. An automatic e-mail will be sent to you alerting you of this fact. Once you have completed and saved the requested changes, please re-submit your application for approval by your host UK organisation.
Once your host UK organisation has approved your application and submitted it to the British Academy, it will not be possible to make any changes.
- Application sharing: All applications must be started by the applicant who is to be the Principal Investigator (PI) on the award. You can invite other contributors to join the application (e.g. Finance Office contact etc.), but in order to do so your contributor will need to be registered in the British Academy’s Flexi-Grant® system first. You will need to ensure you have their registered email address to invite them to participate in your application. You can let other British Academy Flexi-Grant® GMS users view your draft application in advance of submission by providing their email address. They will be able to log in using their existing password and see your application and, depending on permissions, amend your application.
- Application deletion: You can delete your application at any time although it is often a lot easier to just re-edit your existing application. We will be able to recover a deleted application for a period of 7 days after deletion. After this, it will be permanently removed from the system.
- Application returned for editing: The approver can return your application to you for further editing before the closing deadline of the call. See ‘Submission of Application’ above.
- Guidance: In the tables below you will find in the left-hand column each question as set out in the application form and in the right-hand column useful guidance on its completion.
- Further clarification: If any of this advice is unclear, or you need further information, please do not hesitate to seek clarification from the British Academy’s International Team (contact details at the end of these notes).
PLEASE NOTE THAT IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU CREATE A PDF OF YOUR COMPLETED APPLICATION (by clicking ‘Print Application’), AND CHECK IT THOROUGHLY, INCLUDING EMAIL ADDRESSES, BEFORE SUBMITTING IT FOR APPROVAL BY YOUR UK HOST ORGANISATION. IT MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE TO RECTIFY MISTAKES IN TIME FOR THE DEADLINE.
WORD LIMITS APPLY TO PLAIN TEXT ONLY.
All FIELDS MARKED WITH AN ASTERISK* ARE MANDATORY.
YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE MULTIPLE BROWSER WINDOWS/TABS OF YOUR APPLICATION OPEN AT THE SAME TIME AS THIS MAY CAUSE INFORMATION TO BE LOST. ONLY ONE USER SHOULD EDIT AN APPLICATION AT A TIME, OTHERWISE CHANGES MIGHT BE LOST.
The application form
The application can be completed by using the navigation tabs on the application summary page, with each page categorised as follows:
Page 1: Application Source
Page 2: Research Proposal
Page 3: Financial Details
Page 4: Primary Applicant Details
Page 5: Equal Opportunities
A full list of question fields to be completed as part of the application can be found in the following table. Each box in the table represents a page of the application form: the left-hand column contains the questions within each of these pages as set out in the form; the right-hand column contains useful guidance on its completion. A red asterisk (*) indicates which questions are mandatory and therefore must be complete before the application can be submitted. Please read the guidance notes carefully before completing the form.
When your application form is complete, all sections on this summary table will be marked as ‘Complete’. The ‘Complete’ status will only appear when all the mandatory fields in that section have been completed. All mandatory fields are marked with an asterisk ‘*’. Only once all mandatory fields are marked as “Complete”, and all Contributors are all marked as “Complete” will a ‘Submit’ button appear for you to be able to submit your application.
Applying through Horizon Europe Portal or Strategic Orientations documents Expected Opportunities
Please select from the drop-down menu whether you are applying for an opportunity listed on the Horizon Europe Portal or for expected opportunities found in the Strategic Orientations documents.
After you have selected the source from which you have chosen your Call and Topic or Expected Opportunity you will be shown the questions you are required to complete. Please note that only the questions on Page 2: RESEARCH PROPOSAL will differ depending on the source chosen.
Title of Research Proposal*
Please state the title of your research project.
Abstract*
Please provide a short abstract summarising your proposed research in terms suitable for an informed general audience, not one specialised in your field. This is a mandatory field.
The limit is 150 words.
Start and End Date Confirmation*
Awards will begin no earlier than 1 January 2025. In addition, please confirm the end date of your award, the award end date must be prior to the submission date of your application to Horizon Europe. Please note that deadline of your chosen Call and Topic must be at least 3 weeks after the planned start of the award.
Horizon Europe Call and Topic targeted within Pillar 2*
The call is focused solely on Pillar 2 of Horizon Europe – Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness.
Applications must identify a Call and Topic in Pillar 2 that they will specifically target to apply to on the back of this pump priming funding. Within Pillar 2 the calls that this pump priming funding can be used to target must be from the 2024 Work Programmes onwards (i.e. calls with 2024 in the call code) that are listed on the Horizon Europe funding portal as either ‘open for submission’ or ‘forthcoming’. Such calls may target any type of action.
In this section, please ensure that you set out the following information:
- You must identify a Call and Topic in Pillar 2 that you will target.
- You must name the Call and Topic in full
- You should explain what type of action it relates to.
The limit on this field is 250 words.
Call and Topic Code*
You must identify the full code for the Call and Topic specified
Call and Topic Cluster*
You must identify the cluster the Call and Topic Specified relates to
Call and Topic application process*
Please indicate whether the Call and Topic you wish to apply for has a 1-stage or 2-stage application process.
The limit on this field is 50 words.
2-stage application process*
For all applications to 2-stage Pillar 2 Calls and Topics for which the first stage deadline has passed, evidence of submission to the first stage will be required in order for your proposal to be assessed. Please also note that any funding provided by the Academy will be conditional upon your success in the first stage. Funds may not be used for any activities until you have been notified of your success in the first stage. If successful, funds may then be used to prepare a second stage application, in unsuccessful, funds bust be returned to the British Academy.
Please confirm whether an application for the first stage has been made and, if known, the outcome of this application. If you are applying for a 1-stage call please write N/A
The limit on this field is 50 words.
Expected level of UK participation in proposed application*
The aim is to build collaborative activity between UK and EU/Associated Countries’ entities in Pillar 2 where the major consortia building type of applications in Horizon Europe are centred. This will help UK- based entities overcome the barriers to collaborative engagement with EU/Associated Countries’ partners to maximise the opportunities Horizon Europe presents.
Applicants are required to indicate the expected level of UK participation in the proposed application to Horizon Europe.
The limit on this field is 250 words.
Application Alignment with proposed targeted call*
This field should be used to explain how the application would address the scope and expected outcome specified in the call and topic text.
To demonstrate alignment, applicants must explain how the proposed research would match the key requirements and objectives of the specific Horizon Europe Call. In forming their judgment on this, the assessors will also consider whether the application addresses the research and innovation objectives and topics it claims to. It is important, therefore, for applicants to understand fully the background, challenge, scope and expected outcome of the competition, as outlined in the Horizon Europe Call.
The limit on this field is 750 words.
Overview of work proposed and clear plan of action*
This field should be used to explain how you will use the Pump Priming Award Funding to contribution to a successful Horizon Europe application. Please ensure that you provide a clear plan of activities which will be carried out during the Pump Priming Award, including but not limited to meetings with partners, conferences, training, etc.
In addition, give a brief description of the envisaged collaborators, partner organisations or individuals, that will be involved in the application and how together they will meet the aims of this Call and Topic.
In forming their judgment on this, the assessors will also consider the feasibility of the proposed work and plan of action.
The limit on this field is 750 words.
Other Participants*
Under ‘Other Participants’ please give the names, appointments, and institutional affiliation of all other participants in the proposed research. Please also describe the contribution to the project to be made by other participants, citing any particular specialisms and expertise, in the ‘Role’ text box.
If detail of Other Participants are not yet known, again please use the text box to provide indicative numbers and/or types of people who may be involved in the project.
Anticipated level of funding and objectives*
This field should be used to provide information on the anticipated level of funding that will be sought in the Horizon Europe application and the work that would be fulfilled if the Horizon Europe bid is successful.
Outline the proposed project’s objectives and activities as well as the anticipated level of funding you are seeking.
The limit on this field is 500 words.
Added Value of Grant*
Under ‘Added value of grant’ please outline on how this Pump Priming Funding would add value in enabling and improving the development of the proposal.
The limit on this field is 500 words.
Ethical Approval*
Have you obtained, or will you obtain, ethical approval from your employing institution or other relevant authority? Please answer this yes/no.
Please use this text box to outline any further information related to ethical approval that you wish the Academy to be aware of.
Special Ethical Issues*
Are there any special ethical issues arising from your proposal that are not covered by the relevant professional Code of Practice? Please answer this yes/no, it is not expected that any special ethical issues will arise that are not already covered by relevant professional Codes of Practice. If this is not the case, please outline in the below free text box below.
If the answers are yes to special ethical issues and no to having obtained prior approval, please describe in the available space the non-standard ethical issues arising from your research and how you will address them. Applicants must ensure the proposed research will be carried out to a high ethical standard and must ensure that any potential ethical issues have been considered and explain how these will be addressed. The British Academy requires the research it funds to be conducted in an ethical manner. The host organisation is responsible for ensuring that ethical issues relating to the research project are identified and brought to the attention of the relevant approval or regulatory body. Ethical approval to undertake the research must be granted by the relevant authority before any work requiring approval begins. Wherever necessary, appropriate consent should be obtained from or on behalf of participants or others affected by the research.
Safeguarding*
Please use this section to outline any safeguarding and/or child protection issues which may occur in relation to or as a result of your project. If you do not anticipate any safeguarding issues, please write 'NIL RETURN'.
Trusted Research*
Please use this field to detail any research security risks that the application may encounter and how these will be mitigated
Title of Research Proposal*
Please state the title of your research project.
Abstract*
Please provide a short abstract summarising your proposed research in terms suitable for an informed general audience, not one specialised in your field. This is a mandatory field.
The limit is 150 words.
Start and End Date Confirmation*
Awards will begin no earlier than 1 January 2025. In addition, please confirm the end date of your award. This can be up to 12 months from the start date.
Expected Opportunity Cluster*
You must identify the cluster this application relates to
Expected Opportunity Destination*
The call is focused solely on Pillar 2 of Horizon Europe – Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness.
You must identify the Destination this application relates to
Application Alignment with proposed targeted Destination*
This field should be used to outline the expertise of the applicants in the area of the expected opportunities as set out in the Destination selected from the Strategic Orientations documents, and explain how the application would address the scope and expected outcome specified in the strategic orientations text for the cluster and destination targeted.
To demonstrate alignment, applicants must explain how the proposed research would match the key requirements and objectives of the expected opportunity. In forming their judgment on this, the assessors will also consider whether the application addresses the research and innovation objectives and outcomes it claims to in relation to the Destination text.
The limit on this field is 750 words.
Overview of work proposed and clear plan of action*
This field should be used to explain how you will use the Pump Priming Award Funding to contribution to a successful Horizon Europe application. Please ensure that you provide a clear plan of activities which will be carried out during the Pump Priming Award, including but not limited to meetings with partners, conferences, training, etc.
In addition, give a brief description of the envisaged collaborators, partner organisations or individuals, that will be involved in the application and how together they will meet the aims of the expected opportunity.
In forming their judgment on this, the assessors will also consider the feasibility of the proposed work and plan of action.
The limit on this field is 750 words.
Other Participants*
Under ‘Other Participants’ please give the names, appointments, and institutional affiliation of all other participants in the proposed research. Please also describe the contribution to the project to be made by other participants, citing any particular specialisms and expertise, in the ‘Role’ text box.
If detail of Other Participants are not yet known, again please use the text box to provide indicative numbers and/or types of people who may be involved in the project.
Added Value of Grant*
Under ‘Added value of grant’ please outline the added value of this funding to the proposed pump priming activity, including a particular focus on the novelty of the collaboration for the partners involved, the early or mid-career stage of the applicants or lack of previous experience engaging with EU Framework Programmes, and the relevance of the items listed in the budget and the quality of the financial justification.
The limit on this field is 500 words.
Expected level of UK participation in proposed application*
The aim is to build collaborative activity between UK and EU/Associated Countries’ entities in Pillar 2 where the major consortia building type of applications in Horizon Europe are centred. This will help UK- based entities overcome the barriers to collaborative engagement with EU/Associated Countries’ partners to maximise the opportunities Horizon Europe presents.
Applicants are required to indicate the expected level of UK participation in the proposed application to Horizon Europe.
The limit on this field is 250 words.
Ethical Approval*
Have you obtained, or will you obtain, ethical approval from your employing institution or other relevant authority? Please answer this yes/no.
Please use this text box to outline any further information related to ethical approval that you wish the Academy to be aware of.
Special Ethical Issues*
Are there any special ethical issues arising from your proposal that are not covered by the relevant professional Code of Practice? Please answer this yes/no, it is not expected that any special ethical issues will arise that are not already covered by relevant professional Codes of Practice. If this is not the case, please outline in the below free text box below.
If the answers are yes to special ethical issues and no to having obtained prior approval, please describe in the available space the non-standard ethical issues arising from your research and how you will address them. Applicants must ensure the proposed research will be carried out to a high ethical standard and must ensure that any potential ethical issues have been considered and explain how these will be addressed. The British Academy requires the research it funds to be conducted in an ethical manner. The host organisation is responsible for ensuring that ethical issues relating to the research project are identified and brought to the attention of the relevant approval or regulatory body. Ethical approval to undertake the research must be granted by the relevant authority before any work requiring approval begins. Wherever necessary, appropriate consent should be obtained from or on behalf of participants or others affected by the research.
Safeguarding*
Please use this section to outline any safeguarding and/or child protection issues which may occur in relation to or as a result of your project. If you do not anticipate any safeguarding issues, please write 'NIL RETURN'.
Trusted Research*
Please use this field to detail any research security risks that the application may encounter and how these will be mitigated
Financial Details/Justification *
*Please refer to the Funding Eligibility section above for a full list of eligible costs.
Eligible purposes for the funding include:
- Costs for concept or proof of market work and proposal development
- Costs of meetings for the organisations involved in the UK or the EU to prepare the proposal
- Travel and subsistence, including costs to participate in information days, brokerage events directly related to Horizon Europe objectives, relevant discussions with European Commission officials or similar
- Research and/or clerical assistance (based in the UK or internationally)
- Due diligence work on partners
- Costs towards child or parent care if activity is conducted away from home and it is not possible to make alternative arrangements
- Contributions towards support services such as proposal writing
Please use the table to indicate the figures for such costs (in GBP) between the various headings.
- Travel, Fieldwork and related expenses: please include all costs associated with travel, whether by the PI, or other participants.
- Research Assistance: please include all costs of research/clerical assistance
- Other Costs: please include in this section any other eligible costs, including consumables, due diligence work on partners, networking costs, child or parent care.
Consumables include the purchase of specialist software (not readily available in the UK host organisation), datasets, photocopies, microfilms, etc., and any other minor items that will be used up during the course of the project. Applicants may apply for short-term consultancy or salary costs for expert staff, or short periods of research assistance.
The following items are not eligible for funding:
institutional overheads, or any element that should properly be ascribed to institutional overheads
purchasing of assets
computer hardware including laptops, electronic notebooks, digital cameras, etc. - books and other permanent resources
the preparation of camera-ready copy, copy-editing, proof-reading, indexing, nor any other editorial task
subventions for direct production costs (printing, binding, distribution, marketing etc.)
costs of publication in electronic media
travel and maintenance
carbon offsetting
open access fees
Applicants with additional needs are encouraged to consult with the Academy about possible exceptions
Applicants should prepare accurate costings for the proposed research expenses and should be particularly careful not to overestimate the resources required.
Costs should be clearly itemised and justified in terms of the research programme.
If a claim for childcare is included, please supply sufficient justification for the case to be assessed.
Please do not use ‘£’ signs in the amount boxes.
Value Sought*
Please state the total amount of funding requested. Please ensure that this matches the total set out in the budget table. The total should not exceed £10,000.
Justification*
Please provide details of funding related to the relevant fields set out in the financial details table above. Applicants should prepare accurate costings for the proposed research expenses and should be particularly careful not to overestimate the resources required. Costs should be clearly itemised and justified in terms of the research programme for this application.
Previous British Academy Applications*
Please use this space to provide details of any applications (successful or unsuccessful) that you have made to any British Academy funding calls.
Applications to Other Funding Bodies*
Please tell us here if you have made any other applications in connection with this project? If so, with what results?
Primary Applicant Contact Details*
Please take care to review and complete your personal details accurately. Errors in this section can cause difficulties in the processing of your application. You can update your personal details by checking ‘my account’ and selecting the link to ‘my contact details’ and ‘my organisation’ and ensuring the relevant details are up to date.
Nationality*
Please use the drop-down list to select your nationality. Additional nationalities can be added after the initial selection if required, by selecting ‘add row’.
Employment Status*
Please confirm that your current position is either permanent or that your current employment will extend beyond the lifetime of the award.
Present Appointment, Department and Employing Institution*
Please give details of your current appointment. The Principal Investigator must be based at an eligible UK university or research institute and must be of postdoctoral (or above) or equivalent status. The Principal Investigator must either be in permanent position at the institution or have a fixed-term position for the duration of the award.
All applications must be approved by the UK host organisation authorities e.g. research grants office, finance department, etc. The approving department will receive email notification once you have completed your application and submitted it. They will be asked to provide approval and then submit the application to the British Academy. It is strongly recommended that the applicant maintains an open dialogue with the approving department at the UK host institution as the British Academy cannot be held responsible for emails being caught in spam filters or not being received.
It is recommended that you allow at least five working days for this process. Once the UK host institution has checked your application, they will contact you if any changes are required; please note that if changes need to be made, these will have to be done before the 15 January/12 February deadline as they cannot be done afterwards. Please be aware that it is your responsibility to ensure that you complete your application in time for your UK host institution to process it and provide their approval by the closing date.
Permanent Position*/Start Date*/End Date
Applicants must be in established academic posts that will continue at least beyond the end of the funded period of the grant. If your post is not permanent, please explain further in the personal statement how you meet the terms of eligibility for these grants. Please include the start date of your present position, and if on a fixed term contract, please enter the expected end date of your current position.
PhD Confirmation*/ Awarded Date
Early career applicants working towards a PhD or awaiting the outcome of their viva/submission of corrections are not eligible to apply.
Please therefore confirm that you have a PhD by answering yes. If you are an established scholar with relevant equivalent experience, but no doctorate, please select 'no' and indicate in the 'personal statement' field why you should be eligible for consideration.
Please enter the date of your viva voce examination in the ‘PhD Awarded Date’ field.
Early Career Researcher
Please select Yes/No if you would consider yourself an early-career researcher. Please note that the Academy would consider this to be someone with zero to ten years of experience after receiving their PhD.
Previous Horizon Europe Framework Application
Please let us know about any previous applications you have made to the Horizon Europe Framework.
Please include detail such as:
What Call and Topic you had applied for
If you were a PI or Co-I
If you were successful/unsuccessful
If this is your first time applying for these programmes please write N/A
Personal Statement *
The Academy is aware that individuals will have had different opportunities to balance their research with other commitments during their career or may come from diverse or non-traditional career backgrounds. For example, having taken extended leave including parental or medical leave, or having returned to research following time in other roles or having had periods of significant teaching or administrative workload that may have impacted on the applicants’ research. Please use this question to provide further information, so that the Academy can take this into account when assessing applicants’ track record.
There is a word limit of 400 words.
Key Career Appointments and Posts*
Please Provide your Key Career Appointments and Posts as a list.
Key Career Publications, Grants, and other Career Highlights *
Please provide a list of key relevant publications, grants, and highlights, that you think most appropriate for an award under this scheme.
Where did you hear of this scheme? *
It helps the British Academy to target appropriate resources towards the promotion of the scheme to know where an applicant hears about it. As appropriate, please select from the drop-down menu or describe in the text box.
Equal Opportunities
This section is optional, however, the British Academy would greatly appreciate it if you can complete the details to assist us in our diversity monitoring.
The British Academy is committed to its policy of Equal Opportunity in the provision of its grants and awards. Please help us to monitor the effectiveness of this policy by providing information concerning your age, gender, ethnic origin and disabilities (if any).
The information provided will be treated as strictly confidential and will be used for statistical purposed only. It will not be seen by those involved in the selection process and no information will be published or used in any way which allows any individual to be identified.