EUNICE Seed Funding - Announcement of the First Call
The EUNICE Alliance is preparing to launch the first pilot call under the EUNICE Seed Funding Programme, which aims to strengthen international research cooperation among partner universities.
The programme will provide funding of up to EUR 10,000 per project for activities that lay the groundwork for future joint projects and funding proposals submitted under European and international programmes. Funding will be awarded as a lump sum.
Looking for partners from other EUNICE universities? Register now in the EUNICE Research Partner Search database – even before the official launch of the call.
The programme does not cover direct research costs, the purchase of research equipment or staff salaries.
Who can apply?
A consortium must include at least three researchers representing three different EUNICE universities. One institution will act as the coordinating beneficiary and receive the full amount of the awarded funding.
The project leader – Principal Investigator (PI) – must be affiliated with a EUNICE university participating in the pilot call.
The programme is open to researchers at all career stages. Applications led by early- and mid-career researchers are particularly encouraged. The involvement of EUNICE associated partners, other academic institutions, companies, public institutions and civil society organisations is also welcome.
What can be funded?
Eligible activities may include:
- consortium-building meetings;
- networking workshops and partner meetings;
- short research visits;
- travel related to partnership development;
- stakeholder engagement activities;
- training in proposal preparation and collaboration;
- feasibility studies and strategic planning;
- the development of joint research agendas.
Application documents and evaluation
The planned application documents include a one-page project description, a one-page budget with justification and timeline, a Narrative CV and Europass-format CVs for consortium members.
Proposals will be evaluated based on the quality of the project and the consortium. Particular consideration will be given to alignment with the EUNICE mission, the Sustainable Development Goals and Horizon Europe priorities, European added value, the involvement of external partners, the feasibility of the budget and timeline, and the complementarity of the team members’ expertise.
Timeline and next steps
The official call is scheduled to open in September 2026. Projects may last for a maximum of nine months and will be implemented between November 2026 and September 2027.
Looking for partners? Register now
Interested researchers can already begin searching for partners from other EUNICE universities, developing a joint project concept and preparing the required documents.
Researchers looking for partners can use the EUNICE Research Partner Search form. It provides an opportunity to present their research profile and connect with researchers interested in developing a joint project.
Pre-registration is intended to express interest and support the search for project partners.
Full information on the universities participating in the pilot call, funding conditions and the application procedure will be published when the call is officially launched.
Further details are available on the EUNICE Seed Funding Programme website.