Building public trust and outreach in the life sciences

HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01-STAYHLTH-03 is a grant opportunity under the Horizon Europe program, aimed at building public trust and enhancing outreach in the life sciences sector. This Coordination and Support Action (CSA) seeks to strengthen the capacity of life science stakeholders in science communication, risk communication, public outreach, and citizen engagement.

The primary objective is to improve public awareness of the risks and benefits associated with life sciences innovations and to develop innovative engagement approaches for involving the public in related research and innovation activities. The grant funding is set in a range from €1.5 million to €1.9 million, with a total budget allocation of €1.9 million available for one selected project.

Eligible applicants must form a consortium consisting of legal entities based in EU Member States, Associated Countries, and, on an exceptional basis, the United States. The consortium should include researchers, policymakers, industry representatives, civil society organizations, and others involved in the life sciences sector. The single-stage application process will commence on February 10, 2026, with a submission deadline of April 16, 2026.

The project activities include providing advisory support and training to stakeholders to enhance science communication, producing guidance tools for engaging citizens in the co-design of innovations, creating publicly accessible repositories for risk communication tools, and designing community engagement activities that involve local actors, particularly in agriculture and food technology.

The application requires a complete proposal at the time of submission without subsequent stages. The opportunity is highly competitive, expecting success rates below 10%, and will only fund one project.

The grant encourages links with the newly established European Competence Centre for Science Communication as well as collaboration with the European Commission's Joint Research Centre. Financial support is based on fixed lump sums, reducing administrative complexity.

This initiative is part of a broader strategy to ensure that life sciences innovations align with societal values and are communicated effectively to the public, ensuring informed engagement with technological advancements in areas sensitive to community impact.

The EU's Horizon Europe program is offering a grant opportunity, HORIZON HLTH 2026 01 STAYHLTH 03, focused on building public trust and outreach in the life sciences. This Coordination and Support Action (CSA) aims to strengthen the capacity of life science actors in science and risk communication, public outreach, and citizen engagement. It also seeks to increase public awareness of the risks and benefits of life sciences innovations and develop new approaches for public engagement in related research and innovation activities.

The expected outcomes of this grant are:

Strengthened capacity of life sciences actors in science communication, risk communication, public outreach, and citizen engagement.

Strengthened awareness of risks and benefits of life sciences by the public, by showcasing the latest Research and Innovation (R&I) developments in the life sciences, and their societal impact.

New and innovative approaches developed to engage the public in R&I activities in the life sciences, with an emphasis on inclusive and participatory approaches, involving relevant stakeholders (e.g. researchers, research funders, policymakers, publishers, civil society organisations, business, and citizens).

The scope of the grant involves several key activities:

Providing advisory support and training to life science stakeholders to improve their science and risk communication skills. This includes establishing links with the European Competence Centre for Science Communication.

Producing and disseminating guidance for life science actors on how to engage citizens in the development, co production, and co design of life sciences innovations. This includes advising and training on deliberative citizen participation and co design, and evaluating the impact of citizen engagement activities.

Creating and promoting a publicly accessible repository of tools for life science stakeholders on risk communication. This involves gathering existing tools, publishing them, and conducting outreach to relevant actors. A long term strategy for maintaining the repository beyond the project lifecycle is required.

Designing and implementing community engagement activities in the life sciences, in partnership with local actors like science museums, R&I organizations, and community groups. At least one activity should focus on agriculture and food technology.

Applicants are encouraged to use findings and tools from other Horizon Europe projects and to partner with the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC).

The admissibility conditions, proposal page limits, and layout requirements are detailed in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form.

Eligible countries are listed in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. Notably, legal entities from the United States of America can participate and receive Union funding. The project coordinator must be a legal entity established in an EU Member State or Associated Country. If satellite based data is used, it must be from Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) can participate as a beneficiary with zero funding or as an associated partner, but cannot be involved in proposal preparation or submission.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. The thresholds for each criterion (Excellence, Impact, Implementation) are 4, with a cumulative threshold of 12.

Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Eligible costs will be reimbursed as a lump sum, as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021.

Legal and financial aspects of the grants are detailed in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific conditions are outlined in the topic description within the Work Programme.

Application and evaluation form templates, guidance documents, and model grant agreements are available in the Submission System and the Funding & Tenders Portal.

The budget for this HORIZON CSA action is 1,900,000 EUR, and it is anticipated that one grant will be awarded. The call is a single stage process, with a planned opening date of February 10, 2026, and a deadline of April 16, 2026, at 17:00 Brussels time.

This funding opportunity is designed to improve public understanding and trust in life sciences by supporting projects that enhance communication, engagement, and collaboration between researchers, policymakers, industry, and citizens. It emphasizes the importance of responsible research and innovation, particularly in sensitive areas like agriculture and food technology, and aims to ensure that life science innovations align with societal values and needs. The grant supports activities such as training, guidance development, tool repositories, and community engagement initiatives, all geared towards fostering a more informed and participatory approach to life sciences research and development.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated but can be inferred from the text. The call is open to legal entities established in an EU Member State or Associated Country. Furthermore, legal entities established in the United States of America may exceptionally participate as a beneficiary or affiliated entity, and are eligible to receive Union funding. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as a member of the consortium selected for funding as a beneficiary with zero funding, or as an associated partner. The call targets life science stakeholders, R&I policymakers, researchers, industry players, science museums, R&I organisations, and community organisations. Therefore, eligible applicants could include research organizations, universities, SMEs, large enterprises, non-profits, and governmental bodies.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action (HORIZON-CSA) under the Horizon Europe Programme. The eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium of multiple applicants. The text mentions "consortium selected for funding" multiple times, indicating that a single applicant is not sufficient.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States, Associated Countries, and exceptionally, the United States of America. A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Target Sector: The target sector is primarily health, with a focus on life sciences, agriculture, and food technology. It also includes science communication, risk communication, public outreach, and citizen engagement.

Mentioned Countries: The countries explicitly mentioned are EU Member States, Associated Countries, and the United States of America.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on coordination and support actions, which implies activities that support existing research and innovation efforts rather than early-stage research or late-stage commercialization. The expected maturity of the project is thus development and validation.

Funding Amount: The funding amount is variable, with the topic HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01-STAYHLTH-03 having a budget of EUR 1,900,000 and an indicative contribution between EUR 1,500,000 and EUR 1,900,000. Other topics in the same call have different budget ranges, from around EUR 1,900,000 to EUR 10,000,000.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process consists of a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for the topic HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01-STAYHLTH-03 is 1.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, specifically topic HORIZON-HLTH-2026-01-STAYHLTH-03, aims to build public trust and improve outreach in the life sciences sector. It falls under the "Staying healthy in a rapidly changing society" destination and seeks to strengthen the capacity of life science actors in science communication, risk communication, public outreach, and citizen engagement. The call encourages proposals that enhance public awareness of the risks and benefits of life sciences and develop innovative approaches to engage the public in R&I activities.

The scope of the call includes providing advisory support and training to life science stakeholders, producing guidance for citizen engagement, creating a repository of tools for risk communication, and designing community engagement activities. The selected project should also link with the European Competence Centre for Science Communication.

Eligible applicants include consortia of legal entities from EU Member States, Associated Countries, and exceptionally, the United States. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) can also participate. The funding type is a lump sum grant, with approximately EUR 1,500,000 to EUR 1,900,000 available for a single project. The application process is a single-stage open call with a deadline of April 16, 2026. The call targets the health sector, with a focus on life sciences, agriculture, and food technology, emphasizing the importance of citizen engagement and responsible research and innovation.