DIGITWIN4CIUE Reduction-Fees Scholarships

The DIGITWIN4CIUE Reduction-Fees Scholarships program provides partial tuition fee waivers for students enrolled in the Executive Master in Digital Twins for Infrastructures and Cities. The program is administered by Fundación Agustín de Betancourt (FUNAB) and co-financed by the European Union, aiming to promote diversity and inclusion in advanced education related to digital infrastructure technologies. Scholarships range from €1,500 to €3,000 per year, based on merit and various priority criteria, and eligible applicants must be nationals from EEA countries or countries associated with the Digital Europe Programme.

Applicants need to be accepted into the master's program, have paid a reservation fee, and enroll as full-time students for the academic year 2025-2026. Priority is given to female applicants, those from Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS) countries, students associated with specific partner institutions, and self-financed individuals without employer support. The scholarships serve as tuition fee discounts and are not compatible with other tuition-specific scholarships that exceed the total tuition fees.

The application process is open-call with multiple deadlines: the opening date is July 11, 2025, with deadlines on October 31, 2025, and September 15, 2026. The total funding available for the program is €100,000, which will support a limited number of scholarships, making the selection process competitive. The nature of support is monetary, in the form of tuition fee reductions, and the application involves a single stage, where candidates are evaluated based on their academic records, professional experience, and motivation letters.

The scholarship may be terminated if the recipients do not meet academic standards or violate ethical rules, and it is important to understand that the reservation fee is non-refundable under any circumstances. The overall objective of the program is to support specialized education in digital fields, particularly focusing on digital twins for urban infrastructure and ecosystems.

The DIGITWIN4CIUE Reduction-Fees Scholarships program offers financial aid to eligible students for the Executive Master in Digital Twins for Infrastructures and Cities. The scholarships aim to promote diversity in gender, age, and socio-economic background, ensuring access to high-quality education in digital fields. These scholarships are open to applicants enrolled and accepted into the Executive Master in Digital Twins for Infrastructures and Cities. Scholarships may be awarded for other courses offered by the European Center of Excellence in Digitalization of Infrastructures and Cities.

The available scholarships are partial tuition fee waivers ranging from €1,500 to €3,000 per year.

To qualify for a DIGITWIN4CIUE Reduction-Fees Scholarship, applicants must be nationals of an eligible country, including listed EEA countries and countries associated with the Digital Europe Programme (or those engaged in ongoing association negotiations) at the time of the call (2021). They must also have been officially accepted into the program, paid the reservation fee, be enrolled as a full-time student in the master’s program for 2025–2026, and commit to completing the Master's programme in the first academic year of the student's enrolment.

Scholarships will be awarded based on a merit score (ranging from 1 to 5) and specific priority criteria. The amount granted will vary between €1,500 and €3,000, depending on the score achieved. The merit score will be determined by previous academic and professional experience, curriculum vitae, and a letter of motivation, including the applicant’s justification for financial support.

The DIGITWIN4CIUE program prioritizes female applicants from any EU or EU-associated country to promote gender balance, applicants from Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS) countries, which are part of the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (supporting students from countries with moderate or modest innovation scores and lower GDP), students affiliated with the organizing Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), such as alumni, professors, employees, and PhD researchers from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, ENPC, ITU, BME, and other partner institutions, and students self-financed AND without employer or working in a SME (up to 50 salaries).

DIGITWIN4CIUE Reduction-Fees Scholarships are applied as tuition fee discounts, with recipients informed of their net tuition fee after deduction. Applicants must have paid the reservation fee, which won’t be reimbursed in any case.

Scholarship awards may be terminated if the student discontinues studies, takes academic leave, fails at least one course during the academic year, or violates the rules of ethics and academic honesty. Students may also voluntarily withdraw from the scholarship for personal reasons by submitting a written request to the study program committee. In either case, the reservation fee will not be reimbursed.

The DIGITWIN4CIUE Reduction-Fees Scholarships are compatible with any other DIGITWIN4CIUE project scholarships and are co-financed (50%) by the European Union. However, scholarship funds are not compatible with other grants if their combined total exceeds the full cost of the master’s program, nor may they be used for any purpose other than the one originally intended. Additionally, the scholarships offered in this call are not compatible with other tuition fee scholarships, unless explicitly stated otherwise in the call for the other scholarship.

The opening date for submissions is 11 July 2025. There are multiple cut-off deadlines: 31 October 2025 at 17:00 (Brussels time) and 15 September 2026 at 23:00 (Brussels time). The total funding available is €100,000.00. The project acronym is DIGITWIN4CIUE, and the full name of the EU-funded project is DIGITAL TWINS FOR COMPLEX INFRASTRUCTURES AND URBAN ECOSYSTEMS. The grant agreement number is 101084054. The topic is DIGITAL-2021-SKILLS-01-SPECIALISED - Specialised education programmes in key capacity areas.

This call is launched solely by Fundación Agustín de Betancourt (FUNAB), which is responsible for the financial support to the selected applicants. The publication of this call in the EU Funding & Tenders Portal is for information purposes only.

In summary, this opportunity provides tuition fee waivers for students participating in the Executive Master in Digital Twins for Infrastructures and Cities. The scholarships, ranging from €1,500 to €3,000, aim to promote diversity and are awarded based on merit and priority criteria. Eligibility requires acceptance into the program, payment of a reservation fee, and enrollment as a full-time student. The program prioritizes female applicants, those from RIS countries, students affiliated with organizing HEIs, and self-financed students working in SMEs. The scholarships are compatible with other DIGITWIN4CIUE project scholarships but not with other tuition fee scholarships or grants that exceed the master's program cost. The call is managed by FUNAB, not directly by the EU, and has multiple deadlines. The core focus is to support specialized education in digital twins for infrastructure and urban ecosystems.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant type is students who are nationals of eligible countries (EEA countries and countries associated with the Digital Europe Programme or those engaged in ongoing association negotiations) and who have been accepted into the Executive Master in Digital Twins for Infrastructures and Cities program, have paid the reservation fee, are enrolled as full-time students in the master’s program for 2025–2026, and commit to completing the Master's programme in the first academic year of the student's enrolment. Priority is given to female applicants, applicants from RIS countries, and students affiliated with specific Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) such as Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, ENPC, ITU, BME, and other partner institutions, as well as students who are self-financed and either without an employer or working in an SME (up to 50 salaries).

Funding Type: The funding type is a scholarship, specifically a reduction of tuition fees.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity is for single applicants, specifically individual students.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes nationals of listed EEA countries and countries associated with the Digital Europe Programme (or those engaged in ongoing association negotiations). Priority is also given to applicants from Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS) countries, which are part of the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme.

Target Sector: The target sector is specialized education programs in key capacity areas, specifically focusing on Digital Twins for Infrastructures and Cities. This falls under the broader categories of ICT, education, and potentially buildings/construction and urban development.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity mentions EEA countries and countries associated with the Digital Europe Programme. It also mentions Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS) countries, which are part of the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme. Specific institutions mentioned are Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Spain), ENPC (France), ITU (Turkey), and BME (Hungary).

Project Stage: The project stage is for students already accepted into a master's program, implying the development and validation stages.

Funding Amount: The funding amount varies between €1,500 and €3,000 per year, depending on the merit score achieved by the applicant. The total funding available for the program is €100,000.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with multiple cut-off dates.

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of tuition fee discounts.

Application Stages: The application process involves at least one stage, which includes meeting the eligibility requirements and being evaluated based on a merit score and priority criteria.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but given the total funding available (€100,000) and the scholarship amounts (€1,500-€3,000), it can be inferred that a limited number of scholarships are available, suggesting a potentially competitive selection process.

Co-funding Requirement: The scholarships are co-financed (50%) by the European Union, but there is no explicit requirement for co-funding from the applicant beyond the reservation fee.

Summary:

The DIGITWIN4CIUE Reduction-Fees Scholarships program offers financial assistance to students enrolled in the Executive Master in Digital Twins for Infrastructures and Cities. The scholarships, ranging from €1,500 to €3,000 per year, are designed to reduce tuition fees and promote diversity among students. Eligible applicants must be nationals of EEA countries or countries associated with the Digital Europe Programme, have been accepted into the master's program, have paid the reservation fee, and commit to completing the program in one academic year. The selection process is based on a merit score, considering academic and professional experience, curriculum vitae, and a letter of motivation. Priority is given to female applicants, students from RIS countries, and those affiliated with specific Higher Education Institutions. The scholarships are compatible with other DIGITWIN4CIUE project scholarships but not with other tuition fee scholarships, and the total funding available is €100,000. The application process is an open call with multiple deadlines, and the scholarships are co-financed by the European Union. The program aims to support specialized education in digital fields, specifically focusing on digital twins for infrastructure and urban ecosystems. The scholarships are awarded by Fundación Agustín de Betancourt (FUNAB) and are not an EU action, although the call is published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for visibility. The opening date for submissions is July 11, 2025, with deadline dates on October 31, 2025, and September 15, 2026.