European Researchers' Night and Researchers at Schools 2026-2027

The HORIZON-MSCA-2025-CITIZENS-01-01 grant call under the Horizon Europe Programme focuses on Coordination and Support Actions aimed at fostering public engagement with research and innovation. It specifically promotes initiatives like the European Researchers’ Night and Researchers at Schools.

Eligible applicants include research organizations, companies, public authorities, science museums, foundations, media organizations, and educational institutions. The funding type is a lump sum grant, with individual project amounts ranging from EUR 100,000 to EUR 350,000. The total budget available is EUR 16,253,880, with approximately 50 grants expected to be awarded.

Applications can be submitted by single applicants or consortia, emphasizing partnerships at regional, national, or cross-border levels. The grant aims to enhance science communication and public engagement, especially in STEAM fields, targeting young people and underrepresented demographics.

The European Researchers’ Night, held annually, encourages public interaction with science through various engaging activities like hands-on experiments, exhibitions, and discussions, attracting millions of participants across Europe. The Researchers at Schools initiative facilitates interactions between researchers and students to address societal challenges.

The application process is a single-stage open call with a submission deadline set for 22 October 2025. The program seeks projects that promote inclusiveness, gender balance, and public understanding of science, aiming to raise awareness of EU policies and research importance.

Proposals should focus on activities that make research accessible to the public, improve the visibility of participating organizations, and encourage interest in scientific careers. The expected outcomes include better communication skills for researchers, enhanced visibility for organizations, and increased public awareness of research topics.

Additional considerations include the absence of a co-funding requirement and an encouragement for projects to seek additional funding sources. Full details regarding admissibility, evaluation, and submission processes are provided in the accompanying call documentation.

In summary, this grant opportunity supports initiatives that connect researchers with the public, enhancing general awareness and appreciation for science and research, with a strong focus on engaging young audiences and promoting STEAM fields.

The HORIZON-MSCA-2025-CITIZENS-01-01 call, under the Horizon Europe Programme, specifically the MSCA and Citizens 2025 call, aims to fund Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) to bring research and researchers closer to the public. The call encourages proposals that cover both the European Researchers’ Night and the Researchers at Schools initiative. The European Researchers' Night is an annual Europe-wide public event, typically held on the last Friday of September, to promote research careers, especially targeting young people and those less inclined to engage in STEAM fields (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics). The Researchers at Schools initiative aims to connect research with education by facilitating interactions between researchers and pupils in schools and research facilities.

The expected outcomes for researchers include enhanced interaction with citizens and improved communication skills. For organizations, the expected outcomes are increased visibility, making research more accessible, improved outreach, and better communication of research results. Proposals should aim to enhance engagement with citizens on R&I, increase awareness of the importance of R&I, promote excellence in research, raise interest in science careers, improve understanding of EU policies, and support teachers in developing a scientific approach.

Types of activities for the European Researchers’ Night can include exhibitions, hands-on experiments, science shows, simulations, debates, games, competitions, and quizzes. Researchers at Schools activities can include presentations, discussions, speed-dating, citizen science, science shows, summer schools, nature walks, and visits to research facilities. Involvement of researchers funded by Horizon Europe or previous Framework Programmes, especially Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, is highly encouraged. Projects should promote gender balance, diversity, and inclusiveness. Partnerships at regional, national, or cross-border levels are also encouraged. Synergies with the Science Comes To Town initiative should be sought where appropriate.

The call adopts a single-stage submission process. The planned opening date is 17 June 2025, and the deadline for submission is 22 October 2025, at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The total budget for this topic is EUR 16 253 880, and the EU contribution per proposal should range from EUR 100 000 to EUR 350 000. Approximately 50 grants are expected to be awarded. Eligible costs will take the form of lump sum contributions.

Admissibility conditions are described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Eligible countries are described in Annex B, with additional criteria specifying that activities carried out in non-associated third countries are not eligible for funding. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are detailed in Annex C. Award criteria, scoring, and thresholds are described in Annex D, while submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F and the Online Manual. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is also described in Annex F. Legal and financial setup of the grants is described in Annex G.

Call documents include the Guide for Applicants (to be published in June 2025), the application form (available in the Submission System), standard evaluation forms, the Model Grant Agreement (MGA), call-specific instructions, a detailed budget table, and guidance on lump sums. Additional documents include the Horizon Europe Main Work Programme, the Programme Guide, the Framework Programme and Rules for Participation Regulation, the Specific Programme Decision, the EU Financial Regulation, rules for legal entity validation, and the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual.

The Funding & Tenders Portal provides resources such as the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, and the European IPR Helpdesk. Partner Search Services are also available.

In summary, this funding opportunity aims to foster public engagement with research and innovation through the European Researchers’ Night and Researchers at Schools initiatives. It encourages projects that promote science literacy, attract young people to research careers, and communicate the impact of EU-funded research on citizens' lives. The call supports a wide range of activities, from exhibitions and science shows to presentations and citizen science projects, all designed to make research more accessible and engaging for the general public, especially those with limited access to STEAM fields. Applicants are encouraged to form partnerships, seek additional funding, and propose activities for both the 2026 and 2027 editions of the European Researchers’ Night.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly defined in the provided text. However, the text mentions "participating organisations," "researchers," and encourages partnerships and coordination at regional, national, or cross-border levels. This suggests that eligible applicants could include research organizations, universities, educational institutions, regional or national authorities, NGOs, and other entities involved in research and innovation, and those that can organize public events and educational activities. The encouragement of transnational consortia suggests a preference for collaborative projects.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a lump sum contribution, as stipulated in the Decision of 11 March 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions and unit contributions for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions under the Horizon Europe Programme. The call is a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action (HORIZON-CSA).

Consortium Requirement: Partnerships and coordination at regional, national, or cross-border levels are strongly encouraged, and the text mentions "trans-national consortia." While not explicitly stated as a requirement, the emphasis on partnerships suggests that consortia are preferred, although single applicants might be eligible if they can demonstrate sufficient capacity and geographical coverage.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries. The text also mentions that a number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries have made specific provisions for funding their participants in Horizon Europe projects. Activities carried out in non-associated third countries are not eligible for funding. The goal is to ensure a balanced portfolio covering the widest geographical coverage with events and activities held in as many eligible countries as possible.

Target Sector: The program targets the following sectors: education, research, science communication, and public engagement with science. It focuses on promoting research careers and increasing public awareness of research and innovation activities, particularly in STEAM fields (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics).

Mentioned Countries: The text refers to EU Member States, Horizon Europe Associated Countries, and non-EU/non-Associated Countries that have specific provisions for funding their participants in Horizon Europe projects. No specific countries are named, but the geographic scope is clearly defined as Europe and associated countries.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is at the stage of implementation and organization of public engagement activities. The call supports the organization of the European Researchers’ Night and the implementation of the Researchers at Schools initiative, which are public events and educational programs. Therefore, the projects should be at the stage of development, validation, demonstration, or implementation.

Funding Amount: The maximum requested EU contribution per proposal should not exceed EUR 350,000. The budget overview indicates contributions ranging from EUR 100,000 to EUR 350,000. The total budget for the topic is EUR 16,253,880, with an indicative number of 50 grants to be awarded.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process. The planned opening date is 17 June 2025, and the deadline date is 22 October 2025.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of lump sum contributions to support the organization and implementation of the European Researchers’ Night and the Researchers at Schools initiative.

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The success rates cannot be determined from the text, but the indicative number of grants (50) and the total budget (EUR 16,253,880) suggest that the competition will be high.

Co-funding Requirement: All proposals are encouraged to bring additional sources of funding.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, under the MSCA and Citizens program, aims to bring research and researchers closer to the public, increase awareness of research and innovation, and boost public recognition of science and research education. The call supports the organization of the European Researchers’ Night and the Researchers at Schools initiative, targeting the general public, families, pupils, and students, especially those with limited access to STEAM fields.

Eligible applicants can request a maximum EU contribution of EUR 350,000 per proposal, with a total budget of EUR 16,253,880 available for approximately 50 grants. The funding will be provided as lump sum contributions. The call encourages partnerships and coordination at regional, national, or cross-border levels. The application process is a single-stage open call with a deadline of 22 October 2025.

The projects should focus on organizing engaging and educational activities, such as exhibitions, hands-on experiments, science shows, debates, and citizen science projects. The initiatives should promote gender balance, diversity, and inclusiveness in science, as well as Open Science and Responsible Research and Innovation. The expected outcomes include enhanced opportunities for researchers to interact with citizens, improved communication skills, increased visibility for participating organizations, and a greater interest in science and research careers among young people.