HORIZON-JU-EDCTP3-2026-Outstanding Research Team Prize

HORIZON-JU-EDCTP3-2026 Outstanding Research Team Prize is a recognition prize under Horizon Europe awarding €50,000 to a research team for past achievements addressing poverty-related diseases within the Global Health EDCTP3 programme. Eligible applicants are teams whose members are natural or legal persons established in a sub-Saharan African country that is a member of the EDCTP Association, an EU Member State, or a country associated to Horizon Europe, and applications must be submitted by a lead applicant on behalf of the team. Applications are evaluated on scientific contribution and excellence (50 points) and impact including equitable South North partnerships and policy relevant deliverables (50 points). Deadline for electronic submission via the Funding and Tenders Portal is 2 September 2026 at 17:00 CET and paper submissions are not accepted.

What it funds

Recognition prize for a research team that has demonstrated scientific excellence and impact on Global Health EDCTP3 programme priority issues (poverty-related diseases), with strong South-North collaborations, capacity development in sub-Saharan Africa and policy-relevant outputs.

Funding:Single prize award: €50,000 (not linked to incurred costs) ¹

Who can apply

A lead applicant submits on behalf of a team (members may be within one organisation or across organisations). All team members must be natural or legal persons established (residing) in a sub-Saharan African country that is a member of the EDCTP Association, or in the EU or an associated country to Horizon Europe. Current employees of Global Health EDCTP3, EDCTP Association or related advisory/governing bodies are ineligible.

Deadline

2 September 2026 (single-stage submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal)

1. 1Applications submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal using Portal forms (Part A and Part B; Part B max 45 pages).
2. 2Application must include proof of eligibility, a presentation of achievements, team composition and letters of support and CVs as annexes.
3. 3Each candidate may submit only one application; joint/team applications require a lead applicant who will receive payment and share equally.
4. 4Selected by independent expert panel; award ceremony at EDCTP Forum 2027 (payment 30 days after award, subject to documentation).

Key evaluation criteria:scientific contribution and excellence (50 points) and impact including equitable South-North partnerships and policy-relevant deliverables (50 points). Ensure compliance with ethical and exclusion rules; legal entity validation (PIC) and REA checks apply.

Footnotes

1. 1Full Rules of Contest and submission instructions available in the official call documents: Rules of Contest - EDCTP3 Prizes 2026-2027

Opportunity summary

Call title:HORIZON-JU-EDCTP3-2026-Outstanding Research Team Prize. Type of action: HORIZON Recognition Prize (EDCTP3 Prizes 2026-2027). Single award for an Outstanding Research Team demonstrating exceptional scientific contribution, impact and South-North partnerships in the Global Health EDCTP3 programme remit. Prize amount: €50,000. Deadline for electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: 2 September 2026 (17:00 CET). Submission is single-stage via the Portal Electronic Submission System; paper submissions are not accepted. Applicants must register in the Participant Register and be validated by the Central Validation Service (REA Validation).

Purpose and evaluation

Purpose:recognition prize to reward past achievements of a research team active within the EDCTP3 Global Health programme remit (poverty-related diseases) with outstanding achievements in research, capacity development and policy impact in sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. Applications are evaluated by an independent expert jury against cumulative award criteria and scored out of 100 points.

Award criteria and scoring:Applications are assessed on two equally weighted cumulative criteria: Scientific contribution and excellence (50 points) and Impact (50 points). Scientific contribution must demonstrate substantial work on EDCTP3 programme priority issues in poverty-related diseases and outstanding achievements across research, capacity development and networking in sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. Impact must demonstrate effective and equitable South‑North partnerships, translation of research into policy/practice, high-impact publications and significant capacity building at local research sites ¹.

Eligibility and applicants

Who may apply:the prize targets teams (either a team within a single organisation or teams spanning multiple organisations). The application must be submitted by a lead applicant on behalf of the team. All applicants forming the research team must be natural persons or legal persons established (residing) in one of the following: a sub-Saharan African country that is a member of the EDCTP Association, a Member State of the European Union, or a country associated to Horizon Europe. Current employees of Global Health EDCTP3, EU institutions/agencies/bodies, the EDCTP Association or persons serving on advisory or governing bodies of Global Health EDCTP3 / EDCTP Association may not apply nor provide letters of support. Applicants who have previously received an EDCTP prize are barred from receiving a second prize for the same activities and may not receive the same prize category twice.

Eligible applicant types:Eligible applicant types include: research teams composed of natural persons and/or legal persons; this covers universities, research institutes, NGOs and other legal entities that host or employ the team members. Joint applications by groups of applicants (consortia) are explicitly allowed, but a single lead applicant must submit the entry on behalf of the team.

Funding modalities and amounts

Funding type:recognition prize (financial contribution, not linked to costs incurred). The prize budget for this specific category (Outstanding Research Team Prize) is €50,000. The prize is a single, lump-sum payment awarded to the winning team. Payment is made 30 days after the award ceremony (subject to submission of requested documents). For groups of winners the payment is made to the lead applicant who is responsible to distribute the funds equally to all members of the winning group.

Co-funding requirement:No co-funding is required or requested for the prize itself. The prize amount is not linked to eligible project costs and winners are not required to report costs against the prize. However applicants must be registered and validated and may later be asked for legal and bank documentation for payment and validation purposes.

Application process and required documents

Submission is electronic only via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System (accessed from the topic page). Submission is single-stage. The application consists of three parts: Part A (administrative information) completed online, Part B (technical description) completed using the mandatory template downloaded from the Submission System and uploaded as PDF, and Annexes uploaded as PDF (or Excel when allowed). Paper submissions are not accepted. Candidates must register for an EU Login account and obtain a Participant Identification Code (PIC) prior to submission.

1. 1Step 1: Create EU Login account and register in the Participant Register to obtain a PIC.
2. 2Step 2: Access the Topic page in the Funding & Tenders Portal and open the Electronic Submission System to create a draft.
3. 3Step 3: Complete Application Form Part A online (administrative data).
4. 4Step 4: Download the mandatory Part B Word template from the Submission System, fill in the technical description, convert to PDF and upload as Part B.
5. 5Step 5: Upload mandatory annexes: letter(s) of support from reputable scientist(s) plus short CV of the person(s) providing the letter, CV of the applicant(s).
6. 6Step 6: Ensure Part B remains within the 45 page maximum (evaluators will not consider additional pages).
7. 7Step 7: Submit the complete application before the deadline and confirm receipt by checking for the automatic confirmation e-mail. If no confirmation is received, the application has not been submitted and the IT Helpdesk should be contacted immediately.

Application templates and format:Application forms: Part A is completed directly online in the Portal. Part B must be prepared using the mandatory Word template downloaded from the Submission System, then converted to PDF for upload. Mandatory annexes: letter(s) of support from reputable scientist(s) including a short CV of the letter author(s); CV(s) of the applicant(s). Part B page limit: maximum 45 pages. Applications must be readable, accessible and printable. The Submission System contains the official templates; documents available on the Topic page are for information only and must not be used in place of submission templates.

Admissibility, validation and checks

Admissibility:applications must be complete, submitted before the deadline via the Portal, use the Submission System templates and include all mandatory annexes. Validation: applicants must be registered in the Participant Register and validated by REA Central Validation Service; legal status and origin documents may be requested. Mandatory checks post-evaluation: ethics review, security scrutiny, legal entity validation, non-exclusion (exclusion list checks), double funding checks, plagiarism checks, and any further documents required (bank account validation, declaration of honour, etc). Winners must comply with ethics and security requirements; activities breaching EU ethical standards or involving disallowed activities will not be awarded.

Exclusion and integrity:Applicants subject to EU exclusion decisions or in situations such as bankruptcy, serious professional misconduct, fraud, money laundering, terrorism-related offences, child labour/human trafficking, major irregularities, or breach of social or tax obligations are not eligible. Misrepresentation of information or conflict of interest arising from involvement in contest preparation may lead to refusal. Entities subject to EU restrictive measures are ineligible. Applicants previously receiving EDCTP prizes for the same activities are not eligible for a second prize for those activities ¹.

Consortium and collaboration requirements

Consortium requirement:contestants for the Outstanding Research Team Prize must be or have been a team. This can be a team within a single organisation or a team comprising members across multiple organisations. Joint (group) applications are allowed; the group must appoint a lead applicant (coordinator) to submit the application and represent the team towards the awarding authority. All team members must fulfil eligibility conditions; if any member does not, they must be replaced or the entire application will be rejected.

Consortium composition considerations:Because the prize places strong emphasis on South-North partnerships and capacity building in sub-Saharan Africa and Europe, successful entries are expected to demonstrate equitable collaboration structures, sustained partnerships, and leadership roles for sub-Saharan African researchers and institutions where relevant.

Geographic and sector scope

Beneficiary scope and geographic eligibility:applicants must be established (residing) in a sub-Saharan African country that is a member of the EDCTP Association, in an EU Member State, or in a country associated to Horizon Europe. Applications from countries negotiating association agreements may be eligible provided the country has associated to Horizon Europe before the award. Activities must focus on civil applications and comply with EU ethical and legal standards.

1. 1Target sectors and themes: global health; poverty-related infectious diseases; clinical and operational research; capacity development; health policy translation; South-North and South-South partnerships. Interdisciplinary approaches combining biomedical research, implementation science, public health, capacity strengthening and policy engagement are relevant.
2. 2Research maturity / project stage expected: demonstrated track-record and outcomes from prior research and capacity-building activities (recognition prize for past achievements). Projects should have produced measurable scientific outputs, policy-relevant deliverables, and capacity building at local research sites (research, validation, demonstration and policy translation stages).

Mentioned countries and regions:Explicitly mentioned geographic areas: sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) (EDCTP Association member states), European Union (EU) Member States, countries associated to Horizon Europe. The documentation also notes that entities from countries negotiating association agreements may participate if association is formalised before award. (No specific SSA countries are individually named in the topic text.)

Application evaluation, timeline and success metrics

Evaluation and award procedure:applications undergo formal evaluation by an independent expert panel against the defined award criteria. After evaluation, mandatory checks (ethics review, security scrutiny, legal entity validation, non-exclusion, double funding, plagiarism) are performed prior to award decision. All applicants will receive an evaluation result letter. The award ceremony will be held at the EDCTP Forum 2027 (Spain, 5-9 April 2027). The awarding authority may refuse, withdraw or recover prizes in cases of fraud, misrepresentation or ineligibility.

1. 1Publication / opening of the contest: 27 May 2026.
2. 2Submission deadline: 2 September 2026, 17:00 CET.
3. 3Evaluation period: September–October 2026.
4. 4Information on evaluation results/award: December 2026.
5. 5Award ceremony: April 2027 (EDCTP Forum 2027 in Spain).
6. 6Payment to winners: 30 days after the award ceremony subject to submission of all required documents.

Application stages and checks:Number of stages: single-stage submission (one formal application submission). Post-evaluation mandatory checks constitute additional administrative stages (ethics, security, legal validation, non-exclusion, double funding, etc.). In practice applicants pass through: submission (stage 1), expert evaluation (stage 2), mandatory compliance checks and legal/administrative validation (stage 3), then award decision and payment. The selection process therefore comprises several sequential steps though the submission call itself is single-stage.

Success rates:the prize is a single award and the programme indicates expectedGrants = 1 for this topic. No historical acceptance rate is published. Because only one prize is available and eligibility checks plus strong competition across established research teams are expected, the statistical success rate is low; selection is highly competitive. No numerical percent success rate is provided in the rules.

Payment, visibility and rights

Payment arrangements:prize money is paid to the prize winners 30 days following the award ceremony upon submission of requested documents (legal entity and bank validation, etc). For group winners payment is made to the nominated lead applicant who must share funds equally with other group members. Communication and dissemination obligations: winners must promote the prize and its results and acknowledge EU and EDCTP Association support; must display the European flag (emblem) and the Global Health EDCTP3 logo and include the funding disclaimer in communications. The awarding authority does not obtain ownership of the winners' research results; it retains rights to use non-sensitive materials submitted by winners for publicity and communications. The awarding authority may carry out audits and investigations (including OLAF, EPPO, ECA).

Other important conditions

No double funding:applicants cannot obtain an EU prize for the same activities if they have already received an EDCTP prize (EDCTP1, EDCTP2 or EDCTP3). Applications must respect ethical and legal requirements and EU values; activities prohibited across Member States will not be funded. Winners must accept visibility obligations and may not claim exclusive rights to the EU emblem. The awarding authority may cancel the contest or decide not to award a prize without obligation to compensate participants. Data protection follows Regulation 2018/1725. Information on winners is published annually unless publication would jeopardise rights or commercial interests.

Contact and help:For IT submission issues: Funding & Tenders Portal IT Helpdesk. For non-IT questions related to the prizes: applicants@global-health-edctp3.europa.eu. Refer to the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual for submission instructions and topic-specific FAQs on the Topic page.

Structured extraction of requested categorisation points

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: research teams composed of natural persons and/or legal persons. Typical eligible entities: universities, research institutes, NGOs, clinical research groups, and other legal entities hosting or employing team members. Individual natural persons may be part of teams but the lead applicant must submit on behalf of the team.
2. 2Funding Type: recognition prize (grant-type lump-sum prize).
3. 3Consortium Requirement: consortium allowed/required in the sense that the contestant must be or have been a team; entries can be single-organisation teams or multi-organisation consortia. The application must be submitted by a lead applicant representing the team.
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): established (residing) in a sub-Saharan African country that is a member of the EDCTP Association, in an EU Member State, or in a country associated to Horizon Europe. Applicants from countries negotiating association agreements may participate if association is formalised before the award.
5. 5Target Sector: health (global health, poverty-related infectious diseases), clinical research, capacity development, implementation science, public health policy translation and research networks focused on sub-Saharan Africa and Europe.
6. 6Mentioned Countries: sub-Saharan Africa (region; EDCTP Association member states), European Union Member States, countries associated to Horizon Europe. No individual SSA countries explicitly named in the topic text.
7. 7Project Stage: recognition of past achievements — expected maturity: completed or mature research and capacity-building activities having produced demonstrable outputs and policy impact (research, validation, demonstration, policy translation and capacity strengthening stages).
8. 8Funding Amount: Outstanding Research Team Prize: €50,000 (single prize).
9. 9Application Type: open contest call; single-stage submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System (open call, not by invitation).
10. 10Nature of Support: monetary prize (lump sum).
11. 11Application Stages: single-stage submission for evaluation, followed by mandatory checks (evaluation by expert panel then ethics/security/legal checks). Practically: 1 (submission) + evaluation + compliance checks = multiple sequential steps, but call model is single-stage.
12. 12Success Rates: not specified; one prize available (expectedGrants = 1). Likely highly competitive; no published numerical success rate.
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: no co-funding required; prize amount is not linked to costs and no financial co-contribution requested.
14. 14Templates: Application Form Part A (administrative, filled online in the Portal), Application Form Part B (technical description — mandatory Word template downloaded from the Submission System, completed and re-uploaded as PDF), Annexes (letters of support from reputable scientists with short CV of letter author, CVs of applicant(s)). Part B page limit: 45 pages. Use the Submission System templates (not the Topic page documents) and follow the Online Manual for technical submission guidance.

Practical advice for applicants

Prepare the application well ahead of the deadline:obtain EU Login and PIC, register in the Participant Register and complete REA validation early. Ensure Part B stays within 45 pages, assemble annexes as PDFs, include required letters of support and CVs, and keep the application readable and printable. Demonstrate clear evidence of the team’s direct involvement and contribution to EDCTP3 priority research and capacity development in sub-Saharan Africa and Europe, and provide concrete examples of policies/practices influenced, publications, and measurable capacity-building outputs. Explicitly document team composition, roles and the lead applicant’s authority to represent the team. Keep documentary proof for later validation (legal status, bank account, declarations).

Summary and explanation

What this opportunity is about and how to explain it:The HORIZON-JU-EDCTP3-2026 Outstanding Research Team Prize is a recognition prize funded under Horizon Europe, created to reward an established research team that has delivered outstanding research, capacity development and policy impact in the area of poverty-related diseases under the EDCTP3 Global Health scope. It is aimed at teams that have demonstrably advanced research and developed effective, equitable South‑North partnerships between sub-Saharan Africa and Europe, translated research into policy and practice, published influential scientific outputs, and strengthened local research capacity. The competition is open to teams whose members are established in EDCTP Association member SSA countries, EU Member States or countries associated to Horizon Europe. The prize is a single lump sum of €50,000 awarded to one winning team selected by an independent expert jury following a single-stage electronic submission and formal evaluation process. Applicants must use the Funding & Tenders Portal submission templates (Part A online, Part B via mandatory Word template converted to PDF) and include letters of support and CVs. The call includes strict admissibility, eligibility, ethical and exclusion rules and winners must comply with visibility and reporting obligations. The prize recognises past performance rather than future work; winners must still pass post-selection checks (ethics, legal validation, non-exclusion) before payment is released.

Reference:full Rules of Contest and submission templates are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal and the Global Health EDCTP3 website; consult the Online Manual and the call Topic page for the submission link, templates and FAQs. Applicants with IT submission issues should contact the Portal IT Helpdesk; non-IT queries should be sent to applicants@global-health-edctp3.europa.eu ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1See Rules of Contest EDCTP3 Prizes 2026-2027 (Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking) and the Topic page on the Funding & Tenders Portal for full details, templates and submission procedures: ec.europa.eu

Prize Type and Objective

This is a **recognition prize** funded under Horizon Europe, designed to reward **past achievements** and outstanding work by a research team after the work has been performed, rather than to spur future investment ¹. The prize specifically targets teams that have addressed priority issues in **poverty-related diseases** within the scope of the Global Health EDCTP3 Programme ².

Who Should Apply

Applicants must be a **research team** (either within one organization or across multiple organizations) that has been actively involved in research, capacity development, and networking in **sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)** and Europe ³. The team must demonstrate outstanding scientific and policy impact in diseases covered by the EDCTP3 Programme.

Eligibility Requirements:All team members must be natural or legal persons established in: (1) an **SSA country** that is a member of the EDCTP Association, (2) an **EU Member State**, or (3) a country **associated to Horizon Europe** ⁴. The application must be submitted by a **lead applicant** on behalf of the entire team ⁵.

Award Criteria and Evaluation

Applications are graded on a total of **100 points** based on two cumulative criteria:**Scientific contribution and excellence** (50 points) and **Impact** (50 points) ⁶. The scientific criterion evaluates the team's success in tackling poverty-related diseases and their active involvement in SSA and Europe. The impact criterion assesses the building of equitable South-North partnerships and the production of health-policy relevant deliverables like implemented research data and high-impact publications ⁷.

Mandatory Supporting Documents

1. 1Letter(s) of support from a reputable scientist (with short CV of the supporter)
2. 2CV of the applicant(s)
3. 3Application Form Part A (administrative, filled online)
4. 4Application Form Part B (technical description, max 45 pages, uploaded as PDF)

Budget and Payment Details

Prize Amount:The **Outstanding Research Team Prize** is valued at **€50,000** ⁸. This amount is not linked to the costs incurred by the winner.

Payment will be made **30 days after the award ceremony** (scheduled for April 2027 in Spain), provided all requested documents are submitted ⁹. For group winners, the payment is made to the lead applicant, who must then share the funds equally with all team members ¹⁰.

Key Deadlines and Timeline

How to Submit

Applications must be submitted **electronically** via the **Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System** ¹¹. Paper submissions are not accepted. Applicants must first register in the **Participant Register** to obtain a **PIC (Participant Identification Code)** before the deadline ¹².

Important Restrictions

Current employees of Global Health EDCTP3, EU institutions, or the EDCTP Association **cannot apply** or provide letters of support ¹³. Applicants who have already received an EDCTP prize (EDCTP1, 2, or 3) **cannot receive a second prize** for the same activities or in the same prize category ¹⁴.

Footnotes

1. 1Official Rules of Contest: EDCTP Prizes 2026-2027, Section 1 (Background).
2. 2Official Rules of Contest, Section 2 (Award criteria for Outstanding Research Team Prize).
3. 3Official Rules of Contest, Section 2 (Applicant consortium requirement).
4. 4Official Rules of Contest, Section 6 (Eligible participants - Outstanding Research Team Prize).
5. 5Official Rules of Contest, Section 6 (Note on lead applicant submission).
6. 6Official Rules of Contest, Section 2 (Grading on 100 points).
7. 7Official Rules of Contest, Section 2 (Detailed criteria descriptions).
8. 8Official Rules of Contest, Section 3 (Available budget).
9. 9Official Rules of Contest, Section 9 (Payment arrangements).
10. 10Official Rules of Contest, Section 9 (Payment to lead applicant for groups).
11. 11Official Rules of Contest, Section 5 (Admissibility and documents).
12. 12Official Rules of Contest, Section 10 (How to submit an application).
13. 13Official Rules of Contest, Section 6 (General rules on current employees).
14. 14Official Rules of Contest, Section 6 (Double funding and repeat prize restrictions).