HORIZON-JU-EDCTP3-2026-Scientific Leadership Man EU Prize

HORIZON-JU-EDCTP3-2026 Scientific Leadership Man EU Prize is a recognition prize under Horizon Europe awarding €15,000 to an individual mid-career male researcher permanently resident in an EU Member State or a country associated to Horizon Europe for past scientific leadership relevant to the Global Health EDCTP3 programme. Applicants must be natural persons under 50 at contest launch, register in the Participant Register and submit a single-stage electronic application via the Funding & Tenders Portal using Part A, Part B (max 45 pages) and mandatory annexes including the applicant CV and a letter of support. Applications are evaluated by an independent expert panel against two cumulative criteria scored to 100 points (scientific contribution and excellence 50; impact on EDCTP3 objectives 50). Submission deadline is 2 September 2026 (17:00 CET) and winners will be announced after mandatory checks with the award ceremony at EDCTP Forum 2027.

Summary

What it funds, who can apply, and value

Recognition prize under the Global Health EDCTP3 (Horizon Europe). Awards recognise past scientific leadership and contributions to strengthening research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa and South-South/North-South networking. Applications require a written presentation of achievements and a letter of support; evaluated by an independent expert panel.

Eligible applicants:Natural persons under 50 at contest launch, resident in an EU Member State or a country associated to Horizon Europe, who identify as male; must register in the Participant Register and pass REA validation. Employees of EDCTP3, EU institutions, EDCTP Association or advisory/governing bodies are ineligible. Applications must be submitted by the candidate themselves.

1. 1Funds: Four Scientific Leadership prizes (two for residents of EU/associated countries and two for residents of sub-Saharan African EDCTP Association states).
2. 2Amount: €15,000 per Scientific Leadership prize.
3. 3Deadline: 2 September 2026 (single-stage electronic submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal).

How to apply:submit electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal using the Submission System forms (Part A online; Part B uploaded as PDF; include required annexes and letters of support). Paper submissions are not accepted. See the Topic page on the Funding & Tenders Portal for submission entry and templates Topic page.

Evaluation and timing:applications scored out of 100 (scientific excellence 50 points; impact 50 points). Evaluation expected Sept–Oct 2026; award notification Dec 2026; ceremony during EDCTP Forum 2027 (5–9 April 2027). Payment 30 days after award ceremony subject to documentation.

Restrictions and conditions:prizes are recognition awards not linked to incurred costs. Applicants who have already received an EDCTP prize for the same activities cannot receive a second prize in the same category. Ethics, security, exclusion and eligibility checks apply; prize may be withdrawn if ineligibility or fraud is later identified ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Full Rules of Contest, eligibility, submission templates and procedural details available in the EDCTP3 Rules of Contest and the Funding & Tenders Portal Topic page: Rules of Contest PDF and Topic page.

Official Call Details

Call identity, deadlines, and legal basis

Call title:HORIZON-JU-EDCTP3-2026-Scientific Leadership Man EU Prize. Opportunity type: Call for Proposals (HORIZON Recognition Prize). Deadline for submission: 2 September 2026 (single-stage). This recognition prize is part of the Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking Prizes 2026-2027 and is funded under Horizon Europe. Applications must be submitted electronically via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System. Rules of Contest and detailed guidance are available on the Portal and on the Global Health EDCTP3 website Rules of Contest - EDCTP3 Prizes 2027. ¹

Objective of this specific prize:The Scientific Leadership Man EU Prize recognises mid-career male scientists permanently resident in an EU Member State or a country associated to Horizon Europe, who have made significant scientific contributions relevant to the Global Health EDCTP3 programme and who have contributed to strengthening research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa, South-South and North-South networking.

Detailed eligibility and applicant information

This prize is one of four Scientific Leadership prizes (one woman and one man for EU/associated countries; one woman and one man for sub-Saharan African EDCTP Association member states). The present topic is specifically the Scientific Leadership Prize for a man resident in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe associated country. Applicants must meet the eligibility and admissibility conditions laid out in the Rules of Contest and the Funding & Tenders Portal guidance.

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: Natural persons (individual researchers). The prize is for a single natural person; for other EDCTP prizes (e.g. Outstanding Research Team) joint/group submissions are allowed, but this specific Scientific Leadership Man EU Prize requires an individual applicant who identifies as male and meets the residency and age criteria.
2. 2Funding Type: Recognition prize (financial prize). This is a lump-sum Reward (prize), not a grant reimbursing costs or a contractual procurement. The amount is not linked to costs incurred.
3. 3Consortium Requirement: Single applicant. The application must be submitted by the candidate (the individual). Letters of support may be included as annexes but the candidate must submit their own application. Joint/group submissions are not applicable for this prize category.
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Applicants must be permanent residents (established/residing) in an EU Member State or a country associated to Horizon Europe. More broadly, the EDCTP prizes themselves include categories for applicants residing in sub-Saharan African EDCTP Association member states, but this topic is specifically for residents of EU/associated countries.
5. 5Target Sector: Global health research and research capacity strengthening in the remit of the Global Health EDCTP3 programme (poverty-related diseases, strengthening research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa, South-South and North-South research networking).
6. 6Mentioned Countries and Regions: EU Member States and countries associated to Horizon Europe (explicit). The Rules of Contest also refer to sub-Saharan Africa and EDCTP Association member states in the broader prize set. No specific EU Member States are individually listed in the topic text.
7. 7Project Stage: Recognition of past achievements — the prize recognises past research and leadership (mature track record / mid-career research leadership). It is a recognition prize rather than funding for a defined research project stage (i.e., it is not for idea, research or application stage funding).
8. 8Funding Amount: €15,000 (one prize award of €15,000 for this specific Scientific Leadership Man EU Prize). Four Scientific Leadership prizes in the full prize set are €15,000 each.
9. 9Application Type: Open call (contest) published on the Funding & Tenders Portal; single-stage submission through the Portal Electronic Submission System using provided forms and templates.
10. 10Nature of Support: Monetary only — award of prize money to successful individual winner (€15,000). Winners must comply with visibility and communication obligations; no project funding or in-kind services are granted through this prize.
11. 11Application Stages: Single-stage submission and evaluation by independent expert panel. After submission, mandatory checks (ethics, security, legal entity validation if applicable, non-exclusion, plagiarism, double funding) are performed. If successful, award decision is made and prize will be presented at the award ceremony.
12. 12Success Rates: Not specified in the call text. The rate depends on the number of valid submissions and the panel's assessment; therefore success rate is unknown/not disclosed.
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: No co-funding is required. Prizes are lump-sum recognition awards not linked to incurred costs and do not require matching funds.

Eligibility specific rules and disqualifying conditions

Core individual eligibility criteria for this prize (Scientific Leadership Man EU Prize):the applicant must be a natural person, identify as male, be below 50 years old on the day of the launch of the contest, and be established (residing) in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe associated country. Applicants must register in the Participant Register before the call deadline and will have to be validated by the Central Validation Service (REA Validation).

1. 1Mandatory applicant actions: register as a participant in the Participant Register, obtain a validated PIC (Participant Identification Code) and complete the online validation prior to the deadline.
2. 2Disqualification exclusion list: Applicants subject to EU exclusion decisions or in situations such as bankruptcy, fraud, serious professional misconduct, breaches of social security or tax obligations, involvement in money laundering, terrorism or human trafficking, significant deficiencies in complying with prior EU obligations, or other exclusion situations listed in the Rules of Contest are not eligible to participate.
3. 3Prohibited persons and conflicts: Current employees of Global Health EDCTP3, any EU institution, agency or body, the EDCTP Association, or people serving on EDCTP3 governing/advisory bodies may not apply nor provide letters of support.
4. 4Previous EDCTP prize recipients: Applicants who have already received an EDCTP prize for the same activities cannot receive a second prize for the same activities and cannot receive the same prize category twice across EDCTP1, EDCTP2 and EDCTP3.
5. 5Specific legal cases: Entities without legal personality may exceptionally participate if represented by a person capable of undertaking legal obligations and offering equivalent guarantees for protection of EU financial interests; applicants from countries negotiating association agreements may participate, provided the country is associated to Horizon Europe before award; special rules apply for entities subject to EU restrictive measures.

Application content, required documents and templates

All submissions must use the forms inside the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Submission System. Paper submissions are not accepted. Applications must be complete and meet admissibility conditions to be considered.

1. 1Submission structure: three-part submission via the Portal: Part A (administrative information filled online), Part B (technical description — download mandatory Word template from Submission System, complete and re-upload as PDF), and Annexes (uploaded as PDFs).
2. 2Mandatory annexes and supporting documents: letter(s) of support from reputable scientist(s) (and short CV of the person providing the letter), CV of the applicant (mandatory).
3. 3Part B page limit: Part B submissions are limited to a maximum of 45 pages; any pages beyond the limit will not be considered by evaluators.
4. 4Who submits: The candidate (applicant) must submit the application personally (not another person on their behalf). Letters of support may be provided by others and uploaded as annexes by the candidate.
5. 5Single submission rule: Each candidate may submit only one application. If several applications are submitted by the same candidate, only the last chronological submission will be considered.
6. 6Readability and format: Applications must be readable, accessible and printable, and uploaded in the correct category within the Submission System; failure to upload documents correctly can render an application inadmissible.
7. 7Additional documents: Awarding authority may request further documents later (legal entity validation, bank account validation, ethics review, declaration on honour, etc).
8. 8Templates and guidance: Use Application Form Part A and Part B templates available inside the Submission System (not the informational copies on the Topic page). Consult the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual for step-by-step submission instructions and the Rules of Contest for detailed requirements.

Application submission steps (practical):1) Create an EU Login account and register in the Participant Register to obtain a PIC. 2) Access the Electronic Submission System via the Topic page of the Funding & Tenders Portal. 3) Complete Part A online, download and fill Part B template and upload as PDF, upload mandated annexes (letters of support, CVs). 4) Submit before deadline. After submission you will receive a confirmation e-mail; absence of confirmation means the application was not submitted. Consult the Online Manual and IT Helpdesk for technical assistance and applicants@global-health-edctp3.europa.eu for non-IT questions.

Evaluation, award process, payment and obligations

Evaluation:An independent expert jury evaluates applications against cumulative award criteria and scores applications on a total of 100 points (Scientific contribution and excellence: 50 points; Impact on EDCTP3 objectives: 50 points). The awarding authority makes final decisions after mandatory checks (ethics review, security scrutiny, legal validation, non-exclusion, double funding, plagiarism, etc).

1. 1Award criteria and scoring: Scientific contribution and excellence (50 points) and Impact related to Global Health EDCTP3 objectives (50 points). Applications must include letter(s) of support from members of the research community.
2. 2Evaluation timeline: Contest opening 27 May 2026; submission deadline 2 September 2026 (17:00 CET); evaluation September–October 2026; information on evaluation results December 2026; award ceremony during EDCTP Forum 2027 (Spain, 5–9 April 2027).
3. 3Notification, complaints and deadlines: Applicants will receive an evaluation result letter. If the procedure is contested, a complaint may be submitted following the deadlines in the evaluation result letter. Notifications are deemed received 10 days after sending for calculation of subsequent deadlines.
4. 4Payment arrangements: Prize money paid 30 days after the award ceremony, subject to submission of requested documents. In group prizes payment goes to lead applicant who must share funds equally among group members.
5. 5Visibility and communication obligations: Prize winners must acknowledge EU and JU support, display the European flag/emblem and Global Health EDCTP3 logo, include required funding statement and disclaimer in communications, and ensure accuracy in dissemination.
6. 6Intellectual property: Awarding authority does not obtain ownership of results; it may use non-sensitive material (pictures, AV) for communication. Photos/videos taken by awarding authority at award ceremony are the authority's property.
7. 7Checks and recovery: Awarding authority, EC, OLAF, EPPO, and ECA may carry out audits. The authority may withdraw prizes and recover amounts in cases of false information, fraud, ineligibility, or serious breach of obligations.

Templates and application form structure

All official templates and forms are available inside the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System and must be used. The Portal contains specific Application Form Part A (online administrative fields) and Part B (technical description Word template downloaded from the Submission System and re-uploaded as PDF).

1. 1Application Form Part A: administrative information about the applicant (to be completed directly online in the Portal Submission System).
2. 2Application Form Part B: technical description — download the mandatory Word template from the Submission System, complete it and upload as PDF. Part B is limited to 45 pages.
3. 3Annexes: required annexes include letter(s) of support from reputable scientist(s) (plus short CV of letter-writer) and CV of the applicant; these must be uploaded in the designated slots as PDF files.
4. 4Clinical study annex: if applicable, proposals including clinical studies should use the dedicated clinical study annex template in the Submission System.
5. 5Formatting and admissibility: Applications must be readable, accessible and printable. Ensure all documents are uploaded to correct categories; misplacement can render an application inadmissible.

Assessment and scoring specifics

Scoring for Scientific Leadership prizes:total 100 points. Scientific contribution and excellence (50 points) and Impact (50 points). Awarding jury will rank submissions and select winners based on cumulative scores and compliance with eligibility rules.

Ethics, security and integrity requirements:Applications must comply with highest ethical standards and EU, international and national law. Activities must be civilian, not pursue prohibited activities (e.g., human reproductive cloning, germline modification making changes heritable, creating embryos for research), and respect research integrity. Applications with ethics issues will undergo ethics review. Security-sensitive proposals involving classified information must comply with Decision 2015/444 and implementing rules.

Support, contacts and practical advice

Support resources:Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, HE Programme Guide, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, Portal FAQ, IT Helpdesk for portal technical issues, and applicants@global-health-edctp3.europa.eu for non-technical enquiries. National Contact Points (NCPs) and Enterprise Europe Network can provide additional practical assistance.

1. 1Do not wait until the deadline: submit well in advance to avoid technical problems.
2. 2Register in the Participant Register and obtain a validated PIC before submission.
3. 3Ensure all mandatory annexes are included and Part B respects the 45-page limit.
4. 4Only the submission in the Portal is valid; paper submissions are not accepted.
5. 5If you do not receive a submission confirmation e-mail, your application was not submitted; contact the IT Helpdesk immediately and file a complaint if needed.

Answers to the categorisation questions (detailed)

Below are the explicit, structured responses to the requested classification and extraction questions, based strictly on the opportunity documentation.

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: Natural persons (individual mid-career researchers). The prize is specifically for an individual identifying as male and resident in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe associated country. For other EDCTP prize categories (not this topic) teams or institutions (legal persons) may be eligible; however this topic is individual-only.
2. 2Funding Type: Recognition prize (financial prize award). A lump-sum monetary prize (€15,000).
3. 3Consortium Requirement: Single applicant (individual). No consortium required or permitted for this specific prize; group applications do not apply here.
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Individuals permanently resident in EU Member States or countries associated with Horizon Europe. The broader EDCTP prize set includes categories for residents of sub-Saharan African EDCTP Association member states (but this specific call covers EU/associated residents identifying as male).
5. 5Target Sector: Health / Global Health research (EDCTP3 remit: strengthening research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa, poverty-related diseases, South-South and North-South networking).
6. 6Mentioned Countries: EU Member States (region) and countries associated to Horizon Europe (region) explicitly. Sub-Saharan Africa is mentioned in the context of other prize categories and EDCTP Association membership. No individual countries are explicitly enumerated in the topic text.
7. 7Project Stage: Recognition of past achievements — mature mid-career scientific leadership (not a project-phase funding instrument).
8. 8Funding Amount: €15,000 for this prize (single award).
9. 9Application Type: Open public contest — single-stage submission through the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System (open call).
10. 10Nature of Support: Monetary (prize money).
11. 11Application Stages: One stage (single-stage submission and evaluation).
12. 12Success Rates: Not specified in the documentation. No fixed success rate provided; depends on number and quality of eligible submissions.
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: No co-funding requested or required; prizes are not cost-based and do not require matching funds.

Key risks, traps and compliance points for applicants

Important compliance points drawn from the Rules of Contest and Portal guidance:

1. 1Register and validate in the Participant Register ahead of the deadline — REA validation may require documents proving legal status and origin.
2. 2Only the Submission System internal templates must be used (download Part B template inside Submission System, do not use the informational copy on the Topic page).
3. 3Respect Part B page limit (45 pages) exactly; excess pages will be disregarded by evaluators.
4. 4Submit the application personally as the candidate; other persons may not submit on your behalf.
5. 5Include mandatory annexes: applicant CV and letter(s) of support (with short CV of letter-writer). Absence of mandatory annexes may render the submission inadmissible.
6. 6Ensure no conflict of interest: employees of EDCTP3, EU institutions, EDCTP Association governing/advisory bodies may not apply nor provide letters of support.
7. 7Do not submit multiple applications: only the last chronological submission by the same candidate will be considered.
8. 8Be prepared to provide additional documentation upon request (bank validation, legal entity validation, declarations, ethics clearance if applicable).
9. 9Comply with ethics, security and research integrity obligations; proposals involving ethical issues will undergo ethics review and may be excluded if not compliant.

What the application should demonstrate (content guidance)

Applications must clearly show the applicant's involvement in research and innovation activities within the remit of Global Health EDCTP3, with demonstrable scientific excellence and clear impact on EDCTP3 objectives. The submission should include evidence and narrative addressing the award criteria and must include letters of support from reputable members of the research community.

1. 1Demonstrate Scientific contribution and excellence: show significant achievements in the applicant's field and indications that the applicant will continue to be a leader (up to 50 points).
2. 2Demonstrate Impact for EDCTP3 objectives: show major contributions to strengthening research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa, supporting South-South and North-South networking, and advancing Global Health EDCTP3 goals (up to 50 points).
3. 3Include a clear, well-structured CV evidencing career milestones, publications, capacity-building activities, networks and leadership roles.
4. 4Provide at least one letter of support from another reputable scientist, including the letter-writer's short CV (letter as annex uploaded in submission system).
5. 5Provide clear and credible evidence and narrative of activities that contributed to research capacity strengthening in sub-Saharan Africa (training, mentorship, collaborative projects, institutional capacity building, networks, policy impact, etc.).
6. 6Address ethical compliance, data protection and any security considerations where relevant.

For any technical or account issues during submission use the IT Helpdesk webform; for non-IT questions contact applicants@global-health-edctp3.europa.eu and clearly reference the call and topic.

Success factors for a competitive application:Focus application on demonstrable leadership and track record relevant to Global Health EDCTP3: concrete evidence of scientific excellence, measurable impact on research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa, strong support letters from recognized peers, and clear alignment with EDCTP3 objectives. Make the case concisely within the 45-page Part B, and ensure all administrative validation (PIC) is completed well before the deadline.

Concluding summary

The HORIZON-JU-EDCTP3-2026-Scientific Leadership Man EU Prize is a single-person recognition prize (€15,000) aimed at mid-career male researchers resident in EU Member States or countries associated with Horizon Europe who have demonstrated scientific leadership and contributed significantly to the EDCTP3 programme objectives, notably strengthening research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa and supporting South-South and North-South networking. Applications must be submitted by the candidate via the Funding & Tenders Portal using the Portal templates and adhering to strict eligibility, admissibility, ethical and integrity rules. Evaluation is by independent expert jury against two cumulative criteria (scientific contribution and excellence; impact on EDCTP3 objectives) scored to 100 points. Prize winners are announced after mandatory checks and awarded at the EDCTP Forum; payment follows after the award ceremony subject to submission of requested documents. Applicants should follow submission templates precisely, include required CVs and letters of support, register early in the Participant Register for validation, and ensure compliance with exclusion/ethics rules.

Footnotes

1. 1Full Rules of Contest and detailed instructions are available in the EDCTP3 Rules of Contest document (EDCTP3 Prizes 2026-2027) available on the Global Health EDCTP3 website Rules of Contest - EDCTP3 Prizes 2027.

What This Prize Recognizes

This is a **recognition prize** under Horizon Europe designed to honor **past achievements** and **outstanding work** by growing **mid-career scientists** who have made significant contributions to global health research, specifically within the remit of the **Global Health EDCTP3 programme** ¹.

Who Should Apply

Eligibility Criteria:Applicants must be a **natural person** (individual) who is **under 50 years old** on the day the contest launched (27 May 2026), **resides permanently** in an **EU Member State** or a **country associated with Horizon Europe**, and **identifies as male** ².

Award Criteria & Evaluation

Applications are scored on a total of **100 points**, divided equally between two cumulative criteria: **Scientific contribution and excellence** (50 points), requiring significant achievements and future leadership potential in the field, and **Impact** (50 points), requiring major contributions to strengthening research capacity in **sub-Saharan Africa** and supporting **South-South** and **North-South networking** ³.

Funding Amount & Budget

Prize Value:The prize amount is **€15,000** per winner. This is a fixed financial contribution not linked to the costs incurred by the winner, and four Scientific Leadership prizes are available in total (one woman/man from EU/associated, one woman/man from sub-Saharan Africa) ⁴.

Key Deadlines & Timeline

1. 1Contest Opening: 27 May 2026
2. 2Submission Deadline: 02 September 2026 at 17:00 CET
3. 3Evaluation Period: September–October 2026
4. 4Award Decision: December 2026
5. 5Award Ceremony: April 2027 (EDCTP Forum 2027 in Spain)

How to Submit an Application

Applications must be submitted **electronically** via the **Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System**. Paper submissions are **not accepted**. The process involves filling out **Part A** (administrative) online, downloading and uploading **Part B** (technical description, max 45 pages), and uploading mandatory annexes including a **letter of support** from a reputable scientist (with their CV) and the **applicant's CV** ⁵.

Important Exclusions & Conditions

Current employees of **Global Health EDCTP3**, **EU institutions**, or the **EDCTP Association** cannot apply or provide support letters. Applicants who have already received an **EDCTP prize** (EDCTP1, 2, or 3) for the same activities or in the same category are **ineligible**. Winners must acknowledge EU support in all communications and display the **European flag** and **EDCTP3 logo** prominently ⁶.

Footnotes

1. 1Official Rules of Contest: Global Health EDCTP3 Prizes 2026-2027 Rules of Contest
2. 2Eligibility rules for Scientific Leadership Prize for a man resident of an EU Member State Eligibility Rules
3. 3Award criteria details: Scientific contribution (50 pts) and Impact (50 pts) Award Criteria
4. 4Available budget section confirming €15,000 per prize Budget Info
5. 5Submission process and mandatory documents (Part A, Part B, support letter, CV) Submission Guide
6. 6Exclusion rules and communication obligations (EU flag, EDCTP3 logo) Exclusion Rules