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

HORIZON-JU-EDCTP3-2026 Scientific Leadership Woman EU Prize is a Horizon Europe recognition award to honour mid-career female researchers whose work has strengthened research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa and fostered international networking. Eligible applicants are natural persons who identify as female, are under 50 on the contest launch date, permanently reside in an EU Member State or a country associated with Horizon Europe, and must submit Part A, Part B (maximum 45 pages) and mandatory annexes including a letter of support and CV. Applications are assessed by an independent panel against scientific contribution and excellence and impact, scored 50/50, and must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal. The prize value is €15,000, the submission deadline is 2 September 2026 at 17:00 CET, award decisions are in December 2026 with the ceremony at EDCTP Forum 2027 and payment 30 days after the ceremony.

What it funds

Recognition prize for mid-career scientific leadership

One recognition prize awarded to a woman researcher (EU or Horizon-associated country resident) who demonstrates scientific excellence and impact in Global Health EDCTP3 priorities, notably strengthening research capacity and South-North / South-South networking in sub-Saharan Africa.

Award amount:€15,000 (single prize under the Scientific Leadership prizes allocation).

1. 1Who can apply: natural persons who identify as female, below 50 years old on contest launch, residing in an EU Member State or a country associated to Horizon Europe.
2. 2Key assessment: Scientific contribution and excellence (50 points) and Impact on EDCTP3 objectives (50 points).
3. 3How to apply: single electronic submission via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal using the Submission System and required Part A/Part B forms and annexes.
4. 4Deadline: 2 September 2026 (17:00 CET).

Applications must be submitted by the candidate, include proof of eligibility, Part A and Part B, CV and letter(s) of support, comply with page limits and ethical rules, and register in the Participant Register (PIC) before the deadline. Notifications and award follow independent expert evaluation and mandatory checks.

Submit online via the Funding & Tenders Portal; consult the Topic page and Rules of Contest for full conditions ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Topic page and Rules of Contest with submission instructions: HORIZON-JU-EDCTP3-2026-Scientific Leadership Woman EU Prize

Call identifier HORIZON-JU. Funding instrument:HORIZON Recognition Prize (EDCTP3 Prizes 2026-2027) under Horizon Europe. Deadline for submission: 2 September 2026, 17:00 CET. Submission channel: Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System (online only). This prize is a recognition prize to reward past achievements of a mid-career female researcher residing in an EU Member State or a country associated to Horizon Europe, with demonstrated involvement in the Global Health EDCTP3 programme remit and significant contributions to strengthening research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa and to South-South and North-South networking.

What the Prize Is

This is one of four Scientific Leadership prizes (overall four prizes across profiles). The Scientific Leadership Prize targeted here is specifically for a woman permanently resident in an EU Member State or a country associated with the Horizon Europe programme. The prize recognises past scientific leadership and impact related to Global Health EDCTP3 objectives (capacity strengthening in sub-Saharan Africa, South-South and North-South networking). Prizes are fixed-sum recognition rewards, not linked to costs incurred by winners.

Prize amount:€15,000 (single, lump-sum prize payment).

Eligibility and Applicant Types

Primary eligible applicant type:natural person (individual researcher). Specific eligibility for this prize: the candidate must be a natural person, identify as female, 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 country associated to Horizon Europe. Applicants must register in the EU Participant Register and be validated by REA Central Validation Service prior to the call deadline. The call text notes exceptional participation rules for entities without legal personality but this specific prize is targeted to individuals.

1. 1Eligible applicant types: individual researcher (natural person) — mid-career female scientist (under 50 at contest launch).
2. 2Other allowed participant forms (general rules): entities without legal personality may exceptionally participate in other prizes if represented by persons able to accept legal obligations (not the core case here).
3. 3Ineligible: current employees of Global Health EDCTP3, any EU institution/agency/body, EDCTP Association staff, and members of advisory/governing bodies — such persons may not apply nor provide letters of support.

Funding Type, Modality and Financial Conditions

Funding type:Prize — a recognition prize funded by Horizon Europe through the Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking. Modality: lump-sum financial award paid once following award ceremony and submission of required documents. Prize money is not a reimbursement of costs; it is a recognition reward.

Payment arrangements:Payment is made to the prize winner 30 days after the award ceremony (EDCTP Forum 2027 in Spain, 5-9 April 2027), provided all requested documentation has been submitted and checks completed. If awarded to a group (not applicable for this individual prize), payment is to the lead applicant who must share equally with group members.

Award Criteria and Evaluation

Selection is by an independent panel of experts (jury). Applications are evaluated against cumulative criteria with a total score of 100 points and two equally weighted criteria for Scientific Leadership prizes.

1. 1Scientific contribution and excellence (50 points): demonstrable significant achievements in the candidate's field and clear evidence the candidate will continue as a leader in their research field.
2. 2Impact (50 points): demonstrable major contributions to Global Health EDCTP3 objectives, specifically strengthening research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa and supporting South-South and North-South networking.

Applications must include a letter of support from reputable members of the research community and supporting documentation (CV). Evaluation includes mandatory checks after scoring (ethics review where relevant, legal entity validation where relevant, security scrutiny, non-exclusion checks, double funding and plagiarism checks). The awarding authority decides on the final award after evaluations and checks.

Scoring and thresholds:Applications are graded out of 100 points (50/50 split). The Rules of Contest specify the points distribution; there is no published success-rate or fixed pass threshold beyond relative ranking and jury decision.

Application Process, Documents and Templates

Submission is fully electronic via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System accessed from the Topic page. Paper submissions are not accepted. Submission is single-stage (one complete submission). Applicants must register in Participant Register (EULogin, obtain PIC) before submission and be validated by REA Central Validation Service.

1. 1Application structure: Part A (administrative information — filled in online in the Portal), Part B (technical description — download template from Submission System, complete and re-upload as PDF), and mandatory annexes/supporting documents uploaded to the correct slots.
2. 2Mandatory annexes: letter(s) of support from reputable scientist(s) plus the short CV of the person(s) providing the letter, and CV of the applicant.
3. 3Document limits: Part B maximum 45 pages. Excess pages will be disregarded by evaluators. Entire application must be readable, accessible and printable.
4. 4Submission: candidate must submit their own application (not third parties). Each candidate may submit only one application — if multiple are submitted only the last chronologically will be considered.
5. 5Templates and guidance: use the forms provided inside the Submission System (not the informational copies on the Topic page). Consult the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual and the Rules of Contest (EDCTP3) for process details.

Key steps to apply:1) Create EULogin account and register in Participant Register (receive PIC). 2) Access Topic page and Submission System, fill Part A online, download Part B word template, complete and upload as PDF. 3) Upload annexes (CVs, letters of support) as PDFs in correct slots. 4) Submit before deadline — you will receive a confirmation e-mail (if not received, submission not successful).

Note:the Portal provides an IT Helpdesk for technical issues and applicants@global-health-edctp3.europa.eu for non-IT questions. Consult Topic Q&A and Online Manual. Do not wait until the last minute; deadlines cannot be extended.

Admissibility, Exclusion, Ethics and Security

Admissibility:complete submission via Portal, required forms used, Part B ≤ 45 pages, annexes uploaded in correct categories, application submitted by candidate. Exclusion and ineligibility rules follow standard EU rules (bankruptcy, fraud, serious misconduct, breaches of social/tax obligations, EU restrictive measures, prior EDCTP prize for same activities or prize category, conflict of interest, misrepresentation). Applicants subject to EU exclusion decisions or restrictive measures are not eligible. Applications involving ethical issues require ethics review and may be subject to additional checks. Security-sensitive applications must comply with Decision 2015/444 and implementing rules; extremely security-sensitive applications may be excluded.

Consortium Requirement and Project Stage

This specific prize is for an individual (single applicant). It is a recognition of past achievements (research leadership) rather than a funded research project, therefore the expected maturity is established/mature leadership and impact. While other EDCTP prizes may allow teams (Outstanding Research Team Prize), Scientific Leadership prizes are individual. Joint/group applications are not applicable for this prize.

Geographic Eligibility and Mentioned Countries

Beneficiary scope:EU Member States and countries associated to Horizon Europe. The prize targets researchers permanently resident in an EU Member State or a country associated with Horizon Europe (for this EU-resident prize). The EDCTP Association prizes also include prizes for residents of sub-Saharan African countries that are EDCTP Association members (other prize variants). The award ceremony will take place at EDCTP Forum 2027 in Spain. The opportunity explicitly references the EU, Horizon Europe associated countries and sub-Saharan African constituent states of the EDCTP Association. Specific countries by name are not enumerated in the topic text beyond Spain as the award ceremony host.

1. 1Explicitly mentioned geographic areas: EU Member States, countries associated to Horizon Europe, sub-Saharan African countries that are constituent states of the EDCTP Association, Spain (award ceremony host).
2. 2General regional scope: EU and Horizon-associated countries; prizes target global health activities with emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa.

Application Timeline, Stages and Procedure

Publication/opening date:27 May 2026. Deadline: 2 September 2026, 17:00 CET. Evaluation: September–October 2026. Information on results/award notification: December 2026. Award ceremony: April 2027 (EDCTP Forum 2027, Spain).

1. 1Application submission (single-stage electronic).
2. 2Formal evaluation by independent panel of experts (scoring against criteria).
3. 3Mandatory checks: ethics review (if applicable), security scrutiny, legal entity/identity validation, non-exclusion checks, double funding checks, plagiarism checks.
4. 4Award decision and notification (successful / unsuccessful).
5. 5Award ceremony and prize payment (payment 30 days after award ceremony upon submission of requested documents).

Number of application stages for selection:effectively one submission followed by evaluation and mandatory checks (single-stage submission procedure).

Success Rates and Competition

The call does not publish a numerical success rate for this prize. Only one prize of €15,000 is awarded under this specific topic (note that four Scientific Leadership prizes exist overall but in different residency profiles — this topic refers to the woman resident in EU/associated country prize). Competition is typically selective because the prize recognises outstanding candidates; applicants should assume a competitive, low-probability selection and ensure their submission convincingly addresses the scoring criteria.

Co-funding, Ownership, IPR and Other Conditions

Co-funding:not required. The prize amount is a recognition payment and is not linked to project costs or co-funding obligations. Intellectual property: the awarding authority does not obtain ownership of results. The awarding authority has the right to use non-sensitive non-exclusive information and materials (pictures, audio-visual materials) submitted by winners for communication, dissemination and publicity. Winners must comply with visibility rules and include a funding statement and display the EU emblem and Global Health EDCTP3 logo when communicating about the prize. Winners must include the standard disclaimer: Funded by the European Union and the EDCTP Association. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of Global Health EDCTP3 or its members.

Withdrawal and recovery:the awarding authority may withdraw the prize and recover payments if it discovers false information, fraud, ineligibility or serious breaches of obligations. The JU is not liable for damages arising from participation or implementation of activities related to the contest.

Templates and Application Form Structure (what to prepare)

Use the templates provided inside the Submission System. Do not use informational copies from the Topic page. Prepare the following documents and upload them into the correct slots inside the Submission System:

1. 1Application Form Part A (online): administrative data, personal information, PIC, contact details — filled directly within the Portal.
2. 2Application Form Part B (download template in Submission System): technical description including the candidate’s written presentation of achievements and evidence against award criteria — complete, assemble and upload as PDF. Part B limited to max 45 pages.
3. 3Mandatory annex A: Letter(s) of support from reputable scientist(s) — each letter accompanied by the short CV of the person providing the letter (upload both).
4. 4Mandatory annex B: CV of the applicant (candidate).
5. 5Any additional documents requested during validation phase (bank account info for payment, declaration of honour, legal entity validation documents if applicable, ethics documentation if applicable).

Practical advice on templates:Complete forms using the Portal’s internal templates only. Ensure Part B is within the 45-page limit and clearly structured to address the two award criteria (scientific contribution/excellence and impact on EDCTP3 objectives). Include explicit statements of date of birth, gender identity and country of residence to allow eligibility verification. Include clear, dated letters of support and ensure your own CV demonstrates the achievements claimed.

Nature of Support and Activities Funded

Nature of support:monetary prize payment (€15,000) and visibility through EDCTP/Global Health communication channels. No project funding obligations, no requirement to implement new research activities. Winners are expected to promote the prize and results publicly and to adhere to visibility obligations (EU emblem and Global Health EDCTP3 logo).

External Help and Resources

Support resources:Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual (procedures and IT guidance), Portal FAQ and Topic Q&A, IT Helpdesk for technical submission problems, EDCTP Prizes pages on the Global Health EDCTP3 website, and the applicants contact email applicants@global-health-edctp3.europa.eu for non-IT questions. National Contact Points and Enterprise Europe Network can provide additional participation guidance.

Important Practical Rules and Warnings

1. 1Register and validate in the Participant Register before the call deadline (get PIC).
2. 2Submit your own application (candidate must be the submitter).
3. 3One application per candidate only — multiple submissions: only the latest chronologically considered.
4. 4Adhere strictly to the 45-page Part B limit; excess pages will not be considered by evaluators.
5. 5Use templates contained in the Submission System; do not use Topic-page copies as submission documents.
6. 6Keep copies of submission confirmation e-mail (date/time stamp); absence of confirmation means no submission.
7. 7If you experience IT submission failures and did not receive confirmation, file complaint via IT Helpdesk immediately, attach copy of application and screenshots where possible.
8. 8Consult the Topic page regularly for call updates; calls will not be extended.

Final Summary — What is this Opportunity About?

The HORIZON-JU-EDCTP3-2026-Scientific Leadership Woman EU Prize is a recognition award under the Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking and Horizon Europe designed to recognise and incentivise mid-career female scientific leaders based in the EU or Horizon-associated countries who have demonstrably advanced research excellence and made major contributions to strengthening research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa and to fostering South-South and North-South research networks. This single-stage, competitive prize requires the individual applicant to provide a concise, focused submission (administrative Part A, technical Part B limited to 45 pages, supporting CV and letters of support). Evaluation is by an independent expert panel against equal weighting of scientific excellence and programme impact (50/50). The prize is a one-off monetary award of €15,000 paid after the award ceremony, and winners must comply with standard EU visibility, ethics, security and transparency requirements. Applicants must register in the Participant Register and comply with all admissibility and eligibility rules set out in the Rules of Contest and the Funding & Tenders Portal guidance. For detailed procedural templates and the full Rules of Contest refer to the official documentation on the Funding & Tenders Portal and the EDCTP3 Rules of Contest EDCTP3 Rules of Contest 2026-2027 ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Full Rules of Contest, submission instructions, templates and the official topic page are available on the Funding & Tenders Portal and the Global Health EDCTP3 website: Rules of Contest - EDCTP3 prizes 2027 PDF and the Funding & Tenders Portal Topic page (see URL in call metadata).

Prize Purpose and Scope

This is a recognition prize funded under Horizon Europe to acknowledge past achievements and outstanding work by growing mid-career scientists in the field of global health. The prize specifically targets women researchers who are permanent residents of an EU Member State or a country associated with the Horizon Europe programme, recognizing their significant contributions to strengthening research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa and fostering international networking ¹.

Who Should Apply

Eligibility Criteria:Applicants must be natural persons under 50 years old on the day the contest launched (27 May 2026), permanently residing in the EU or an associated Horizon Europe country, and identifying as female ¹.

Current employees of Global Health EDCTP3, EU institutions, the EDCTP Association, or members of their advisory/governing bodies are strictly excluded from applying or providing support letters ¹. Applicants who have previously received an EDCTP prize cannot receive a second prize for the same activities or in the same prize category ¹.

Award Criteria and Evaluation

Applications are graded on a total of 100 points based on 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 Global Health EDCTP3 objectives such as strengthening research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa and supporting South-South and North-South networking ¹.

A mandatory letter of support from a reputable scientist in the research community, accompanied by the supporter's short CV, must be included as an annex ¹.

Funding Amount and 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 ¹.

The total budget covers four Scientific Leadership prizes (one woman and one man from the EU/associated countries, and one woman and one man from sub-Saharan Africa), each receiving €15,000 ¹.

Key Deadlines and Timeline

1. 1Contest Publication: 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: 05–09 April 2027 at the EDCTP Forum 2027 in Spain

Payment of the prize money will be made 30 days after the award ceremony, provided all requested documents are submitted ¹.

How to Submit an Application

Applications must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System. Paper submissions are not accepted. Applicants must register in the Participant Register before the deadline to obtain a 9-digit PIC (Participant Identification Code) ¹.

The submission consists of Part A (administrative info, filled online), Part B (technical description, max 45 pages, uploaded as PDF), and mandatory annexes (support letter + CV, applicant CV) ¹. Each candidate may submit only one application; if multiple are submitted, only the last one is considered ¹.

Ethics, Values, and Visibility Requirements

Activities must comply with the highest ethical standards, EU values, and applicable laws. Research involving human embryonic stem cells or genetic modification is subject to strict conditions and ethics review ¹.

Winners must promote the prize and acknowledge EU/JU support by displaying the European flag and Global Health EDCTP3 logo in all communication activities, using the mandatory disclaimer: 'Funded by the European Union and the EDCTP Association...' ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Official Rules of Contest: Global Health EDCTP3 Prizes 2026-2027. Available at EDCTP Prizes Rules and Funding & Tenders Portal Topic.