Networking Support Call (NSC2025) - Translational aspects of Personalised Medicine

The Networking Support Call 2025 (NSC2025) is a funding opportunity under the European Partnership for Personalised Medicine (EP PerMed) aimed at advancing translational aspects of personalised medicine. The call seeks to bridge research and clinical implementation by funding networking events that encourage collaboration among diverse stakeholders. Eligible applicants include researchers from previously funded ERA PerMed and EP PerMed projects, as well as translational stakeholders involved in health research related to personalised medicine.

Funding is structured as a grant, offering up to €30,000 per event, with a total budget for the call of €500,000. The funding serves to cover costs associated with organizing events such as workshops and conferences, primarily focused on accelerating the integration of research findings into clinical practice. The call emphasizes the importance of transnational collaboration, requiring consortia of at least three applicants from different organizations, representing at least three different countries participating in EP PerMed. Each consortium must have a principal applicant who is a researcher affiliated with a qualified organization.

The application process is a single-stage submission, which requires applicants to provide a detailed event description and an ethical self-assessment. The proposals are evaluated by an independent Networking Evaluation Committee based on excellence, impact, and quality of implementation. Although the call is open to applications, it is competitive, with the potential to fund around 16-17 networking events if all applications request the maximum funding.

Events must occur in a country listed in Annex 1 of the call text, and the application must be submitted in English through an electronic system by the deadline of September 29, 2025. Decisions on funding are expected by January 2026, with event organization to occur within twelve months of receiving the funding award.

The NSC2025 call promotes ethical considerations, stakeholder participation, and transparency, requiring transparency in dissemination activities and open access for related publications. ZonMw, the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development, manages the call and provides administrative support.

In summary, the NSC2025 offers a unique opportunity for eligible researchers and stakeholders to collaborate on personalized medicine initiatives through supported networking events, addressing translational challenges and promoting the integration of research into clinical practice.

The Networking Support Call (NSC) 2025 is a funding opportunity within the European Partnership for Personalised Medicine (EP PerMed) framework. The call aims to bring together diverse stakeholders to address translational challenges in personalised medicine (PM), accelerating the integration of research findings into clinical practice. It also seeks to maximize the impact of previous ERA/EP PerMed investments by fostering collaboration and synergy among previously funded consortia.

The call specifically targets applicants from previously funded ERA PerMed and/or EP PerMed projects, researchers from (inter) national projects related to health research towards PM approaches, and translational stakeholders from countries participating in EP PerMed. These applicants are invited to apply for funding to organize a networking event, such as a workshop or conference, focused on translational aspects of personalised medicine.

Funding Details:

Applicants can apply for up to €30,000 per networking event.
The total funding available for the NSC round is €500,000.
The funding is awarded as a guarantee budget.
The principal applicant will receive up to 80% of the granted budget before the event.
The final financial settlement will occur after the event, upon submission and review of a financial report with supporting documents.

Eligible Activities:

The funding can be used to cover activities such as:
Organization of face-to-face and/or hybrid meetings, workshops, or conferences.
Travel and accommodation costs for participants.

Ineligible Activities:

Experimental research activities (e.g., costs for research equipment or consumables).
Salaries for scientific or other staff.
Student stipends.

Call Timeline:

The call opened on 15 May 2025.
The deadline for submitting applications is 29 September 2025 at 14:00 CEST.
The funding decision is expected around January 2026.
The networking event should be organized within 12 months of the date the application is awarded.

Application Process:

The NSC uses a one-step submission and evaluation procedure.
Applicants must register at https://ptoutline.eu/app/EPPERMED_NSC2025.
The application includes two parts:
Application template: A Word document describing the networking event (to be uploaded as a PDF).
Electronic submission system: An online platform for entering partner information and financial plans.
The application must be written in English and adhere to the template's guidelines.
The application must be submitted as a digitally signed PDF or include a scanned version of the original signature page.
The application size must not exceed 8 Megabytes.
A mandatory ethical self-assessment must be included as an annex in the application template.

Eligibility Criteria:

The consortium must be transnational, involving a minimum of three applicants from different organizations in at least three different countries participating in EP PerMed.
One applicant must be the principal applicant, and the others are co-applicants.
The networking event must take place in a country listed in Annex 1 of the call text.

Requirements for the Principal Applicant:

The organization of the principal applicant must be a legal entity established in a country listed in Annex 1 of the call text.
The principal applicant must be a researcher who is or was a coordinator or partner in a project funded by ERA PerMed or EP PerMed.
The principal applicant must have an employment relationship with a research organization as defined in EU state aid legislation (usually a university).
The principal applicant can only apply as the principal applicant in one networking event in NSC2025.

Requirements for the Co-applicants (2 – 7 persons):

At least one co-applicant must be a researcher who is either a coordinator or a partner in a project previously funded by ERA PerMed or EP PerMed, different from the principal applicant's project.
A maximum of 2 co-applicants can represent the same previously funded project.
Other co-applicants can be:
A researcher from a country listed in Annex 1 of the call text involved in a (inter)national project related to health research towards PM approaches.
A translational stakeholder (clinician, research nurse, healthcare provider, implementation specialist, Health Technology Assessment expert, citizen/patient advocacy organization (PAO), regulator, or policymaker).

Stakeholder Analysis:

The application form must include a stakeholder analysis to ensure the involvement of relevant stakeholders in the event.

Role of Applicants:

Principal Applicant: Represents the network, communicates with the NSC Secretariat, receives funding, and is responsible for financial and scientific reports.
Co-applicants: Organize the networking event with the principal applicant, developing the scientific program, logistics, communication, and finances.

Evaluation Process:

The Networking Evaluation Committee (NEC) evaluates the applications.
The NEC consists of independent experts who sign confidentiality agreements and agree to the EP PerMed declaration of conflicts of interest.
The NSC Secretariat checks the eligibility of applications.
Eligible applications are evaluated by at least three NEC members based on predefined criteria.
A scoring system from 0 to 5 is used for the main evaluation criteria.

Evaluation Criteria:

Excellence:
Clarity and relevance of the objectives.
Clear definition of the aim and expected outcome.
Feasibility of the event.
Impact:
Potential to improve the translation of PM research into healthcare.
Added value of multidisciplinary and transnational collaboration.
Meaningful participation of stakeholders.
Quality and Efficiency of Implementation:
Appropriateness of the agenda, procedures, and management.
Justification and adequacy of the budget.
Plans for dissemination of outcomes.

Scoring System:

0: Failure
1: Poor
2: Fair
3: Good
4: Very Good
5: Excellent

Minimum Scores:

Each application must score at least 3 for each individual main evaluation criterion.
The total score for all main evaluation criteria must be at least 10.

Ethical Clearance:

Applicants must complete an ethical self-assessment.
The ethical assessment ensures compliance with Horizon Europe rules, especially regarding personal data processing.
Ethics experts in the NEC verify alignment with ethical norms and regulations.

Final Decision and Redress Procedure:

Selected applications are funded based on the NEC ranking and available funding.
The final decision is communicated to the principal applicant by email.
The principal applicant can submit a request for redress within 7 calendar days of receiving the evaluation decision if they believe there was a procedural shortcoming.

Financial and Legal Issues:

Selected applicants must submit their application to the ZonMw system.
ZonMw sends a grant decision letter with obligations and terms.
The principal applicant is responsible for fulfilling the conditions in the grant decision letter.
Changes to the consortium or budget require agreement from the NSC secretariat.

Reporting Requirements and Open Access:

The principal applicant must submit a report on the outcomes of the networking event within two months after the event.
An abstract of the event must be provided for communication and dissemination purposes.
Funding recipients are expected to participate in communication activities and evaluation surveys.
Open Access to publications is required, and publications should acknowledge EP PerMed funding.

Contacts and Further Information:

The administrative management is handled by ZonMw as the NSC2025 secretariat (NSCEPPERMED@zonmw.nl / +31 70 349 5252).

In summary, the Networking Support Call 2025 provides funding for transnational networking events focused on advancing personalised medicine. It targets researchers and stakeholders already involved in related projects and aims to foster collaboration and translate research findings into practical clinical applications. The application process involves a detailed proposal, ethical self-assessment, and adherence to specific eligibility criteria, with funding decisions based on a comprehensive evaluation process. The call emphasizes the importance of stakeholder engagement, ethical considerations, and open access to research outcomes.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are consortia consisting of researchers from previously funded ERA PerMed and/or EP PerMed projects, researchers from (inter) national projects related to health research towards PM approaches, and translational stakeholders. The consortium must include a principal applicant and co-applicants. The principal applicant must be a researcher acting as a coordinator or partner in a project funded by ERA PerMed or EP PerMed and have an employment relationship with a research organization as defined by EU state aid legislation. Co-applicants can include researchers involved in health research towards PM approaches or translational stakeholders such as clinicians, research nurses, healthcare providers, implementation specialists, Health Technology Assessment experts, citizen/patient advocacy organizations (PAOs), regulators, or policymakers. The organization of the principal applicant has to be a legal entity.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically cascade funding, to support the organization of networking events (workshops or conferences). The funding is awarded in the form of a guarantee budget.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is required. The consortium must be transnational, involving a minimum of three applicants employed at different organizations from at least three different countries participating in EP PerMed. One applicant must be the principal applicant, and the others are co-applicants. A maximum of 7 co-applicants are allowed.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is limited to countries participating in EP PerMed, as specified in Annex 1 of the call text. The networking event itself must also take place in one of these countries.

Target Sector: The target sector is health, specifically personalized medicine (PM) and translational research. The program aims to accelerate the integration of research findings into everyday clinical practice.

Mentioned Countries: The Netherlands is explicitly mentioned as the location of ZonMw, the organization handling the administrative management of the call. All countries participating in EP PerMed as specified in Annex 1 of the call text are eligible.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on development and validation, specifically supporting networking events that aim to translate research findings in personalized medicine into clinical practice. The projects should build on results of previously funded consortia.

Funding Amount: The funding amount is up to €30,000 per networking event. The total funding available for the NSC round is €500,000.

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission and evaluation procedure.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money to cover the costs associated with organizing the networking event, including venue, travel, and accommodation. Experimental research activities, salaries, and student stipends are not eligible.

Application Stages: The application process involves one stage: submission of the application template and required annexes through an electronic submission system. Eligible applications undergo evaluation by an independent Networking Evaluation Committee (NEC).

Success Rates: The success rate is not explicitly mentioned, but the total budget of €500,000 and the maximum funding of €30,000 per event suggest that approximately 16-17 networking events could be funded if all applications requested the maximum amount. The actual success rate will depend on the number and quality of applications received.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding is permitted but not required. Making a profit out of the event is not allowed. If a private-for-profit organization provides co-funding, the content of the event must remain unaffected.

Summary:

The Networking Support Call 2025 (NSC2025) is an initiative under the European Partnership for Personalised Medicine (EP PerMed) that provides grants of up to €30,000 to support the organization of networking events focused on translational aspects of personalized medicine. The primary goal is to bring together diverse stakeholders, including researchers from previously funded ERA PerMed and EP PerMed projects, researchers involved in health research towards personalized medicine approaches, and translational stakeholders, to tackle challenges in translating research findings into clinical practice.

The call is open to transnational consortia of at least three applicants from different organizations in countries participating in EP PerMed. One applicant must be the principal applicant, a researcher who has been involved in ERA PerMed or EP PerMed projects and is affiliated with a research organization. The other applicants can be researchers or translational stakeholders such as clinicians, patient advocates, or policymakers. The networking event, which can be a workshop or conference in face-to-face or hybrid format, must take place in an EP PerMed participating country.

The application process involves a single-stage submission, with applicants required to submit an application template and an ethical self-assessment through an electronic system. Applications are evaluated based on excellence, impact, and quality and efficiency of implementation. Ethical considerations are also assessed. Selected projects will receive funding to cover event organization costs, travel, and accommodation. The total funding available for this call is €500,000, and the funding decision is expected around January 2026. The call is managed by ZonMw, the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development.