Pillar II: Strengthening ecosystems for open, ethical, and sustainable ERA

The HORIZON-WIDERA is an open grant opportunity under the Horizon Europe program, specifically targeting Coordination and Support Actions with a total budget of €6 million. The call aims to enhance the European Research Area by promoting the adoption of policies and practices related to research ethics, open science, and environmental sustainability. The application window opens on December 10, 2025, and closes on March 12, 2026.

Eligible applicants include research organizations, universities, research infrastructures, service providers, industry partners, and government entities. Applicants must form a consortium comprising at least three independent legal entities established in different EU Member States or Associated Countries, with a requirement that at least two of them be from an EU Member State. While entities from non-associated third countries may join as associated partners, they can't receive direct funding.

The funding type is structured as a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, providing a fixed budget rather than requiring detailed cost reimbursements. Each funded project can receive up to €2 million, with the expectation of three grants being awarded. The nature of support includes monetary grants supplemented by non-monetary services like administrative assistance, access to various resources, and guidance from National Contact Points.

Applications will undergo a single-stage evaluation process where compliance with consortium requirements and quality of the proposal will be assessed. Success rates for similar grants are typically competitive, with estimations around 10-15%. While there are no formal co-funding requirements, applicants must demonstrate plans for self-sustainability after the grant period.

Overall, this grant opportunity is designed for established research consortia dedicated to enhancing and transforming research governance across Europe, focusing on ethical considerations, open science, and environmental awareness in research.

This is a Horizon Europe call for proposals under the Enhancing the European R&I system (HORIZON-WIDERA-2026-06) with the topic "Pillar II: Strengthening ecosystems for open, ethical, and sustainable ERA" HORIZON-WIDERA. It is a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action (HORIZON-CSA) with a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] model grant agreement. The call is currently open for submission with a single-stage deadline. The opening date was December 10, 2025, and the deadline is March 12, 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The scope of this topic is to promote the adoption of ERA policies and practices, contributing to sustainable ecosystems established around ERA priorities through enhanced cooperation, coordination, and alignment. It aims to help create new or enhance existing ecosystems through activities such as networking, cooperative action, knowledge exchange and dissemination, tools, training, and policy advice.

Applicants are required to select and clearly identify one of the following three areas to address, each designed to contribute toward the implementation of an ERA policy:

Area 1 ERA Action A coordinated framework responding to emerging challenges for ethics and integrity in R&I

Area 2 ERA Structural Policy Enabling open science via sharing and re-use of data, including through EOSC

Area 3 Green transition, as set out in the Pact for R&I in Europe

Proposals should develop activities outlined for the selected area and propose additional activities to achieve the expected outcomes. Project activities should reach large communities of stakeholders, engaging those beyond academia, ensuring wide geographical coverage, inclusivity, broad participation, and accessibility. Proposals should describe the target group in terms of its scope and size. International cooperation is welcomed, and the involvement of entities from non-associated third countries in the consortium must be clearly explained and justified.

Project activities should promote inclusive gender equality and address gender-specific challenges. Where relevant, proposals should consider the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity and the TRUST Code. Applicants must demonstrate a viable plan for achieving self-sustainability after the end of the grant agreement. The expected project duration is up to 3 years.

A reinforced research ethics and integrity ecosystem that supports sustainable and equitable research partnerships across lower- and high-income settings, based on the values of the TRUST Code.

Enhanced expertise in benefit sharing and practical and effective methods to prevent ethics dumping.

Creation of an international community of practice to promote ethics-by-design in support of researchers, research participants, local communities, local/national ethics and research integrity bodies, and other key stakeholders.

Proposals should build on the results of relevant past or ongoing projects at European and/or national level. Structured cooperation with the Embassy of Good Science should be included. Cooperation with university or research networks to enrich ethics-related curricula is desirable. Project activities should target researchers, local/national research integrity and ethics committees, European networks of (early career) researchers and educators in research ethics, research management and integrity offices, ethics officers in research performing organisations, as well as policymakers. To achieve the expected outcomes, proposals should include the activities outlined below and propose any additional, complementary activities:

Develop toolkits to facilitate partnerships that guarantee the premise of do no harm as well as fair and just practice from conception to the implementation of actions.

Develop training programmes, including a quality assurance system, for researchers and for ethics experts and committees to promote the coherence of the ethics review process.

Increase awareness and disseminate knowledge of ethical values and norms for responsible R&I, including at the local level.

Strengthened international collaboration for aligning policies and strategies that enable open access, and the secure and trusted sharing and re-use of digital research objects and tools in line with the FAIR principles.

New standards, recommendations, and methodologies necessary for applying the FAIR principles and supporting the EOSC ecosystem in alignment with global best practices.

Improved interoperability of digital research objects, tools, and services across various thematic, discipline-specific, and national data and digital research infrastructures worldwide.

Proposals should build on activities by related projects and activities in the context of the EOSC Partnership aimed at fostering the international dimension of EOSC. The project activities should target actors such as research organisations and their associations, research community-driven associations, research infrastructures, service providers, and higher education institutions. To achieve the expected outcomes, proposals should address the activities outlined below and propose any additional, complementary activities:

Implement initiatives to facilitate cooperation and connections between developments within the European context and international initiatives that promote the reusability of digital research outputs.

Engage with international stakeholders to contribute to the development and adoption of globally recognised data practices and standards.

Provide support for defining and developing EOSC policies and technical specifications by aligning with global, community-driven initiatives and scientific best practices.

Promote knowledge sharing, capacity building, and skills acquisition, enabling researchers and organisations to actively contribute to open science and the development of Global Open Research Commons.

Effective knowledge sharing and support for researchers and R&I organisations in implementing environmentally sustainable practices and policies.

Enhanced culture and awareness of environmental sustainability within the scientific community.

Increased integration of environmental sustainability considerations in European and national research funding programmes and other initiatives.

Proposals should build on existing approaches and methodologies and collaborate with relevant projects, networks and initiatives. Project activities should target actors such as higher education institutions, research performing and funding organisations, industry, policymakers, and grassroots initiatives. To achieve the expected outcomes, proposals should address the activities outlined below and propose any additional, complementary activities:

Map existing approaches for assessing and reducing environmental footprint and develop sustainability guidelines, considering various disciplines and research contexts.

Offer evidence-based recommendations to integrate sustainability into research funding and evaluation, with attention to different institutional frameworks and engagement at all institutional levels.

Promote awareness and adoption of sustainability policies and practices through knowledge exchange, collaboration, and trainings that leverage existing resources and expertise.

The budget overview for the HORIZON-WIDERA-2026-06-ERA call is as follows:

The general conditions include admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout, eligible countries, and other eligibility criteria. Applications must be submitted by a consortium including participation, as beneficiaries, of at least three independent legal entities, each established in a different Member State or Associated Country, with two of which established in a Member State. Legal entities from non-associated third countries may exceptionally participate as associated partners.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are also specified. The evaluation and award process will ensure a balanced portfolio covering different ERA policy areas, with grants awarded based on ranking and the fulfillment of thresholds. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.

Application form templates and evaluation form templates are available in the Submission System. Applicants should consult the HE Programme Guide, Model Grant Agreements (MGA), call-specific instructions, and additional documents for detailed guidance.

This funding opportunity aims to foster the development and adoption of best practices in research and innovation across Europe, focusing on ethical considerations, open science, and environmental sustainability. By selecting one of the three key areas and developing relevant activities, applicant consortia can contribute to building a stronger, more responsible, and sustainable European Research Area. The emphasis on international cooperation and self-sustainability ensures that the projects will have a lasting impact beyond the funding period.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call (HORIZON-WIDERA-2026-06) aims to enhance the European Research Area (ERA) by promoting the adoption of ERA policies and practices. It seeks to foster sustainable ecosystems around ERA priorities through cooperation, coordination, and alignment. The call is structured around three main areas: equitable, sustainable, and ethical research; global cooperation for the uptake of open science practices; and environmentally sustainable science. Applicants must form a consortium of at least three independent legal entities from different Member States or Associated Countries, with the possibility of including entities from non-associated third countries as associated partners. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and the project duration is expected to be up to 3 years. The call encourages international cooperation and emphasizes the importance of gender equality and ethical considerations in research and innovation. The overall goal is to strengthen the European R&I system and contribute to the green transition, open science, and research integrity.