Support to the International HPC Summer School

The HORIZON-EUROHPC-JU-2025-IHPCSS-02 grant under the Horizon Europe program aims to fund the organization of the International HPC Summer School (IHPCSS) from 2026 to 2029. Eligible applicants are legal entities, such as universities, research institutes, or non-profits, with proven experience in organizing similar events. These organizations must be able to work collaboratively with international partners from countries like the US, Japan, and Australia while also demonstrating a significant and justified role in the proposed consortium.

The funding type is a grant, categorized as HORIZON JU Coordination and Support Actions, with a total budget of up to €1 million, allowing for contributions ranging from €500,000 to €1 million per project. The primary geographic eligibility focuses on EuroHPC JU Participating States, which includes EU Member States and associated countries.

The proposal requires a consortium for effective coordination and logistics. The target sector primarily revolves around high-performance computing (HPC) and computational technologies. A minimum of €350,000 must be allocated to financial support for early-career researchers participating in the summer school, with individual grants capped at €5,000.

Application submissions are organized in a single-stage process with an opening date of July 1, 2025, and a deadline of October 2, 2025. The nature of the support is monetary, covering travel and accommodation for researchers, along with event organization costs. Notably, there is no co-funding requirement, as the funding will cover up to 100% of the eligible costs.

In summary, this grant seeks to enhance European expertise in high-performance computing and provide multidisciplinary training to early-career researchers, while fostering international collaboration and diversity among participants. The project will facilitate at least four annual IHPCSS events, with the selected consortium responsible for managing the operational aspects and ensuring broad representation from EuroHPC JU Participating States.

The HORIZON-EUROHPC-JU-2025-IHPCSS-02 call, under the Horizon Europe program, aims to support the International HPC Summer School (IHPCSS). This call falls under HORIZON-JU-CSA (HORIZON JU Coordination and Support Actions) and utilizes a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] Model Grant Agreement. The call is currently open for submission with a single-stage deadline on October 2, 2025, at 17:00 Brussels time. The opening date was July 1, 2025. The total budget allocated for this topic is EUR 1,000,000, and it is expected that one project will be funded, with contributions ranging from EUR 500,000 to EUR 1,000,000.

The expected outcomes of this call include: Sustained European participation in the IHPCSS, active representation of European HPC communities in the initiative's governance, a common framework with international partners for organizing the IHPCSS, effective financial support mechanisms for European early-career researchers, expansion of the European HPC community through international networking, and a geographically balanced cohort of participants.

The main objective is to support the organization and implementation of the IHPCSS, including financial support for up to 40 early career researchers in HPC from EuroHPC Participating States. The initiative aims to provide high-quality, multidisciplinary training in high-performance computing and quantum technologies to graduate students and early career postdoctoral researchers. It also seeks to foster international collaboration, promote diversity and inclusion, and enhance the global visibility of European HPC expertise.

The scope of the call involves planning and organizing at least four annual IHPCSS events from 2026 to 2029 in collaboration with international partners. Activities include selecting hosting locations, managing logistical arrangements, developing and disseminating open calls for applications, evaluating applications and selecting European participants, designing and coordinating the training program, implementing mechanisms to select European HPC tutors and mentors, providing financial support for participants, coordinating on-site activities, evaluating program outcomes, and promoting collaboration and inclusivity.

Proposals should demonstrate prior experience in organizing similar events and successful collaboration with international partners. They should also demonstrate that all partners in the consortium have a significant and justified role. The EuroHPC JU considers that a contribution of up to EUR 1 million and a duration of 4 years would appropriately address this challenge.

Regarding financial support to third parties, the consortium is expected to describe the procedure and criteria used to select appropriate organizations and projects, in agreement with the HORIZON Europe program. The calls for proposals must have a clear European dimension and remain open for at least two months. Beneficiaries must ensure transparency and prevent conflicts of interest. The consortium must set specific objectives, guidelines, and acceptance criteria before payment for third-party scholarships and ensure appropriate monitoring and reporting. The outcome of the call must be published on the participants’ websites, including information on the number of received applications, awarded grants, gender, and geographical distribution. Participation in the IHPCSS with financial support is limited to applicants with their primary place of residence, employment, and citizenship in a EuroHPC JU Participating State and not yet represented in the IHPCSS. A minimum of EUR 350,000 of the requested funds should be allocated to financial support of third parties, with a maximum amount of EUR 5,000 per application.

General conditions for admissibility, eligibility, financial and operational capacity, and exclusion are described in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. The granting authority can fund a maximum of one project. Submission and evaluation processes, as well as the indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement, are also detailed in the General Annexes and the Online Manual.

Grants awarded under this topic must submit a communication plan within 6 months of the grant's beginning, along with the Dissemination and Engagement Plan. The EU-funding rate for eligible costs will be up to 100%.

Application form templates are available in the Submission System, and standard evaluation forms will be used with necessary adaptations. Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide, HE Model Grant Agreement (MGA), and call-specific instructions. Additional documents include EuroHPC JU Governing Board Decisions and regulations, as well as the Horizon Europe Work Programme and related documents.

For help related to this call, applicants can contact ri@eurohpc-ju.europa.eu. The Online Manual and Horizon Europe Programme Guide provide detailed guidance on procedures and priorities. The Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ and Research Enquiry Service offer answers to common questions and support for European research. National Contact Points (NCPs) and the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) provide guidance and assistance, while the IT Helpdesk and European IPR Helpdesk offer technical and intellectual property support.

In summary, this call aims to bolster European participation and expertise in high-performance computing and quantum technologies by supporting the International HPC Summer School. It seeks to provide training and networking opportunities for early-career researchers, promote collaboration, and enhance the global visibility of European HPC capabilities. The call encourages consortia with proven experience in organizing similar events and collaborating with international partners to submit proposals that clearly outline their activities, resources, and the roles of each partner. A significant portion of the funding must be allocated to financial support for third-party participants, ensuring broad and diverse European representation in the IHPCSS.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly defined in the provided text. However, the call is aimed at supporting the organization of an international summer school, so eligible applicants are likely to be consortia of organizations with experience in organizing similar events, such as universities, research institutions, or other organizations involved in HPC training and education. The text emphasizes the need for a consortium with international partners and a proven track record.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON JU Coordination and Support Action (HORIZON-JU-CSA) under the Horizon Europe program. The type of Model Grant Agreement (MGA) is a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG].

Consortium Requirement: A consortium of multiple applicants is required. The call explicitly mentions that "Proposals should clearly demonstrate that all partners in the consortium have a significant and justified role."

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility focuses on supporting the participation of early career researchers from EuroHPC JU Participating States. The call also aims for a geographically balanced cohort with proportional representation from all EuroHPC JU Participating States. While the summer school itself is international, the funding specifically targets European participation.

Target Sector: The target sector is high-performance computing (HPC) and quantum technologies. The program aims to provide training and education in these areas to early career researchers.

Mentioned Countries: The following countries are explicitly mentioned as international partners in the International HPC Summer School (IHPCSS): the US, Japan, Canada, Australia, the UK, and South Africa. The primary geographic focus for beneficiaries, however, is the EuroHPC JU Participating States.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on the implementation and organization of training events, specifically the International HPC Summer School. This suggests a stage of development and implementation, rather than early-stage research or idea generation.

Funding Amount: The JU considers that a contribution of up to EUR 1 million and a duration of 4 years would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. The budget overview also indicates a contribution range of EUR 500,000 to EUR 1,000,000. A minimum of EUR 350,000 of the requested funds should be allocated to financial support of third parties, with a maximum of EUR 5,000 granted to each third party.

Application Type: The application type is a single-stage open call. The opening date is 01 July 2025, and the deadline is 02 October 2025.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant to support the organization and implementation of the International HPC Summer School. This includes financial support for travel, accommodation, and subsistence for selected European participants and contributors, as well as financial support to third parties.

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the granting authority can fund a maximum of one project.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required. However, it is common in Horizon Europe projects for some level of co-funding to be expected, even if not explicitly mandated.

Summary:

This opportunity is a call for proposals under the Horizon Europe program, specifically targeting the support of the International HPC Summer School (IHPCSS) through the HORIZON-JU-CSA funding mechanism. The EuroHPC JU aims to support the organization and implementation of the IHPCSS, focusing on enhancing European participation in this global training event. The primary objective is to provide high-quality, multidisciplinary training in high-performance computing and quantum technologies to early career researchers (graduate students pursuing a PhD and early career postdoctoral researchers) from EuroHPC JU Participating States.

The selected project will be responsible for planning and organizing at least four annual IHPCSS events from 2026 to 2029, in collaboration with international partners from the US, Japan, Canada, Australia, the UK, and South Africa. Key activities include selecting hosting locations, developing and disseminating open calls for European participation, evaluating applications, designing and coordinating the training program, selecting European HPC tutors and mentors, providing financial support for participants, coordinating on-site activities, and evaluating program outcomes.

The funding available is up to EUR 1 million for a duration of 4 years, with a minimum of EUR 350,000 to be allocated to financial support for third parties (participants), with a maximum of EUR 5,000 per third party. The call requires a consortium of organizations with proven experience in organizing similar events and successful collaboration with international partners. The application process is a single-stage open call with a deadline of 02 October 2025. The EU-funding rate for eligible costs will be up to 100%. The granting authority can fund a maximum of one project.