Thematic Networks of Excellence for AI in Science (RAISE pilot) (RIA)

The funding opportunity under the Horizon Europe Programme is titled "Thematic Networks of Excellence for AI in Science (RAISE pilot) (RIA)" with the identifier HORIZON-RAISE-2026-01-01. It is specifically focused on promoting collaborative research in artificial intelligence applications within scientific research, facilitating the establishment of networks of excellence among leading European research laboratories.

Eligible applicants include research organizations and academic institutions, specifically those with strong experience in AI, including at least half of the consortium members demonstrating a proven track record in developing innovative AI solutions for scientific research. Expertise in social sciences and humanities is also welcomed.

The funding type is structured as a grant under the HORIZON-RIA (Research and Innovation Actions) mechanism, targeting consortia that will operate collectively as networks. The total budget for this initiative is €15,000,000, with about €12,800,000 allocated to a related topic concerning agriculture and environmental pollution.

Geographically, eligible participants must be from EU Member States or Associated Countries as defined within the Horizon Europe framework, emphasizing a pan-European collaborative approach. The expected project stage focuses on research and development, especially in demonstrating and validating the collaborative efforts of the participating labs.

The application process is a single-stage procedure with opening dates set for January 6, 2026, and a closing deadline of April 21, 2026. The selected projects will not require co-funding by applicants, although the core consortium activities must represent a minimum of 85% of the total grant amount.

Financial support to third parties is a critical component of this initiative, allowing successful consortia to distribute up to €60,000 to participating third-party organizations which must also reside within the EU or Associated Countries.

The goals include effectively addressing strategic scientific challenges through collaboration, sharing datasets and AI models, developing community-driven standards, and strengthening connections with industry. This initiative aims to reinforce the European AI in science community, enhance talents and skills, and foster innovation aligned with the broader objectives of the European Commission regarding digital advancement and economic competitiveness. Overall, this grant provides an opportunity for significant advancement in AI applications relevant to scientific research.

The funding opportunity is the "Thematic Networks of Excellence for AI in Science (RAISE pilot) (RIA)" under the Horizon Europe Programme, specifically the "AI in Science (HORIZON-RAISE-2026-01)" call. It falls under the HORIZON-RIA (Research and Innovation Actions) type of action, utilizing a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] Model Grant Agreement. The call is a single-stage application process. The planned opening date is January 6, 2026, and the deadline for submission is April 21, 2026, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes include: scientific progress through the application of AI to strategic scientific challenges, the creation of pilot networks of excellent labs to pool expertise as part of the Resource for AI Science in Europe (RAISE), the establishment of a cooperation model among labs, the development of a strategic research agenda for AI in scientific research, reinforcement of the European AI in science community, and synergies with the "Science for AI" RAISE pilot call.

The scope of the topic is to establish networks of excellent labs across Europe dedicated to collaborative research using AI in strategic and promising scientific areas or domains, piloting RAISE and aligning research efforts. Consortia should be composed of leading European research labs with strong experience in applying AI in the research process. At least half of the members should have a proven track record of developing innovative AI solutions for scientific research. Expertise in Social Sciences and Humanities is welcome. A thematic network of excellence for AI in materials science is specifically proposed (Cluster 4).

To achieve these objectives, the consortium will undertake a range of dedicated activities, including: drawing an ambitious strategic research agenda, carrying out collaborative research, working closely with central RAISE governance and other RAISE networks, developing talent and knowledge exchange schemes, identifying, expanding, curating, integrating, sharing, and making available relevant datasets and AI models, developing community-driven standards and benchmarks for AI models, and developing collaborations with industry.

The consortium should use financial support to third parties (FSTP) to spread excellence or seek complementary expertise across Europe. For spreading excellence, the FSTP should be based on the transferring of knowledge to the FSTP recipients. For complementary expertise, the FSTP should be based on bringing complementary/supplementary data, expertise, AI models, etc. The consortium should set up an open and objective selection process to complement the efforts of the consortium for a maximum of EUR 60,000 per beneficiary. The core consortium’s activities should represent a minimum of 85% of the total financial grant. FSTP recipients should be based in a Member State or an Associated Country. FSTP activities should be integrated into separate work packages, which are to describe the conditions for implementing the support.

Proposals are expected to develop synergies with running Horizon Europe projects in the same field, for example with HORIZON-CL4-INDUSTRY-2025-01-DIGITAL-61.

General conditions include:

1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
2. Eligible Countries described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.
3. Other Eligible Conditions described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5a. Evaluation and award: Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes.
5b. Evaluation and award: Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.
5c. Evaluation and award: Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants: Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties. The support to third parties can only be provided in the form of grants. The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is EUR 60 000, described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA):

Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including the Standard application form (HE RIA, IA).

Evaluation form templates will be used with the necessary adaptations, including the Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA).

Guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide.

Model Grant Agreements (MGA) include the HE MGA.

Call-specific instructions include Information on financial support to third parties (HE) and Information on clinical studies (HE).

Additional documents include: HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction, HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 7. Digital, Industry and Space, HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 14. Horizontal Activities, HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes, HE Programme Guide, HE Framework Programme 2021/695, HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764, EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement, Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

The budget overview includes two topics:

HORIZON-RAISE-2026-01-01 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 15,000,000. The opening date is January 6, 2026, and the deadline is April 21, 2026. The indicative number of grants is 1.

HORIZON-RAISE-2026-01-02 - HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions with a budget of EUR 12,800,000. The opening date is January 6, 2026, and the deadline is April 21, 2026. The indicative number of grants is 1.

There are partner search announcements available. LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants can publish partner requests for open and forthcoming topics.

The submission system is planned to be opened on the date stated on the topic header.

Support is available through the Online Manual, Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ, Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), Enterprise Europe Network, IT Helpdesk, European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk, and the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment.

In summary, this Horizon Europe grant opportunity aims to foster collaboration among leading European research labs in the field of AI, specifically targeting its application to scientific research. The goal is to establish networks of excellence that can address strategic scientific challenges, develop innovative AI solutions, and contribute to the broader European AI in science community. The funding supports a range of activities, including collaborative research, knowledge exchange, data sharing, and the development of industry collaborations. A significant aspect of the grant involves providing financial support to third parties to further spread excellence and incorporate complementary expertise. The call encourages proposals that align with the RAISE initiative and contribute to the development of a strategic research agenda for AI in science.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are leading European research labs in the thematic area with strong experience in applying AI in the research process. At least half the members of the consortium should have a proven track record of developing innovative AI solutions for scientific research. Expertise in Social Sciences and Humanities is also welcome.

Funding Type: The funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Action Grant Budget-Based [HORIZON-AG] under the HORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions. Financial support to third parties (FSTP) is also part of the funding scheme, provided in the form of grants.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium of multiple applicants is required. The selected consortia will be composed of leading European research labs.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): FSTP recipients should be based in a Member State or an Associated Country. A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Target Sector: The target sector is AI in Science. The program aims to establish networks of excellent labs dedicated to collaborative research using AI in strategic and promising scientific areas or domains. A thematic network of excellence for AI in materials science is specifically mentioned (Cluster 4).

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity mentions Member States and Associated Countries. It also refers to non-EU/non-Associated Countries that have made specific provisions for funding participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Project Stage: The project stage is research and innovation actions, aiming to pilot RAISE and align research efforts. It involves drawing a strategic research agenda, carrying out collaborative research, developing talent and knowledge exchange schemes, and developing collaborations with industry.

Funding Amount: The budget for HORIZON-RAISE-2026-01-01 is EUR 15,000,000, and for HORIZON-RAISE-2026-01-02 is EUR 12,800,000. The maximum amount to be granted to each third party through FSTP is EUR 60,000.

Application Type: The application type is a single-stage call.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants. They may also provide financial support to third parties in the form of grants.

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

Success Rates: The indicative number of grants is 1 for each topic, but the success rate cannot be determined from the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly state a co-funding requirement from the applicant, but the core consortium’s activities should represent a minimum of 85% of the total financial grant, implying that 15% of the budget can be allocated to third parties.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe funding opportunity, under the call AI in Science (HORIZON-RAISE-2026-01), aims to establish thematic networks of excellence for AI in science (RAISE pilot). It seeks to foster collaborative research using AI to address strategic scientific challenges. The program targets leading European research labs with experience in applying AI to their research processes. Consortia are required, and they should include labs with a proven track record of developing innovative AI solutions. The networks will operate as a virtual institute across Europe, pooling talent and expertise.

The selected consortia will draw up a strategic research agenda, conduct collaborative research, work closely with central RAISE governance, develop talent and knowledge exchange schemes, identify and share relevant datasets and AI models, develop community-driven standards and benchmarks, and develop collaborations with industry. Financial support to third parties (FSTP) is a key component, allowing consortia to spread excellence and seek complementary expertise across Europe, with a maximum of EUR 60,000 per third party. FSTP recipients must be based in a Member State or an Associated Country.

The call is structured around two main topics: HORIZON-RAISE-2026-01-01 with a budget of EUR 15,000,000 and HORIZON-RAISE-2026-01-02 with a budget of EUR 12,800,000. The application process is single-stage, with a planned opening date of January 6, 2026, and a deadline of April 21, 2026. The funding is provided as a HORIZON Action Grant, and the program encourages synergies with other running Horizon Europe projects. The ultimate goal is to reinforce the European AI in science community, attract top talent, and spread excellence in AI in science, contributing to scientific progress and addressing strategic scientific challenges. A thematic network of excellence for AI in materials science is proposed (Cluster 4).