Training and up-skilling of research infrastructures technical staff

The EU funding opportunity is part of the Horizon Europe program, specifically under the Research Infrastructures 2025 call aimed at enhancing the skills, knowledge, mobility, and career opportunities of technical staff within European research infrastructures. The core objective is to develop 'one-stop-shop' training services to meet diverse needs across various research domains.

Eligible applicants include ESFRI Landmarks, European Research Infrastructure Consortia (ERICs), legal entities hosting ERIC facilities, and potentially non-EU countries under certain provisions. Funding is provided through a lump sum grant mechanism, which falls under HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) and Research and Innovation Actions (RIA).

The opportunity emphasizes consortium-based proposals, requiring at least one ESFRI Landmark or ERIC as a beneficiary. Specifically, the projects should focus on enhancing training activities, developing new training programs, promoting staff exchange for mobility, and disseminating successful best practices. The target sectors encompass a range of domains, including data and digital research infrastructures, energy, environment, health, food, physical sciences, engineering, and social sciences.

While no specific countries are mentioned, the opportunity is open to EU member states, associated countries, and certain non-EU nations. The projects are expected to be at the operational or development stage, focusing on the refinement of existing training methods rather than initial research phases.

Funding amounts vary depending on the specific project topics, with typical ranges for CSAs between €1 million to €15 million, while RIAs range from €3 million to €15 million. The application process consists of a single-stage open call, with a defined deadline of September 18, 2025. The success rate for applications is estimated between 10% to 39%, based on previous Horizon Europe competition statistics.

No explicit co-funding is required, although alignment with national research infrastructure strategies is encouraged. Successful applicants are anticipated to significantly improve the expertise and opportunities available to technical staff, fostering a sustainable and competitive European research landscape. The initiative is aligned with the overarching goals set by ESFRI and Horizon Europe to enhance the capabilities and operational excellence of key research infrastructures across Europe.

Overall, this funding call seeks to consolidate and evolve the landscape of European research infrastructures by investing in the training and development of their technical workforce, ultimately to maintain Europe's leadership in critical research areas. The application process will be managed through the Funding & Tenders Portal, which provides comprehensive resources and guidance for proposals.

This EU funding opportunity is part of the Horizon Europe program, specifically the Research Infrastructures 2025 call (HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01). It aims to enhance the expertise, knowledge, mobility, and career opportunities of technical staff working within European research infrastructures. The goal is to create 'one-stop-shop(s)' for training services that cater to the diverse needs of different research domains.

The scope of this action involves structuring training activities to improve the skills and career paths of technical staff in research infrastructures. This includes developing new training programs, promoting staff exchange programs for mobility, and creating training opportunities through summer schools and workshops. The programs should focus on improving skills across various professional levels within a single research infrastructure or domain, and also enhance key professional skills applicable across different research infrastructure domains. Common needs to be addressed include digital aspects, research data management, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and enhanced remote access. Activities should promote existing best practices and disseminate successful experiences to relevant stakeholders.

Individual proposals should concentrate on a specific domain or sub-domain as defined by the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI). However, efforts should also be made to contribute to an overarching training service to facilitate correlation between training supply and demand. Collaboration with other projects under this topic is essential, potentially leading to a common entry portal or cross-references among portals. Proposals must clearly state the domain and sub-domain they are addressing.

To ensure the consolidation and evolution of the European research infrastructure landscape, proposals must include at least one ESFRI Landmark or European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) as a beneficiary. In the case of distributed ERICs, a legal entity hosting ERIC facilities may participate as a beneficiary, provided a declaration from the ERIC's legal representative confirms support and relevance.

Collaboration with past or ongoing actions that identify training needs, such as Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and projects like RItrainPlus, is encouraged. Proposals may also consider including the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) Support Services Directorate, which offers experience in research infrastructure management and access for external researchers for training and capacity building.

The expected outcomes of this funding include enhanced expertise and knowledge among technical staff, improved mobility and career prospects across Europe, and the establishment of accessible 'one-stop-shop(s)' for training services tailored to various research domains.

The ESFRI domains are: 1. Data, Computing and Digital Research Infrastructures; 2. Energy; 3. Environment; 4. Health & Food; 5. Physical Sciences and Engineering; 6. Social Sciences & Humanities.

General conditions for admissibility include adhering to proposal page limits and layout guidelines as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form. Eligible countries are listed in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) is eligible to participate as a member of the consortium. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria are detailed in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

The evaluation and award process aims to ensure a balanced portfolio across domains, with grants awarded to top-ranked applications within each domain that meet all thresholds, as described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. The indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement is also described in Annex F.

Eligible costs will be reimbursed as a lump sum, as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021, with legal and financial setups detailed in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application form templates are available in the Submission System, including standard forms for HE RIA/IA and HE CSA actions. Evaluation form templates will be adapted as necessary, with standard forms for HE RIA/IA and HE CSA actions. Guidance documents include the HE Programme Guide, Model Grant Agreements (HE MGA, HE Unit MGA, Lump Sum MGA, Operating Grants MGA, Framework Partnership Agreement FPA), call-specific instructions, a detailed budget table (HE LS), information on financial support to third parties (HE), information on clinical studies (HE), and guidance on lump sums.

Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2025, the HE Programme Guide, the HE Framework Programme 2021/695, the HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764, the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, the decision authorising lump sum contributions, rules for legal entity validation, the EU Grants AGA, and the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual.

The budget overview for 2025 includes various topics with their respective budgets, action types (CSA or RIA), opening and deadline dates, contribution amounts, and indicative number of grants.

Partner search announcements can be viewed and edited by LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants after logging into the Funding & Tenders Portal.

To start the submission process, click the submission button next to the relevant action type and model grant agreement. The Funding & Tenders Portal provides an Online Manual, FAQs, a Research Enquiry Service, National Contact Points (NCPs), the Enterprise Europe Network, an IT Helpdesk, a European IPR Helpdesk, CEN-CENELEC/ETSI Research Helpdesks, and information on the European Charter for Researchers.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call focuses on improving the skills and career opportunities for technical staff in European research infrastructures. It aims to create a structured training ecosystem with accessible resources, promoting mobility and addressing common needs like digital skills and AI. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and projects must include at least one ESFRI Landmark or ERIC as a beneficiary. The call encompasses various research domains and encourages collaboration and knowledge sharing to enhance the overall research infrastructure landscape in Europe. The application process is managed through the Funding & Tenders Portal, which offers comprehensive guidance and support to applicants.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types include ESFRI Landmarks, European Research Infrastructure Consortia (ERICs), and legal entities hosting ERIC facilities, resources, or related services. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission can also participate as a member of a consortium. Non-EU/non-Associated Countries may also be eligible.

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily grant-based, utilizing HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) and HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) under the Horizon Europe program. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium. Proposals should include at least one ESFRI Landmark or European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) as a beneficiary. In the case of a distributed ERIC, a legal entity hosting ERIC facilities, resources, or related services may participate as a beneficiary.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility includes EU member states, associated countries, and potentially non-EU/non-associated countries with specific provisions for funding participation in Horizon Europe projects.

Target Sector: The program targets the research infrastructure sector, focusing on training and up-skilling technical staff. It covers various domains including Data, Computing and Digital Research Infrastructures; Energy; Environment; Health & Food; Physical Sciences and Engineering; and Social Sciences & Humanities. It also addresses cross-cutting needs related to digital aspects, research data management, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and enhanced remote access.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity mentions EU member states and non-EU/non-Associated Countries.

Project Stage: The project stage focuses on structuring and enhancing existing training activities, developing new training programs, promoting mobility and career opportunities, and disseminating best practices. This suggests a focus on development, validation, and demonstration stages, rather than basic research or initial idea phases.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call, ranging from 1,000,000 to 15,000,000 EUR for Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) and from 3,000,000 to 15,000,000 EUR for Research and Innovation Actions (RIA). There are also topics with "around" amounts like 5,000,000 EUR or 10,000,000 EUR.

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

Nature of Support: The beneficiaries will receive money in the form of lump sum grants to support their projects.

Application Stages: The application process involves a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic provides some insight into the potential success rate.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call aims to enhance the expertise and career prospects of technical staff working in European research infrastructures. It seeks to structure training activities, promote mobility, and create one-stop-shops for training services. Projects should focus on specific ESFRI domains and include at least one ESFRI Landmark or ERIC as a beneficiary. Funding is provided as lump sum grants, and the application process involves a single stage. The call is open to EU member states, associated countries, and potentially non-EU/non-associated countries. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may also participate in consortia. The call encompasses various topics with different funding levels and indicative numbers of grants, covering both Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) and Research and Innovation Actions (RIA). The overall goal is to consolidate and evolve the European research infrastructure landscape by investing in the skills and knowledge of its technical workforce.