What this call funds
Expected Outcome
Excellent capacities in research management are essential for institutions and national R&I systems to capitalize on their R&I activities. ERA Research Managers aim to attract experienced research managers to universities, research organisations or research infrastructures in Widening countries, establishing or upgrading institutional capacities for research management, fostering brain circulation and creating pockets of excellence that enhance institutional culture and performance.
Research management capacities are crucial for research-performing institutions as they increase efficiency, competitiveness, and impact, thereby enhancing research excellence. Strong research management ensures effective grant acquisition, resource allocation, compliance with funding regulations, and strategic planning. It supports high-quality research by streamlining administrative processes, facilitating collaborations, and optimizing the use of research infrastructure.
The ERA Research Manager’s leadership and the establishment of a permanent, high-quality research management group will boost excellence, visibility, and integration within the ERA, improving competitiveness in research funding and promoting institutional reforms aligned with ERA priorities.
Projects are expected to contribute to some of the following outcomes:
At system level:
- Increased international, interdisciplinary, and intersectoral mobility of research management talent towards Widening countries;
- Institutional reforms in research institutions and national R&I systems;
- Strengthened human capital with more entrepreneurial and well-trained research managers;
- Better communication of R&I results to society;
- Enhanced research capacity, competitiveness, and economic growth.
At organisation level:
- Strengthened research management capacities;
- Increased attractiveness to top international research managers, and subsequently researchers;
- Establishment of a lasting, high-performing research management group with institutional benefits;
- Improving the institution’s global visibility and success in securing competitive funding;
- Promote best practices in agreed ERA priorities such as ethics, open science and data, gender equality, thus strengthening the institution’s overall research ecosystem:
Scope
Research organisations in Widening countries seeking to establish an ERA Research Manager should submit a proposal aimed at establishing or upgrading research management capacities in the institution and ensuring that the conditions are in place to foster excellent research management aligned with ERA priorities. The research institution will act as the sole applicant (mono-beneficiary), and the ERA Research Manager may be from any country but may not already have a contractual relationship with the research institution.
Proposals should include a Curriculum Vitae (CV) in Europass form[1] of the prospective ERA Research Manager, detailing their proposed managerial and technical contributions to the coordinating institution. The CV should be uploaded as an Annex to the proposal.
Proposals should include a self-assessment of the beneficiary’s existing institutional capacities and its needs in research management and administration. An implementation strategy should be designed to enhance the existing institutional capacities, with targeted actions and trainings. This strategy may be continuously adapted throughout the project duration. This plan will include all necessary measures to introduce institutional changes in research management. These measures should be realistic and feasible within the duration of the project. Proposals should also describe any alternative/additional/other relevant investments in research management capacity building, projects, staffing, facilities and infrastructures and how those will be achieved.
ERA Research Managers should be excellent research managers with international experience[2]. The ERA Research Manager will establish/expand a research management team fully integrated in the coordinator's institution to significantly improve its overall performance in research management and R&I. The team’s recruitment will be led by an international panel chaired by the ERA Research Manager and must follow an open, transparent and merit-based process. The ERA Research Manager should hold a position within the organisation, allowing resource allocation, supervision, and funding applications. Teaching duties may be included where appropriate.
The ERA Research Manager may relocate permanently or temporarily to the coordinating institution, with secondments, sabbaticals, or part-time arrangements also being possible. A minimum 50% full-time equivalent (FTE) commitment, including on-site presence, must be ensured, at least until the appointment of a research management leader on a permanent basis. A description of the transition phase between the research management leader and the ERA Research Manager should be provided in the proposal, explaining also their share of tasks and their role in the remaining years of the project, in case the appointed research management leader is not the ERA Research Manager. All contractual arrangements, time commitment and the timeline of the ERA Research Manager’s on-site presence at the coordinator should be indicated in the proposal, as well as the salary (gross amount), travel and daily allowances and/or other perks to be offered. If employment is the preferred option, contractual details must be provided.
The permanent leader of the newly created or reinforced research management group should be appointed on a permanent basis within the first three years through an open recruitment process monitored by the European Commission, and to which the ERA Research Manager may apply.
To ensure long-term sustainability, the ERA Research Managers team should be structured for continuity beyond Horizon Europe funding. The proposal should detail team composition, research management levels, salaries, and recruitment timelines. No more than 50% of the newly recruited team members should have any prior contractual links to the institution.
The grant covers the salaries of newly recruited research management team members, recruitment[3], travel and equipment, as well as administrative expenses related to the ERA Chair holder and research team. Proposed structural reforms to be driven by the ERA Research Manager should be outlined in the proposal, such as improving working conditions, career prospects, HR policies, research governance, grant management, knowledge transfer, and simplifying procedures like IPR. Gender equality should be addressed in alignment with ERA objectives and institutional commitments.
Proposals should quantify expected impacts, including institutional changes, increased research output (publications, IPR protection, knowledge valorisation), and improved research management. Additional relevant impact indicators are encouraged.
The expected duration of the actions is 5 years.
[1] https://europa.eu/europass/en/create-europass-cv
[2] Corresponding to advanved or expert level of reserach managers careers as set out in the “European Competence Framework for Research Managers” provided at RM Comp: The European Competence Framework for Research Managers - European Commission
[3] that can be considered under the category of "other goods, works and services
Eligibility & conditions+
General conditions
1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout
described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes.
Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System.
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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
To achieve the expected outcomes, participation as coordinators to the call is limited to legal entities established in Widening countries, as defined in the Horizon Europe regulation.
Applications may only be submitted by one legal entity (mono-beneficiary).
The following additional eligibility criteria apply: As the ERA Research Manager and team is expected to operate at the level of the institute, only one proposal per legal entity can be submitted.
The following additional eligibility criteria apply:
To allow for the assessment of the commitment of the future ERA Research Manager and of the coordinator institution, proposals must include:
1) a letter signed by the prospective ERA Research Manager expressing their commitment to the proposal corresponding to at least 50% full time equivalent (FTE) at least until the appointment of a research management leader on a permanent basis by month 36, and their willingness to take on the underlying tasks and obligations and agreed contractual arrangements including salary and on-site presence at the host institution
2) a letter signed by the head of the coordinator institution committing to the proposal and confirming that the ERA Research Manager will receive adequate support for their tasks and duties including, for example, overseeing institutional and structural reforms, streamlining administrative processes, and facilitating collaboration.
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
Seals of Excellence will be awarded to applications exceeding all of the evaluation thresholds set out in this work programme but which cannot be funded due to lack of budget available to the call.
The following rules for dealing with ex-aequo applications apply: in the first place, ex-aequo proposals will be prioritised according to geographical diversity criteria, defined as proposals with coordinators established in a Widening country, not otherwise represented as coordinator higher up the ranking list. The method described in Points 1), 2), 3) and 5) of General Annexes Part F (Procedure/Evaluation procedure and ranking) will then be applied to the remaining equally ranking proposals in the group. This rule establishing the priority order serves to better spread the impact of the action and to strengthen the efficiency of the ‘Widening participation and spreading excellence’ programme.
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
described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes.
Specific conditions
described in the [specific topic of the Work Programme]
Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreement (MGA):
Application form templates — the application form specific to this call is available in the Submission System
Standard application form (HE RIA, IA)
Standard application form (HE RIA IA Stage 1) 
Standard application form (HE RIA IA Stage 1 BLIND)
Standard application form (HE CSA) 
Standard application form (HE CSA Stage 1) 
Standard application form (HE CSA Stage 1 BLIND)
Standard application form (HE RI) 
Standard application form (HE PCP) 
Standard application form (HE PPI) 
Standard application form (HE COFUND) 
Standard application form (HE FPA) 
Standard application form (HE MSCA PF) 
Standard application form (HE MSCA DN) 
Standard application form (HE MSCA SE) 
Standard application form (HE MSCA COFUND) 
Standard application form (HE MSCA COFUND CE)
Standard application form (HE ERC STG) 
Standard application form (HE ERC COG) 
Standard application form (HE ERC ADG) 
Standard application form (HE ERC POC) 
Standard application form (HE ERC SYG) 
Standard application form (HE EIC PATHFINDER CHALLENGES) 
Standard application form (HE EIC PATHFINDER OPEN) 
Standard application form (HE EIC TRANSITION) 
Standard application form (HE EIC STEP)
Standard application form (HE EIC Accelerator stage 2 - full proposal)
Standard application form (HE EIC Accelerator stage 1 - short proposal)
Evaluation form templates — will be used with the necessary adaptations 
Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA) 
Standard evaluation form (HE CSA) 
Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA and CSA Stage 1) 
Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA and CSA Stage 1 BLIND)
Standard evaluation form (HE PCP PPI) 
Standard evaluation form (HE COFUND) 
Standard evaluation form (HE FPA) 
Standard evaluation form (HE MSCA) 
Standard evaluation form (HE EIC PATHFINDER CHALLENGES) 
Standard evaluation form (HE EIC PATHFINDER OPEN) 
Standard evaluation form (HE EIC TRANSITION) 
Standard evaluation form (HE EIC Accelerator stage 1 - short proposal) 
Standard evaluation form (HE EIC Accelerator stage 2 - full proposal) 
Guidance
HE Programme Guide 
Model Grant Agreements (MGA)
HE MGA 
HE Unit MGA 
Lump Sum MGA 
Operating Grants MGA 
Framework Partnership Agreement FPA 
Call-specific instructions 
Detailed budget table (HE LS) 
Information on financial support to third parties (HE) 
Information on clinical studies (HE) 
Guidance: "Lump sums - what do I need to know?"
Additional documents:
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2023–2025 – 2. Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 3. Research Infrastructures
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 4. Health
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 5. Culture, creativity and inclusive society
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 6. Civil Security for Society
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 7. Digital, Industry and Space
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 8. Climate, Energy and Mobility
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 9. Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 10. European Innovation Ecosystems (EIE)
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 11. Widening participation and strengthening the European Research Area
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 12. Missions
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 13. New European Bauhaus Facility (NEB)
HE Main Work Programme 2025 – 14. General Annexes
HE Main Work Programme 2023–2025 – 13. General Annexes
EIC Work Programme 2025
ERC Work Programme 2026
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 
Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement
Source: EU Funding & Tenders Portal · synced 2026-10-13