2026 International Joint Initiative for Research Harnessing Disruptive Technologies to Address Global Challenges

On this page

• Description
• Expectations for funded projects
• Timeline
• Webinars
• Value and duration
• Eligibility requirements
• Project team
• Contact list
• Application process
• Funding principles
• Merit review
• Funding organizations
• Terms and conditions
• Frequently asked questions

The International Joint Initiative for Research Harnessing Disruptive Technologies to Address Global Challenges represents a collaboration among research funders from the Åland Islands, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, the Faroe Islands, Ghana, Greenland, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Namibia, the Netherlands, Norway, Rwanda, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe to support international, interdisciplinary and transformative research aimed at harnessing disruptive technology to address major global societal challenges.

Description

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by all member states of the United Nations in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They are a call to action for all countries to work together to tackle major and interlinked global challenges to ensure long-term peace and prosperity. There has been global recognition that the world is behind on achieving the SDGs by their 2030 target date. Indeed, the challenges facing humanity instead seem to be intensifying. Concurrently, advances in science, communication and disruptive technology are changing the world around us.

This call aims to harness the potential of disruptive technology to offer novel solutions to global challenges and accelerate progress towards achieving the SDGs. More research is needed on how disruptive technologies can be used in contextually appropriate interventions to have transformative economic or societal impacts to improve the lives of people and the planet.

In this call, “disruptive technology” is defined as “an innovation whose application replaces or radically alters systems, processes and/or behaviours to have transformative economic or societal impacts. The impact may be localized or far-reaching. Disruptive technology may include cutting-edge and novel innovations, or the application of an existing innovation in a new context, bringing about substantial change or paradigm shifts.”

Research harnessing disruptive technologies to address global challenges requires an interdisciplinary approach involving expertise across disciplines—including the natural sciences, engineering, health sciences, social sciences and humanities—and across sectors, including academia, government, not-for-profit organizations, community organizations and private industry. Co-development of research and solutions in partnership with affected stakeholders is essential for long-term success.

This interdisciplinary and stakeholder-oriented approach is instrumental to pushing forward change at an international scale to help make progress towards achieving the SDGs. Projects in this call must directly address at least one of the SDGs.

The 17 SDGs are:

1. No Poverty

   End poverty in all its forms everywhere.

2. Zero Hunger

   End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.

3. Good Health and Well-Being

   Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

4. Quality Education

   Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

5. Gender Equality

   Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

6. Clean Water and Sanitation

   Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

7. Affordable and Clean Energy

   Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

8. Decent Work and Economic Growth

   Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

   Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.

10. Reduced Inequalities

    Reduce inequality within and among countries.

11. Sustainable Cities and Communities

    Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

12. Responsible Consumption and Production

    Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

13. Climate Action

    Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

14. Life Below Water

    Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

15. Life on Land

    Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

    Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

17. Partnerships for the Goals

    Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.

In recognition that there are gaps in the SDGs, particularly related to Indigenous communities, projects may also apply if they are addressing a global challenge that is not captured by the SDGs.

Other

If “other” is selected, the proposal will have to justify that its focus is a relevant global challenge for this call, and it will be up to the review panel to assess fit-to-program. Projects that do not pass fit-to-program at the letter of intent (LOI) stage will not be invited to the full application stage.

Expectations for funded projects

The International Initiative for Research Harnessing Disruptive Technologies to Address Global Challenges call will support research projects focused on harnessing disruptive technologies to address at least one of the SDGs or another recognized global challenge. Projects may be focused on developing or implementing a disruptive technology, or on researching the impact of a disruptive technology on society and/or economies.  

Projects must be interdisciplinary, integrating information, data, techniques, tools, perspectives, concepts or theories from two or more disciplines or bodies of specialized knowledge. Projects must involve disciplines from at least two of the following three areas: natural sciences and engineering; social sciences and humanities; and health and life sciences.

Projects are expected to include appropriate stakeholders and end-users in the co-development and co-leadership of the project. Engagement with other sectors, as appropriate, will help identify barriers to implementation and develop strategies to overcome them. A transsectoral approach, involving the academic, research, economic (businesses), societal (governmental and nongovernmental organizations) and/or community sectors, as appropriate, ensures relevant outcomes, and positions research for uptake and use, which will maximize impact in the long term. Non-academic stakeholders may be included as team members or collaborators.

Several funding organizations allow funds to be transferred to team members from outside of their country. Teams are encouraged to include and budget for members from non-funding-organization countries, particularly the Global South. See Table 1 for more information on which funders allow for international funds transfer, and any limitations.

To highlight the outcomes of funded projects and enable knowledge mobilization and cross-project learning, a forum will be organized at the mid-term (online) and at the end of the grant (possibly in-person). Stakeholders, including policy-makers from governments and non-governmental organizations, will be invited to the end of grant forum. The forums may also be a springboard for new research collaborations. A kick-off meeting will be organized online for teams to connect with other projects and ask questions of the funders. Applicants are encouraged to include expenses related to attending the end of grant forum in their project budgets.

Timeline

Webinars

Applicants and research administrators: attend a webinar to learn more about the 2026 International Joint Initiative for Research Harnessing Disruptive Technologies to Address Global Challenges competition and application process.

Webinar recordings will be made available following the session.

Value and duration

Projects should be designed to be completed within three years. Funding is available for three-year projects. One-year no-cost extensions may be available in some circumstances, on request and requiring appropriate justification. The total amount of funding available for each project will depend on the funding organizations supporting the project. See the information provided in the annexes (links in Table 1) for information on the level of financial support available.

Eligibility requirements

Applicants must apply as a transnational research project partnership. Project teams must be interdisciplinary, incorporating required disciplinary expertise. It is strongly recommended that all project teams include at least one expert in social sciences or humanities among the co-principal investigators (co-PIs), fostering successful implementation for maximum impact.

Each funding organization may have additional eligibility rules for applicants and proposed projects. Use the links in Table 1 to review each funding organization’s eligibility rules, requirements, funding mandate, policies, eligible costs and procedures.

Project team

Each project team must be eligible to receive funds from at least three funding organizations. To fulfil this requirement, the project team must include a minimum of three principal investigators, each eligible to receive funding from a different participating funding organization. At least one of the three principal investigators must be eligible to apply to the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) program. The principal investigators eligible for the three funding organizations will be co-PIs on the proposal. The project team must identify a project lead from among the co-PIs. The project lead will be the primary contact point for the project as a whole.

Project teams will comprise the minimum of three co-PIs, as well as other co-PIs, co-applicants, and collaborators. Co-PIs share responsibility for the direction of the project and the coordination of proposed research activities, in addition to participating in the execution of the research project. Co-applicants and collaborators contribute to the execution of the research project; however, collaborators’ research activities may not be supported by grant funds. See each funding organization’s annex for more details on eligibility.

To reflect the expertise required to deliver on the ambitious and interdisciplinary nature of the project, proposals must be submitted by interdisciplinary teams. The appropriate team size and composition will depend on the proposed project and may include individuals from any discipline and sector. Additional team members may be added at the LOI and full application stages, but the minimum eligibility requirements must be met at every stage of the competition.

To foster the participation of many and ensure teams have sufficient time to dedicate to the project, individuals may participate as a co-PI (or principal investigator) on only one application to this competition. An individual listed as a co-PI on multiple applications will have their status changed to a co-applicant on all but one application, determined by the order in which the applications are received. This may affect the eligibility of applications on which they are no longer a co-PI.

Early career researchers

Project teams are encouraged to support the next generation of researchers. The suitability of the research environment and research project for students and trainees will be assessed as part of the Feasibility criterion at the full application stage (see below and the evaluation matrices).

Contact list

If you would like to connect with other researchers interested in this call, join our contact list. Complete this survey before February 9, 2026, and you will be added to a list through which your information will be shared with others interested in participating in the call, and their information will be shared with you. By submitting the survey, you consent to the information you provide being shared with other potential applicants.

Application process

To apply to this call, teams must submit an NOI by March 3, 2026. This is a mandatory step in the application process. The NOI is used for administrative purposes and is not assessed. Once the NOI deadline has passed, the research team will immediately be able to work on their LOI. The team must submit their LOI by June 9, 2026. Submitted LOIs will be evaluated for the purpose of identifying teams to be invited to the full application stage.

Funding principles

This call will be implemented through a coordinated funding approach: for successful applications, each funding organization will award funding to a researcher within the project team who is eligible to receive funding from them.

Funding will be awarded according to the rules, regulations, terms and conditions of the funding organization. Eligible expenses may vary across a project team. Applicants must review the documentation from the relevant funding organizations (links in Table 1) to ensure the proposed project and associated budget meet all eligibility requirements. 

Project team members who are not eligible to receive funds from other funding organizations may be eligible for support from NFRF. Using the links in Table 1, research teams should check the eligibility of expenses before submitting their full application.

Merit review

Considerations

Indigenous research

For proposals involving Indigenous research, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council’s Indigenous Research Statement of Principles and Guidelines for the Merit Review of Indigenous Research may be used as a reference. The guidelines are provided to merit reviewers to help build understanding of Indigenous research and research-related activities, and to help committee members interpret the specific evaluation criteria in the context of Indigenous research. The guidelines may also be useful to external assessors, postsecondary institutions and partner organizations that support Indigenous research.

Equity, diversity and inclusion considerations in research design

The goal in considering equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in research design is to promote rigorous research that is sensitive to sex and gender, as well as many other identity factors, such as race, ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability. EDI considerations must be integrated in the project design. A rationale must be provided in cases where a research team believes no aspect of their research may benefit from an analysis to consider sex, gender or other identity factors.

Research security

Applications submitted to NFRF are subject to Canada’s Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern. The policy prohibits funding of research that advances a sensitive technology research area if any of the researchers involved are affiliated with or in receipt of funding or in-kind support from a university, research institute or laboratory connected to military, national defence, or state security entities that could pose a risk to Canada’s national security. For proposals that fall under a sensitive technology research area, the research team members will need to provide an attestation as part of their submission, if they are invited to the full application stage. Read the tri-agency guidance on the policy to understand how this may impact your application. See more details in the NFRF annex.

Selection criteria

There are seven selection criteria for this funding opportunity. An overview of the criteria as they apply to the evaluation of proposals follows. Not all criteria and elements are evaluated at the LOI stage. The elements considered under each criterion at both stages of evaluation (LOI and full application) are outlined in more detail in the evaluation matrices.

Fit-to-program

Disruptive technology must be central to the project. The proposed research must also directly address at least one of the SDGs. Applications must explain how they meet the competition definition of disruptive technology, and clearly outline the SDG the proposed work addresses.  

Interdisciplinarity

The proposed research must present an interdisciplinary approach. The interdisciplinary approach―integrating information, data, techniques, tools, perspectives, concepts or theories from two or more disciplines or bodies of specialized knowledge―brings a new perspective to the challenge. To meet the minimum requirement to be considered interdisciplinary, the proposed research project must include at least two of the following three broad areas of science: natural sciences and engineering; social sciences and humanities; and health and life sciences.

Projects may involve any disciplines, thematic areas, approaches or subject areas, and may address fundamental or applied challenges, but the interdisciplinary approach is considered essential to ensure project outcomes have real impact and the potential to drive societal change. Proposals must explain how the disciplinary perspectives, methodologies and techniques will be integrated, maintained and implemented. In addition, proposals must demonstrate that the team has the required expertise to execute the approach.

Equity, diversity and inclusion in research practice

Applicants must clearly demonstrate their commitment to EDI in their research teams, including among students, postdoctoral fellows, co-PIs, co-applicants and/or collaborators, as applicable. Teams should also consider diversity as it applies to career stages, sectors, institutions, regions and countries. They must explain what actions they will take, the outcomes expected, and the assessment planned, for each of the following three key areas:

• team composition and recruitment processes
• training and development opportunities
• inclusion

Actions taken are expected to minimize and mitigate barriers and provide opportunities for the meaningful integration of individuals from all groups and/or communities (including women, Indigenous Peoples, members of racialized minorities and persons with disabilities). Approaches should be appropriate to the team’s context, considering the countries where the members are, where project activities will be undertaken, and relevant exemplars of best practice.

Applications must not include in the EDI section any personal information (for example, gender or racial identity) about members of the research team; the focus is on the team’s commitment to EDI, not its EDI profile.

For more information, see NFRF’s Best Practices in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Research Practice and Design.

Strength of the project consortium

The quality of the project consortium will be evaluated under this criterion. It includes elements such as, but not limited to:

• knowledge, expertise, capacity and availability of the project team; and
• how the approach builds on, integrates and benefits from expertise, perspectives and resources of a wide variety of regions and disciplines, as appropriate.

The size of the consortium is not an evaluation element—smaller consortiums will not be considered less qualified. The focus is on integration of the team and expertise required to achieve the proposed project’s objectives.

High risk—novelty of approach / scientific rigour

High risk refers to the novelty of the proposed approach to the challenge, and the quality of the research proposed. Proposals that address a rarely tackled SDG or a combination of SDGs; and/or involve a novel disruptive technology or a novel approach to a disruptive technology may be considered higher risk. Proposals must explain:

• how the project is novel, as it relates to the latest methods, concepts, information and techniques, as well as other major projects currently underway; and
• why the approach is expected to lead to change.

High reward—anticipated societal impact

Funded proposals must have the potential to create a significant and real societal change or impact, including contributing to addressing at least one of the SDGs. Applications must explain the anticipated change or impact likely to result, and its significance. Proposals must outline the major short-, medium- and long-term changes expected, with a projected timeline, the likelihood of their being achieved, and who (or what) will be affected by the changes. This includes what is expected to be achieved during the three-year project, but also how outcomes will be positioned to maximize potential for longer-term uptake and impact. High reward can be defined by elements such as, but not limited to:

• having an economic, scientific, artistic, cultural, social, technological or health impact;
• impacting and/or affecting large communities, or unique communities or subpopulations with the potential to provide lessons for other contexts;
• significantly advancing current knowledge, methods and/or technologies, and positioning them for uptake; and/or
• implementing, testing and refining solutions for maximum impact.

Feasibility—capacity to execute the project

Feasibility considers the plan and the ability to execute the activities. It includes elements such as, but not limited to:

• workplan and timeline;
• value for money;
• the plan for research uptake, partnering with stakeholders and end users;
• the plan for monitoring, evaluation and learning;
• the proposed approach, including EDI considerations in research design where appropriate;
• the project’s approach to co-production with communities and other stakeholders, where applicable;
• the project’s partnership and reciprocity with Indigenous Peoples, where applicable;
• the suitability of the research environment;
• management and governance plans; and
• assessment of, and approach to minimizing, the environmental footprint of the project (reuse of data, collaboration on field data collection, hybrid meetings, means of transportation, etc.).

Diversity

Following the assessment of full applications based on the criteria above, the multidisciplinary/multisectoral review panel may consider diversity as a second-order consideration. This consideration will only apply between equally rated applications, to prioritize an application that addresses:

• disruptive technologies not tackled by other proposals ranked as high or higher;
• an uncommon combination of technology and SDGs; and/or
• challenges faced in unique geographic regions not tackled by other proposals ranked as high or higher.

Applications will be assessed against each of these elements. Those that meet multiple diversity elements will be prioritized above those that meet fewer or none. If there is a need to prioritize among applications that meet the same number of diversity elements, they will be prioritized according to the order listed above.

Review process

Notice of intent to apply stage

NOIs will be used for administrative purposes to assess indicative eligibility of the project team, and to compose the multidisciplinary/multisectoral review panel at the full application stage. NOIs are not assessed for scientific merit; project teams should begin working on their LOI once the NOI deadline has passed.

Letter of intent to apply stage

LOIs will be evaluated using a distributed peer review process. In this process, applicants are also the reviewers and review other proposals submitted to the same funding opportunity. By submitting an LOI, applicants agree to act as reviewers and to have their proposal reviewed by other applicants to the call. For this competition, all co-PIs must be available and willing to act as reviewers.

By submitting an LOI, you accept the following terms and conditions:

• selected co-PIs will receive a maximum of 10 LOIs to review; and
• reviewers are expected to carefully read all assigned proposals, rate them, and provide feedback that will go to the applicants, following the rules and guidelines.

By using different reviewer clusters and an allocation algorithm, LOIs will be assigned to reviewers in such a way that the reviewer’s assessment of other LOIs has no bearing on the outcome of the reviewer’s own proposal, other than in the situations noted above.

Applications submitted in French may be translated into English by NFRF before being shared with reviewers, to ensure all co-PIs are able to review fairly.

Reviewers will have access to all sections of the NOI and LOI, except the participants’ personal profiles; reviewer exclusions; and certifications. The reviewers will assess proposals against the following selection criteria:

• fit-to-program (pass/fail)
• interdisciplinarity (pass/fail)
• strength of project consortium (30%)
• high risk (25%)
• high reward (25%)
• feasibility (20%)

The outcome of the evaluation at the LOI stage is a recommendation to project teams whether to proceed with the preparation and submission of a full application. Project teams invited to submit a full application will have their proposals automatically transitioned to the full application stage in the Convergence Portal, allowing them to work on their full applications. Project teams that receive negative advice (i.e. are advised not to continue) may still choose to submit a full application. In order to continue in the competition, such project teams must reach out to the NFRF team at NFRF-FNFR@chairs-chaires.gc.ca and request access to the full application in the Convergence Portal, including a short justification for continuing against the advice received, within two weeks of receiving the outcome of the LOI stage review.  

Proposals that do not pass the fit-to-program or interdisciplinarity criterion will be advised not to proceed to the full application stage. Reviewers’ ratings for the high risk, high reward and feasibility criteria will determine an overall score for each LOI.

Selection of letters of intent invited to the full application stage

The list of proposals to be invited to submit a full application will be determined by the funding organizations based on the ratings and the following additional conditions:

• The invited proposals’ funding requests must not exceed three times the available budget of each funding organization.
• Additional proposals may be invited to ensure all funding organizations are represented in the full application stage.

To fulfil the above-mentioned conditions, it may be necessary to deviate from the ratings. This means LOIs placed lower in the ranking may be invited if their invitation ensures all funding organizations are represented in the list of proposals. At the same time, higher-ranking LOIs may not be invited if the budget requested from the involved funding organizations exceeds three times the available budget for one or more of the involved funders.

Full application stage

Full applications will be reviewed by members of the multidisciplinary/multisectoral review panel. Each application will be assigned to a minimum of three members of the multidisciplinary/multisectoral review panel. Members will have access to the entire application. The members will assess proposals against the following selection criteria, using the evaluation matrices as a guide:

• fit-to-program (pass/fail)
• EDI in research practice (pass/fail)
• interdisciplinarity (pass/fail)
• strength of project consortium (20%)
• high risk (25%)
• high reward (25%)
• feasibility (30%)

Members’ ratings for the high risk, high reward and feasibility criteria will determine an overall score for each application. The review panel will meet virtually to discuss the applications. An application with an overall rating of fail for any or all of the fit-to-program, EDI in research practice, or interdisciplinarity criteria will not be considered fundable. The multidisciplinary/multisectoral review committee will agree to a final list ranking all applications according to their overall merit.

The ranked list will be used in discussions with the funding organizations to determine which applications will be funded. Applications will be funded in order from highest score to lowest. An application in the list will only be skipped in cases where one funding organization has no budget remaining to award to it. If there are insufficient funds to support a group of applications of equal merit, the multidisciplinary/multisectoral review panel’s assessment of diversity will be used to prioritize applications from among these for funding.

Funding Organizations

This call is supported by selected funders from different countries.

New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) 

NFRF supports world-leading interdisciplinary, international, high-risk, high-reward, transformative and rapid-response research led by Canadian researchers working with Canadian and international partners. Since 2018, NFRF has funded hundreds of researchers in Canada and their co-investigators from over 40 countries in the development of novel research projects that address the critical challenges of our time. 

NFRF is unique in its aim of supporting projects proposing novel interdisciplinary approaches with the potential for real impact. With a total annual budget exceeding C$100 million, NFRF has sought to promote these ends through three distinct funding streams. The 2026 International Joint Initiative for Research Harnessing Disruptive Technology to Address Global Challenges is delivered under the International stream. 

NFRF is under the strategic direction of the Canada Research Coordinating Committee, which provides a senior strategic forum for information-sharing, consensus-building and decision-making on forward-looking initiatives that strengthen Canada’s research enterprise, foster world-leading research, and advance social and economic well-being. 

Annex

Fonds de recherche du Québec

The Fonds de recherche du Québec is a Quebec governmental organization whose mission is to support the strategic and coherent development of scientific research in Quebec, in the natural sciences and engineering, health sciences, social sciences and humanities, and arts and literature. For it, the nature and technology sector comprises the natural sciences, mathematical sciences, technology, engineering and environmental sciences; the health sector comprises medical and clinical sciences, epidemiology, public health, health services and, more broadly, sustainable health; and the society and culture sector comprises social sciences and humanities, education studies, management studies, and arts and literature.

The Fonds’ mission is also to promote research training and excellence to advance knowledge and develop solutions in response to societal challenges facing Quebec. It contributes to the sustainable development of society by stimulating social and technological innovation. In each sector, it promotes the mobilization of research results in Quebec, as well as throughout Canada and internationally.

Dutch Research Council (NWO) 

The Dutch Research Council (NWO) is one of the most important science funding bodies in the Netherlands and realizes quality and innovation in science. Each year, NWO invests almost €1.5 billion in curiosity-driven research, research related to societal challenges and research infrastructure.

NWO selects and funds research proposals based on recommendations from expert scientists and other experts in the Netherlands and abroad. In addition, NWO has 10 research institutes of their own where internationally leading research is conducted. NWO encourages national and international collaboration, invests in large research facilities, facilitates knowledge utilization and manages research institutes. NWO funds more than 7,500 research projects at universities and knowledge institutions.

Annex

International Development Research Centre

As part of Canada’s foreign affairs and development efforts, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) champions and funds research and innovation in and alongside developing regions to drive global change. IDRC invests in high-quality research in developing countries, shares knowledge with researchers and policy-makers for greater uptake and use, and mobilizes our global alliances to build a more sustainable and inclusive world.

Grants for the following five funders will be coordinated through IDRC. IDRC should be selected as the relevant funding organization in the Convergence Portal:

National Science and Technology Council

The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) is tasked to plan the nation’s frontier science and technology (S&T), promote the development of S&T, apply basic research to industrial applications, and coordinate the allocation of resources across agencies and fields. As an engine of S&T innovation, the NSTC will also carry out four missions: “Formulating Forward-looking S&T Policy,” “Supporting Basic Research,” “Establishing Science Parks” and “Promoting Innovation and Entrepreneurship.”

The NSTC promotes S&T development and academic research by providing grants to educational and research institutions. Approved research projects can receive NSTC funding for research personnel, equipment, facilities, books, references, consumable materials, and overseas travel expenses. The NSTC also aims to strengthen Taiwan’s ecosystem for scientific and technological services by building national-level experimental facilities, integrating shared resources and launching core facilities.

Annex

NordForsk

NordForsk was established in 2005 by the Nordic Council of Ministers for the purpose of strengthening Nordic research. NordForsk’s key stakeholders comprise the national research councils, universities and other research-funding bodies. Together we work to identify common Nordic priorities and provide funding for research and research infrastructure.

Through the financing and administration of research programmes NordForsk brings together national research groups and promotes research activities of the highest scientific quality.

The goal of NordForsk is to be an effective facilitator of research collaboration that makes an impact, and to ensure that the research is of high international quality and delivers Nordic added value.

Annex

Research Ireland

Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland is Ireland’s national research and innovation agency, dedicated to supporting research excellence and innovation that strengthens the country’s global competitiveness and delivers societal impact. As the Irish government’s primary research and innovation body, it plays a pivotal role in fostering excellent research, supporting talent, and enabling innovation and collaboration across academia, industry and society. 

Annex

São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)

FAPESP is a public foundation, funded by the taxpayer in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, with the mission to support research projects in higher education and research institutions, in all fields of knowledge. By remit, FAPESP can only fund researchers affiliated to institutions based in the state of São Paulo.

The foundation works in close contact with the scientific community: all proposals are peer reviewed. Besides funding research in all fields, the foundation supports large research programs in Biodiversity, Bioenergy, Global Climate Change, among others.

FAPESP maintains co-operation agreements with national and international research funding agencies, higher educational and research institutions, and business enterprises. The international co-operation covers a broad range of countries and agencies.

Swiss National Science Foundation

Based on a government mandate, the SNSF supports scientific research in all academic disciplines―from physics to medicine to sociology. At the end of 2024, the SNSF was funding 6,000 projects involving more than 22,000 researchers, which makes it the leading Swiss institution for promoting scientific research.

To ensure its independence, the SNSF was established as a private foundation in 1952. Its core task is the evaluation of research proposals. In 2024, it awarded 960 million francs to the most promising project proposals under its regular funding schemes and an additional 189 million for the Horizon Europe transitional measures. By allocating public research money based on the principle of competition, the SNSF contributes to the high quality of research in Switzerland.

In close collaboration with higher education institutions and other partners, the SNSF strives to create optimal conditions for the development and international integration of Swiss research. It pays particular attention to the promotion of young researchers. In addition, it accepts evaluation mandates to ensure that large research initiatives funded by third parties deliver the highest scientific quality.

Annex

United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI)

UKRI is a nondepartmental public body of the Government of the United Kingdom that directs research and innovation funding. The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) are part of the nine bodies in UKRI. The ESRC is the UK’s largest funder of economic, social, behavioural and human data science. ESRC supports independent, high-quality research that has an impact on business, the public sector and civil society. AHRC funds world-class researchers in a wide range of arts and humanities areas, from philosophy and the creative industries to art conservation and product design. AHRC-funded research addresses some of society’s biggest challenges, such as tackling modern slavery, exploring the ethical implications of artificial intelligence, and understanding what it is to be human.

Annex

Terms and conditions

The funding organizations reserve the right to:

• determine the eligibility of applications, based on the information therein;
• interpret the regulations and policies governing their funding opportunities;
• apply conditions to individual grants; and
• alter, without advance notice, the terms and conditions of grant awards, with any and all major changes in regulations being announced promptly.

Frequently asked questions