Program of support for international cooperation in research, development and innovation INTER-EXCELLENCE II (2021-2029).

Program of support for international cooperation in research, development and innovation INTER-EXCELLENCE II (2021-2029).

The new INTER-EXCELLENCE II program will comprise three sub-programs:

- INTER-ACTION

- INTER-COST

- INTER-EUREKA

The objectives of the program are as follows:

1. To improve the level of strategic targeting of international cooperation in VaVal according to societal challenges and strategic priorities of the Czech Republic.

2. To increase the quality and grow the level of excellence of VaVal in the Czech Republic through participation in international research, development and innovation projects

3. Development of international cooperation of research organizations and enterprises in the field of VaVal

4. Increasing the level of human resources development and management in the field of international VaVal

More information  here.

New EK strategy for international cooperation in research and innovation

The EK has presented a new strategy for international cooperation "The Global Approach to Research and Innovation - Europe's strategy for international cooperation in a changing world". A strong emphasis continues to be placed on openness in international cooperation within the EU, but also with third party countries. Academic freedom, scientific ethics and integrity, gender equality and open science are also important themes in the framework of cooperation.

More information  here and the full document  here.

Implementation of ERC grants during the covid-19 pandemic

The ERC has issued a statement outlining measures to eliminate the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic on ERC grant applicants and holders. This includes, for example, postponing key deadlines for applicants. More information can be found  here and the full document  here.

First call of Cluster 1 (Health) Horizon Europe – targeting coronavirus mutations

A call has been launched in the Health area of Horizon Europe to tackle coronavirus mutations. More information can be found  here.

Innovation Hub INNO4COV-19 opens another call

The innovative project INNO4COV-19, which aims for an open approach to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, has opened another call. More information can be found  here.

Europe's Beating Cancer Plan

On 3 February 2021, the European Commission published Europe's Beating Cancer: A new approach to prevention, treatment and care.

This plan has four areas:

- Prevention

- Early detection

- Diagnosis and treatment

- Improve quality of life

More information can be found  here.

EU recommendations on pandemic preparedness and management

The EC's Group of Chief Scientific Advisers The European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE) and Peter Piot, the EC President's Special Adviser on COVID-19, have published joint recommendations on improving pandemic preparedness and management.

Recommendations are available  here.

Outcome of Horizon 2020 SC1 - Health, Demographic Change and Wellbeing

The European Commission has published the results of the last round of Societal Challenge 1 - Health, Demographic Change and Wellbeing. A total of 75 projects were successful, sharing € 508 million. The investment will enable the development of digital diagnostics and other tools, including treatment and vaccination.

You can find a list of selected projects  here. More information is available  here.

International Clinical Research Network to Treat COVID-19

On 18th September 2020, the European Commission announced that it would support a new research initiative - EU-RESPONSE - with € 15.7 million. The aim of this initiative is to create a network of clinical research for the treatment of COVID-19 and other emerging infectious diseases. One of the partners of the initiative is Charles University.

More information is available  here.

Minutes of the IGLO working meeting on Health

On 17th September 2020, a meeting of the IGLO working group on Health took place. The topic was the European Partnership in the field of health - IHI Partnership (Innovative Health Initiative).

The CZELO office record is available  here.

Erasmus + revision in response to a pandemic

On 14th August 2020, the European Commission adopted a revision of the Erasmus+ 2020 annual work program, which provided an additional € 200 million to support digital education, training and to support skills development and inclusion through creativity and the arts. The Erasmus+ program will support projects to strengthen digital teaching, learning and assessment in schools, higher education and training.

More information is available  here.

Results of the second call for expressions of interest for COVID-19 research

The European Commission has published the outcome of the second specific call in the field of research and innovation focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic (H2020-SC1-PHE-CORONAVIRUS-2020-2). In the call, 23 research projects will be supported with an amount of EUR 128 million.

More information  here.

SAM opinion on the effects of climate change on health

A group of senior representatives of the European Commission's Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM) has published an opinion entitled "Adaptation to climate change-related health effects", which contains recommendations on promoting health preparedness and resilience to the impacts of climate change on health.

More information  here.

European strategy for the development of a vaccine against COVID-19

The European Commission has presented a strategy to accelerate the development, production and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. The strategy aims to ensure the quality, safety and efficacy of vaccines and rapid and equal access to affordable vaccines as soon as possible.

More information  here.

EP special committees on artificial intelligence and the fight against cancer

Members of the European Parliament decided to set up three special committees:

• To fight cancer

• For artificial intelligence (AI)

• For foreign interference in democratic processes in the European Union

The task of the Special Committee on Cancer is to assess the EU's opportunities to take concrete action, identify legislation and other measures that can help prevent and fight cancer, and look for the best ways to support research.

The Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence will examine the impact and challenges of the deployment of artificial intelligence and will propose a plan with EU objectives in the field of AI.

More information  here.

Results of the JRC survey on Monitoring Innovation and Societal Impact of EU-funded Research

The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) has published a summary report entitled " A Survey on Monitoring Innovation and Societal Impact of EU-funded Research: Factual Summary Report". This report describes the results of a survey on monitoring innovation and the social impact of EU-funded research in order to identify appropriate indicators for retrospective assessment of the impact of research. It provides a brief factual overview of the answers received, information on the respondents, as well as the number of answers and a number of opinions.

The survey was designed for current and former participants in research projects funded by the European Commission in the field of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, breast cancer and prostate cancer.

Full report is available  here.

Event record: EURASHE - Internationalization of Research and Innovation

A recording of the webinar organized by EURASHE (European Association of Institutions in Higher Education) and CEU Andalucía on the internationalization of research and innovation: webinar record is available  here, presentations  here. The CZELO office record is available  here.

JRC action in the fight against coronavirus

The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) has published an overview of activities to combat COVID-19. The JRC seeks to assist in resolving the crisis, in particular by using its expertise to inform EU policy measures. More information and the whole overview is available  here.

European Solidarity Corps and Erasmus+ - frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 epidemic

In the context of the COVID-19 epidemic, the European Commission has published frequently asked questions and answers about the activities of Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps.

The European Commission is working on help program for participants to deal with the negative effects of the epidemic in cooperation with the Erasmus+ National Agencies and the Education, Audio-visual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). EC questions and answers are available  here.

ESFRI has launched a site to help fight coronavirus

As part of the EU's action on the pandemic, the European Strategy Forum for Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) has set up a website with services and tools provided by national and European research infrastructures to researchers, medical professionals and medical system administrators fighting COVID-19. Regularly updated information is available  here.

Horizon 2020 - frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 epidemic - update

In context of the COVID-19 epidemic, the Horizon 2020 FAQ has been updated on the Funding & Tenders Portal. All of the most frequently asked questions are now available  here.

The deadlines for some calls will be shifted. Shifted deadlines are now available  here.

Currently running projects may apply the "force majeure" provisions set out in the grant agreement in the event of constraints due to the epidemic. Beneficiaries must immediately inform the Commission / Agency / Financial Authority, which will examine the possible application of the provisions on a case-by-case basis in each case. The full text of the EC reply is available  here.

The Commission has increased funding for coronavirus research

Following the publication of a € 10 million January call, the European Commission has secured an additional amount from Horizon 2020 and a further € 37.5 million will go to urgently needed research into vaccine development, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19. More information can be found  here.

EIT Health Interactive Report

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology has published an interactive report on activities in the field of Health in the period 2016-2019. In addition to summarizing the achievements, the report also describes future objectives in this area. You can find the report  here.

EIT Health Start-ups Meet Pharma

New program EIT Health Start-ups Meet Pharma for teams of graduate students, post-docs and professionals who wants to participate in development of innovative chronic diseases care solutions. More information  here.

Update of JPND research and innovation strategy

An updated Research and Innovation Strategy (RIS) under the Joint Program - Neurodegenerative Disease Research Initiative (JPND) has been published. In particular, the aim is to support research of neurodegenerative diseases and to provide a single framework for their support. More information  here.

European Joint Programme on Rare Diseases

On 1st of January 2019 European Commission started new European Joint Programme on Rare Diseases (EJP RD). This program aims on support of effectiveness of international rare diseases research. EJP RD has two main objectives: improvement of the integration and efficacy of research and implementation with further development. More information you can find at  EHP RD official websites.

A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life

Joint Programming Initiative — A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life (JPI HDHL) new call focuses on “Impact of Diet, Food Components and Food Processing on Body Weight Regulation and Overweight Related Metabolic Diseases (METADIS)”. More information  here.

Research and innovation agenda of antimicrobial resistance

A new Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) has been published. This agenda describes the current development and future requirements of antimicrobial resistance research (AMR). More information  here.

Call for expressions of interest in eHealth stakeholder group membership

The European Commission has launched a call entitled "eHealth Stakeholder Group Members 2019-2021". The members of this group are elected for three years and are tasked with supporting the digital transformation in health care, providing expert advice and contributing to the development of this field. More information  here.

EIT Health Interactive Report

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology has published an Interactive Report on Health Activities 2016-2019. In addition to a summary of achievements, the report also describes future objectives in this field. The report can be found  here.

Joint Programming Initiative — A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life (JPI HDHL)

New call Joint Programming Initiative — A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life (JPI HDHL) was opened on 5th of February 2019. The main subject of this call is “Impact of Diet, Food Components and Food Processing on Body Weight Regulation and Overweight Related Metabolic Diseases (METADIS)”. More information  here.

1st Joint Call for European Joint Programme on Rare Diseases (EJP RD 2019)

New call for European Joint Programme on Rare Diseases has been opened. The aim of this call is to support the international cooperation across the Europe in rare diseases research. More information  here and  here.

Results of the European Innovation Council pilot project

A list of a total of 246 small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) which were chosen from 2111 proposals for funding by the Horizon 2020 Framework Program was published. These companies will get EUR 12.2 million to bring their innovations faster to market. Successful Czech researcher is Euromobilita s.r.o. from Miletin. The next application deadline is February 13th, 2019. For more information click  here and the list of successful investigators you can see  here.

Report: "Review of Issues Related to Methods, Criteria and Indicators for Widening Actions"

The European Commission published a "Review of Issues Related to Methods, Criteria and Indicators for Widening Actions" document about discussion on the selection method of indicators for the future widening actions in the new Horizon Europe framework program. The aim is to reduce inequalities in research and innovation in the EU Member States. For more information and detailed information, please see the External link  here.

New Portal for EU Grants and Tenders

A new European Commission portal has been launched. It provides grants overviews and information about opportunities to apply for public contracts. This newly created portal should fully replace Participant Portal. The portal itself, along with information about it, can be found  here.

EU-OPENSCREEN ERIC Inauguration

On September 25, 2018, an inauguration of the EU-OPENSCREEN ERIC International Research Platform was held in Berlin. It offers open access to technology and services to everyone interested. The aim of the consortium is to support high-quality research on molecular mechanisms of biological processes through the international cooperation of twenty research institutes, including several Czech research institutions. For more information, see External link  here.

FNUSA-ICRC has received an unique grant worth almost 700 million CZK

The International Clinical Research Center at St. Anne’s University Hospital in Brno (FNUSA-ICRC) has received a grant worth almost 700 million CZK to build a new research team to deal with aging and age-related diseases. For more information, click  here.

Statement by Alliance4Life on Proposal for Horizon Europe

Alliance4Life supports the overall concept and structure of the European Commission's proposal, but the proposed funding for Horizon Europe within the EU's multi-annual financial framework is found to be insufficient. The Alliance supported the proposal to increase the budget for Horizon Europe to EUR 160 billion. For more information, see link  here.

Horizon Europe: The EC proposes EUR 100 billion for research and innovation

The European Commission has proposed a budget of € 100 billion for research and innovation for the period 2021-2027. The new Horizon Europe program will build on the successful previous R & D program (H2020) and aims to keep the EU at the top of global research and innovation.

Horizon Europe plans to introduce new features:

• The European Innovation Council (EIC) will help the EU to become a pioneer in the field of innovation generating market opportunities.

• New EU-wide research and innovation goals.

• Maximizing innovation potential across the EU through bigger support from Member States.

• Greater openness to science.

• New European partnerships and wider cooperation with other EU programs.

More information  here.

Czech-Bavarian cooperation for 2018–2020 term: preparation of scientific projects

The call is prepared in cooperation of MSMT CR and Czech-Bavarian College Agency (Bayerisch-Tschechische Hochschulagentur). Main goal is cross-border cooperation, support of scientific progress through financing of common projects and providing opportunities for young researchers. The call is mainly for projects in field of medicine and health care. Announcement of the call is planned at the end of June/July (2017). For more information about the call click  here.

Call 10 IMI2

Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) announced 10^th call for proposals. The call is related to eight thematic areas on the development of drugs for the future (see below). IMI will use the H2020 electronic system – the participant's portal - for the submission of proposals. Proposals can be submitted in the system from July 4^th, 2017. More information  here.

Topics:

· Understanding hypoglycaemia: the underlying mechanisms and addressing clinical determinants as well as consequences for people with diabetes by combining databases from clinical trials

· How big data could support better diagnosis and treatment outcomes for prostate cancer (part of the Big Data for Better Outcomes programme)

· Improving the care of patients suffering from acute or chronic pain (this topic includes three subtopics on patient reported outcomes; biomarkers; and chronic pelvic pain)

· Creation of a pan-European paediatric clinical trials network

· Biomanufacturing 2020: development of innovative high throughput analytical tools and methods to characterize cell culture fluid during development and commercial cell culture processes

· Unlocking the solute carrier gene-family for effective new therapies (unlock SLCs)

· Patient perspectives in medicines lifecycle

· Personalised medicine approaches in autism spectrum disorders

Horizon Prize for better use of antibiotics

The Horizon Prize for better use of antibiotics offers €1 million to the person or team that develops a rapid test to tell whether a patient needs to be treated with antibiotics or not. The objective is to stop overuse of antibiotics and halt the growing antimicrobial resistance. The contest has been launched and will run until the end of 2016. Contestants will be able to submit their entries from 10 March 2015 until 17 August 2016. The rules of contest are available online  here. More information  here. Horizon Prizes are 'challenge' prizes (also known as 'inducement' prizes) offering a cash reward to whoever can most effectively meet a defined challenge.

JPND New call: €30m to scale-up global research on neurodegenerative diseases

The EU Joint Programme - Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND) in partnership with the European Commission has launched the ‘JPco-fuND’ call for proposals aimed at supporting transnational research collaborations in three JPND priority areas:  Longitudinal Cohort Approaches; Advanced Experimental Models; Risk and Protective Factors.  The call will see more than 30 million euro being made available by JPND member countries, with a 10 million euro European Commission “topping up” fund. With the aim of tackling the leading medical and societal challenges faced by our society, this  JPND joint transnational co-funded call was launched on January 8th, 2015 in partnership with the European Commission under the ERA-NET Co-fund scheme. Detailed information can be found  here.

Calls for Proposals under the 3rd EU Health Programme – Electronic Submission online now

Calls for proposals ‘Health-2014’ within the framework of the 3rd Programme of the Union’s action in the field of health (2014-2020) have been published. The third EU health programme is the main instrument the European Commission uses to implement the EU health strategy. The total budget for the programme is € 449.4 million.

The programme has 4 overarching objectives. It seeks to:

• promote health, prevent diseases and foster supportive environments for healthy lifestyles taking into account the 'health in all policies' principle

• protect Union citizens from serious cross-border health threats

• contribute to innovative, efficient and sustainable health systems

• facilitate access to better and safer healthcare for Union citizens

Deadlines for online submissions of the proposals are 25 September 2014.

All the information, including the work programme for 2014 for implementation of the third Health Programme, specifying the topics for the calls and the selection, award and other criteria can be found  here.

New Framework Programme HORIZON 2020 has been launched

First calls of HORIZON 2020 already published

The European Commission continuously publishes drafts of work programmes for the first calls of Horizon 2020 for 2014–2015 on its website. It is expected that the official publication of the calls will take place on 11 December 2013. The first papers on all topics can be found  here, draft of the call "Health, demographic change and wellbeing" can be found  here.

Beyond FP7...

Seminar on HORIZON 2020

On September 19th 2013 MICEP has organized seminar about HORIZON 2020, which begins next year. Content of the seminar were new topics in comparison with ending FP7, information about activities of the Czech Liaison Office for Research and Development (CZELO) in Brussels and the institutions concerned. The seminar will be also about the meaning and importance of working with SMEs in the projects and examples of projects solved in cooperation with SMEs. The programme can be found (in Czech)  here.

What is HORIZON 2020?

The 7th Framework Programme is coming to an end, and it is already being prepared the 8th Framework Programme, called Horizon 2020. The duration is set from 2014 to 2020. The aim of Horizon 2020 is to strengthen the position of the European Union in the field of science and research, to strengthen its leadership position in the industry, and to help solve contemporary social problems and challenges, such as climate change, developing sustainable transport, increase using of renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and food security, and also the problem of demographic aging of European population. The proposed budget is currently 80 billion Euros, of which are funded also the European Institute of Technology (EIT) and indirect actions JRC, in addition to the above-mentioned objectives. Horizon 2020 will help to bridge the gap between research and the market, to apply innovations into real products and create partnerships between the state and private sectors. Very important is also international cooperation. Horizon 2020 will be supplemented till 2014 by other measures aimed at removing barriers to the creation of a single market consolidating knowledge, research and innovation. For more information about Horizon 2020, you can find out the website of the  European Commission, specifically the section  "What is Horizon 2020?", where the current version of the program is available to download.

MICEP Activities

MICEP in Faust House

Medical Information Center for European Projects (MICEP) is supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic and the Charles University as a branch for health care.