Objectives
The goals of this cluster are to improve and protect the health and well-being of citizens of all ages by generating new knowledge, developing innovative solutions and integrating where relevant a gender perspective to prevent, diagnose, monitor, treat and cure diseases.
Additional objectives include developing health technologies, reducing health risks, protecting populations and promoting good health and well-being, both generally and in the workplace.
Finally, this cluster also aims to make public health systems more cost-effective, equitable and sustainable, prevent and tackle poverty-related diseases and support and enable patients’ participation and self-management.
The expected impacts of this cluster are outlined in the Horizon Europe strategic plan.
Areas of intervention
- Health throughout the life course
- Environmental and social health determinants
- Non-communicable and rare diseases
- Infectious diseases including poverty-related and neglected diseases
- Tools, technologies and digital solutions for health and care including personalised medicine
- Health care systems
Destinations
Cluster 1 aims to contribute to the six expected impacts outlined in the Strategic Plan, corresponding to the following six destinations of this work programme:
Destination 1 – Staying healthy in a rapidly changing society
Destination 1 addresses significant societal challenges that align with the European Commission’s political priorities. These include diet and health (particularly obesity), ageing and demographic change, mental health, digital empowerment in health literacy and personalized prevention.
Destination 2 – Living and working in a health-promoting environment
Destination 2 aims to fill knowledge gaps in understanding how environmental, occupational and socio-economic risk factors with significant or widespread societal impacts affect our health and well-being.
Destination 3 – Tackling diseases and reducing disease burden
Destination 3 will address major societal challenges aligned with the Commission’s political priorities. These include combating cancer and other non-communicable diseases, improving the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases, enhancing preparedness and response to health threats and epidemics, reduction antimicrobial-resistant infections, increasing vaccination rates, addressing demographic changes, promoting mental health and advancing digital empowerment in health literacy.
Destination 4 – Ensuring equal access to innovative, sustainable, and high-quality healthcare
Under destination 4, research and innovation aim to support the transformation of health care to ensure fair access to high-quality, sustainable healthcare services for all citizens. Funded activities should promote the development of innovative, feasible, implementable, financially sound and scalable solutions in the various dimensions of health care systems (including governance, financing, human and physical resources, health service provision and patient empowerment).
Destination 5 – Developing and using new tools, technologies and digital solutions for a healthy society
Destination 5 aims to promote the development of tools, technologies and digital solutions for treatments, medicines and medical devices to improve health outcomes. This initiative considers factors such as safety, effectiveness, appropriateness, accessibility, comparative value-added and fiscal sustainability as well as ethical, legal and regulatory issues.
Destination 6 – Maintaining an innovative, sustainable and competitive EU health industry
In order to address in particular green and digital transitions and proper supply of health technologies and products, destination 6 will focus on research and innovation activities that aim at:
- Production of pharmaceuticals in compliance with the objectives of the European Green Deal;
- Methodologies, guidelines and standards, assessment studies and structuring activities adapted to digital solutions and interventions for GDPR compliant translation into health care practice, including inter-operability, cyber-security and data confidentiality;
- Public authorities supported with better methodologies and interdisciplinary approaches to assess and value new health technologies and interventions;
- Development of pharmaceutical products meeting unmet medical needs in the context of market failures.
Why Apply?
Participating in Horizon Europe Cluster 1 calls offers the opportunity to advance health research and innovation projects, addressing societal challenges, while providing access to funding, resources and collaboration opportunities across Europe.
Application Process
Eligible Applicants: All legal entities established in an EU Member State or HE Associated Country. SMEs, industry, academia, researchers, hospitals, kupot holim, and associations
Additionally, some of the Health calls require the participation of specific partners in the proposal (for example: SSH Social Science and Humanities); read the specific topic carefully to see the requirements.
How to Apply Application in a consortium of at least 3 different independent legal entities established in at least 3 different eligible countries (EU member states and associated countries), at least one member of the consortium must come from an EU member state.
Funding
- Grants of up to several million euros per project, according to the specific topic description.
- The funding rate for this grant will be 70% or 100% of the eligible costs + 25% overhead, depending on the type of funding mechanism.
Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) will cover 100% of the expenses and Innovation Actions (IA) will cover 70% of the expenses. Non-profit entities are always eligible for 100% of the eligible costs + 25% overhead.
Submission
Calls may be subject either to a single-stage submission procedure or a two-stage submission procedure.
Under the single-stage procedure, applicants must submit a full application at the outset of the process.
Under the two-stage procedure, applicants must first submit an initial summary proposal. If the proposal is shortlisted, applicants will be invited to submit a full application in the second phase.
In stage 1 of a two-stage procedure, applications will be evaluated according to two award criteria only: “Excellence” and “Impact.” You can consult the template of the standard application form for the first stage here.
Successful applicants will be invited to submit a full application for the second stage.
Evaluation process
- Your proposal will be first evaluated and scored remotely by at least 3 EU expert evaluators, each giving it a grade of up to 5 on the three evaluation criteria: Excellence, Impact, and Implementation.
- The evaluation process is expected to take 5 months after the deadline.
Attached documents
Work programme Health – Horizon Europe 2023-2025
Leaflet with open calls
Partner search tools
Link to Stage 1 document
Last events (Horizon Europe Info Day Cluster 1)
Contact
Sarah Chiche
Health NCP (Cluster 1, Cancer Mission, IHI Partnership)