The National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NRDI Office) has launched a new HUF 8 billion call for proposals to support international research projects led by excellent Hungarian workshops, with the participation of the world's top universities and research institutes, which focus on solving social and economic challenges of importance to Hungary and the world at large.
Digitalisation, the green transition and the preservation of healthy life are pressing challenges that we face in almost all areas of the economy and society. In the framework of the new call for proposals, the NRDI Office invites innovative research projects from Hungarian-led international research teams in the three priority focus areas identified in the Neumann János Programme (NJP). Applications are open until 5 July 2024. The HU-rizont Programme is goal-oriented and impact-driven, combined with the requirement to achieve results that can be put into practice, and to develop innovative solutions to strengthen the market approach and international integration of Hungarian universities.
"Our new international research excellence competition means that if they try to close us down, we open up to the world, which is why we have launched our already competitive international exchange programme, the Pannonia Programme, and are launching the HU-rizont programme to promote international cooperation between Hungarian researchers and Hungarian research. In the face of the European Commission's unjust, discriminatory decision, which is contrary to Hungary's and Europe's competitiveness, we believe in the importance of international research cooperation, and that is why we are launching the HU-rizont programme, which will help us to fund research in the interests of Hungarian society and the Hungarian economy, while also covering the research costs of the best foreign universities we partner with." - Balázs Hankó, State Secretary for Innovation and Higher Education, Ministry of Culture and Innovation, underlined the announcement of the call.
Under the programme, foreign research centres and researchers can come not only from Europe but also - on the basis of excellence - from any country in the world, but the international consortia conducting the research will be led by Hungarian higher education institutions. Funding from the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund will cover the total budget of the research and development projects, i.e. the costs of both Hungarian institutions and the foreign participants involved as associated partners. The maximum grant per project is HUF 400 million.
Hungarian university research teams can choose from nine exciting topics within the three focus areas of the NJP and have two months to develop their innovative concepts with colleagues from Europe or beyond.
The 24-36 month collaborations supported by the HU-rizont Programme also aim to trigger the development of strategic international partnerships and prepare Hungarian researchers to lead large-scale international projects.
The call for proposals is available on the NRDI Office website:
https://nkfih.gov.hu/palyazoknak/nkfi-alap/hu-rizont-nemzetkozi-kivalosagi-kutatasi-egyuttmukodes-2024-123-hu-rizont
Source: Ministry of Culture and Innovation
