International funding opportunities

Submission: Proposals must be submitted to the Office of Research one week prior to the agency deadline unless stated otherwise and be accompanied by a completed Cover Sheet signed by the PI, Department Chair or Research Centre Director and Faculty Dean or ADR (please refer to the Cover Sheet instructions for details). For all funding opportunities listed below, please contact Ibi Brown or Susan Kaai, cc'ing or-internationalresearch@uwaterloo.ca, unless otherwise noted.

Feedback: We encourage early submission to take advantage of our review service. We provide feedback to help polish applications for maximum impact focusing on:

• Adherence to guidelines and policies
• Budget and eligible expenses
• Readability and impact
• Selection criteria clearly and fully addressed

Horizon Europe (HE) is the world's largest research and innovation funding program. It is the European Union’s flagship funding program for research and innovation, which runs from 2021 to 2027 with a budget of approximately 93 billion Euros (over $140 billion CAD). It gives Canadians access to even more opportunities to elevate their research and innovations through global partnerships. Funding is available to all types of organizations, including researchers, universities, small- and medium-sized enterprises, non-profit organizations, institutions and more. There are three Pillars (Pillar I: Excellent Science, Pillar II: Global challenges and European Industrial competitiveness and Pillar III: Innovative Europe).

As of July 2024, Canada joined HE as an “Associated Country” under Pillar II. As a result, Canadian researchers are eligible to participate in HE projects under almost equal terms to participants from EU Member States. Focus on Calls from Pillar II (Clusters 1 to 6) since they are funded. 

Are you interested in applying for Horizon Europe funding?

Below are important resources.

• Here is a useful Horizon Europe - University of Waterloo guide for faculty (PDF). It includes information that you require in the EU Submission Portal, including Waterloo's Participant Identification Code (PIC) Number, the official long and short name for the institution and main contact information. Waterloo has a Gender Equality Plan (GEP) in place.
• Here is a list of 2026-2027 Calls (focus on Cluster 1-6, EU Mission Calls and NEB Calls). It is also important to search for Calls directly in the EU Funding and Tenders Portal.
• Canadians are eligible to apply for the Sensitive Restricted Calls. 
• New Beginners Guide on how to write a Horizon Europe application.
• Canada is not associated with Pillar I and III Calls, but there are some funding opportunities for Canadians. See the opportunities for Pillar I (ERC Grants and MSCA) and Pillar III (Canadians are only eligible to apply for a few EIC Calls if stated in the Call).
• Horizon Europe Programme Guide; How to Apply for Pillar II Calls (Waterloo is already registered, and it has a nine-digit Participant Identification Code (PIC) number) and Online manual.
• Standard Application Form (Please note that forms differ according to Calls, so use the Application Forms that are specific to that Call).
• How to find Consortium Partners, and Canadian National Contact Points.
• Resources — Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) Horizon Europe Integration 
• European Commission Info Videos – Use the search button for specific Clusters and Calls, specific topics/calls you are interested in. More videos here on innovation and science
• The Government of Canada Horizon Europe Website (ISED).
• A summary of the General Data Protection Regulation.
• Intellectual Property: Whoever generates the results is the owner of those results.
• Here are the EU Living Guidelines on the Responsible Use of Generative AI in Research. When writing your proposal.
• The Proposal Evaluation Guidelines and Frequently Asked Questions.
• Timelines: Because researchers have to apply to specific Calls as they come up, there is a window of one month to one year to submit. Expect to spend at least six months preparing a proposal. The evaluation process is completed within five months, and Horizon Europe aims to finalize the grant agreement three months after that. Funds should be available approximately eight months after submission.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Susan Kaai skaai@uwaterloo.ca and CC or-internationalresearch@uwaterloo.ca.

The partnership between the University of Waterloo and the University of Bordeaux began in 2010 as a collaboration resulting from shared research interests in materials science and nanotechnology. Since then, this partnership has led to several joint initiatives, including workshops, a bio-based chemistry international undergraduate program, and a strategic framework agreement for international collaboration. Internal calls for research proposals supporting Waterloo and Bordeaux researchers with seed funding—most recently focused on artificial intelligence and health research—have resulted in several conferences and workshops, new innovations and technologies, joint publications, and other valuable outcomes. 

Learn more about the impacts of the ongoing partnership between Waterloo and Bordeaux at our joint website.