Deadline: 08-Oct-2026
The Decode the Immunoscience of Age-Related Diseases initiative is launched under the European Commission’s research and innovation framework to address the growing healthcare challenges associated with ageing populations.
The funding opportunity focuses on understanding the relationship between:
- Biological ageing
- Immune system decline
- Immunosenescence
- Chronic inflammation
- Age-related immune diseases
- Disease progression and treatment response
The programme aims to generate scientific evidence that supports healthier ageing and improves healthcare outcomes for elderly populations.
Why This Research Area Matters
Ageing is associated with significant changes in immune system function. As people grow older, immune responses may become weaker or dysregulated, increasing vulnerability to diseases.
Age-related immune changes can contribute to:
- Increased infection risk
- Chronic inflammation
- Autoimmune disorders
- Reduced vaccine effectiveness
- Multiple long-term health conditions
- Poorer treatment responses
Understanding these biological processes is essential for developing targeted prevention and treatment strategies for elderly patients.
Key Objectives of the Funding Programme
The initiative aims to achieve several major research goals.
These include:
- Understanding the biological mechanisms behind age-related immune diseases
- Identifying molecular drivers of immunosenescence
- Discovering predictive and digital biomarkers
- Developing personalised prevention and treatment strategies
- Improving diagnosis of elderly-onset immune diseases
- Applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to healthcare research
- Strengthening European research infrastructure and data-sharing capabilities
Main Research Focus Areas
Understanding Immunosenescence and Age-Related Immune Changes
Researchers are expected to investigate how ageing alters immune system function.
Research areas include:
- Changes in immune cell populations
- Molecular pathways involved in immune ageing
- Biological ageing processes
- Immunosenescence signatures
- Relationship between ageing and disease development
The goal is to identify mechanisms that explain why immune-related diseases appear differently in older adults compared with younger populations.
Identification of Ageing Biomarkers
A major focus is discovering biomarkers that can measure biological ageing and predict disease risks.
Supported research may include:
- Ageing biomarkers
- Predictive biomarkers
- Digital biomarkers
- Molecular signatures
- Immune response indicators
- Disease progression markers
These biomarkers may support earlier diagnosis, personalised treatment selection, and improved disease monitoring.
AI and Machine Learning for Immunoscience Research
Artificial intelligence and machine learning will play an important role in analysing complex biological and clinical information.
AI-driven research activities may include:
- Integrating multi-omics datasets
- Analysing electronic health records
- Identifying disease patterns
- Predicting disease onset
- Discovering therapeutic targets
- Improving treatment response prediction
AI approaches will help researchers uncover shared and disease-specific pathways associated with immune ageing.
Multi-Omics and Molecular Profiling
Projects are expected to use advanced molecular research techniques to understand age-related immune diseases.
Approaches may include:
- Genomics
- Transcriptomics
- Proteomics
- Metabolomics
- Microbiome analysis
- Immune profiling
- Molecular ageing clocks
Combining these datasets will help create a detailed understanding of disease mechanisms and support precision medicine development.
Diseases Covered Under the Initiative
The programme focuses on immune-mediated diseases that commonly affect older adults.
Examples include:
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Asthma
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Giant cell arteritis
- Polymyalgia rheumatica
- Sjögren’s disease
- Systemic lupus erythematosus
Researchers are expected to examine:
- Why these diseases develop in elderly populations
- How ageing changes disease progression
- Differences between elderly-onset and younger-onset disease
- How ageing affects treatment response
Research Approaches Expected Under the Programme
Funded projects should combine multiple research approaches to generate strong evidence.
Expected approaches include:
- Existing research cohort analysis
- New observational cohort development
- Clinical data integration
- Disease phenotyping
- Deep molecular profiling
- Immunological studies
- Digital health technology applications
- Electronic health record analysis
The objective is to create comprehensive datasets that support future healthcare innovation.
Role of Digital Health and Data Infrastructure
The programme encourages the use of digital technologies to improve ageing research.
Supported activities include:
- Digital health monitoring
- Electronic health record integration
- Data-driven disease prediction
- Secure research data management
- Long-term biological sample preservation
Projects should align with:
- European Health Data Space Regulation
- European Union Artificial Intelligence Act
- Responsible data governance principles
Expected Research Outcomes
Successful projects should contribute to:
- Better understanding of immune ageing mechanisms
- New diagnostic tools
- Improved disease prediction methods
- Personalised treatment strategies
- New therapeutic pathways
- More effective prevention approaches
- Improved quality of life for elderly populations
The research should support translation from scientific discovery into practical healthcare applications.
Funding Details
Key funding information includes:
- Total available budget: €53.2 million
- Maximum project duration: Based on Horizon Europe project requirements
- Application process: Two-stage submission process
- Call opening date: 2 July 2026
Funding allocation includes indicative amounts across expected projects:
- Approximately €9 million
- Approximately €9.2 million
- Approximately €35 million
The final funding distribution depends on proposal quality and evaluation outcomes.
Application Timeline
Important dates include:
- Call opening: 2 July 2026
- First-stage application deadline: 8 October 2026
- Second-stage application deadline: 21 April 2027
Applicants should prepare proposals according to the Horizon Europe submission requirements and topic-specific guidelines.
How the Application Process Works
Applicants should follow these steps:
Step 1: Check Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must confirm that their organisation meets Horizon Europe participation requirements.
Eligible applicants include:
- Legal entities from any country of establishment
- Organisations from non-associated third countries meeting requirements
- International organisations eligible under Horizon Europe rules
Step 2: Register in the Participant Register
Before receiving funding, applicants must:
- Register their organisation in the Participant Register
- Obtain a Participant Identification Code (PIC)
- Complete required administrative information
A PIC is required before signing the grant agreement.
Step 3: Develop a Research Proposal
Strong proposals should clearly explain:
- Scientific objectives
- Research methodology
- Data strategy
- AI and computational approaches
- Expected healthcare impact
- Collaboration plans
- Regulatory considerations
Step 4: Submit Through the Two-Stage Process
The application process includes:
First stage:
- Submission of an initial proposal
- Evaluation of scientific concept and relevance
Second stage:
- Submission of a detailed full proposal
- Evaluation of methodology, implementation, impact, and feasibility
Step 5: Project Implementation and Knowledge Translation
Funded projects should:
- Generate high-quality research evidence
- Maintain sustainable data systems
- Support clinical translation
- Engage healthcare stakeholders
- Prepare pathways for regulatory adoption
Who Is Eligible?
Eligible applicants include organisations that meet Horizon Europe requirements.
Applicants may include:
- Universities
- Research institutions
- Healthcare organisations
- Public research bodies
- International research organisations
- Other eligible legal entities
Applicants must:
- Meet Horizon Europe participation conditions
- Register in the Participant Register
- Obtain a Participant Identification Code (PIC)
- Demonstrate research capacity relevant to immunology, ageing, healthcare, AI, or related fields
Why This Funding Opportunity Matters
This initiative addresses one of the most important healthcare challenges of the coming decades: supporting healthy ageing while reducing the burden of age-related diseases.
The programme can help achieve:
- Earlier disease detection
- More personalised treatments
- Better understanding of ageing biology
- Improved healthcare decision-making
- Reduced healthcare costs
- Better quality of life for older adults
By combining immunology, artificial intelligence, and precision medicine, the initiative aims to transform how age-related diseases are prevented and treated.
Common Mistakes Applicants Should Avoid
Researchers should avoid:
- Failing to connect the proposal with ageing-related immune mechanisms
- Using limited datasets without strong validation strategies
- Ignoring regulatory and healthcare implementation pathways
- Underestimating data management requirements
- Failing to demonstrate multidisciplinary collaboration
- Not explaining how AI models will generate meaningful healthcare outcomes
Tips for a Strong Proposal
Applicants can improve their proposals by:
- Combining clinical, biological, and digital datasets
- Including experts from multiple disciplines
- Clearly defining measurable outcomes
- Explaining long-term healthcare impact
- Addressing ethical AI and data governance
- Planning sustainable management of samples and research data
- Demonstrating pathways from discovery to clinical application
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the Decode the Immunoscience of Age-Related Diseases funding opportunity?
It is a European Commission research funding programme focused on understanding how ageing affects immune function and contributes to age-related diseases. It supports research into biomarkers, AI tools, personalised interventions, and precision healthcare solutions.
What is immunosenescence?
Immunosenescence refers to age-related changes in immune system function that can reduce immune effectiveness and increase vulnerability to infections, inflammation, and immune-related diseases.
What diseases are included in this research programme?
The programme focuses on immune-mediated diseases affecting older adults, including inflammatory bowel disease, COPD, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, giant cell arteritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, Sjögren’s disease, and systemic lupus erythematosus.
How much funding is available?
The total available budget for this funding opportunity is €53.2 million, distributed among selected projects based on evaluation results.
When is the application deadline?
The first-stage deadline is 8 October 2026, and the second-stage deadline is 21 April 2027.
Can international organisations apply?
Yes. Eligible legal entities, including organisations from non-associated third countries and international organisations, may apply if they meet Horizon Europe requirements.
How will artificial intelligence support this research?
AI and machine learning will help analyse complex biological and clinical datasets, identify biomarkers, discover disease pathways, predict disease progression, and support personalised healthcare strategies.
Conclusion
The Decode the Immunoscience of Age-Related Diseases funding opportunity provides major support for advancing research into ageing, immune dysfunction, and precision healthcare.
By integrating immunology, artificial intelligence, multi-omics research, digital health technologies, and clinical data, the programme aims to develop innovative solutions that improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of age-related immune diseases while supporting healthier ageing across Europe.
For more information, visit European Commission.
