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Open Call: Multilateral Scientific and Technological Cooperation Research Projects

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Deadline: 30-Jun-2026

Applications are open for the Multilateral Scientific and Technological Cooperation in the Danube Region to support joint research projects from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2028. The call supports researcher mobility, cross-border scientific cooperation, research capacity development, and future participation in European and international research projects. Projects must involve researchers from at least three participating countries and may cover all scientific disciplines, including social sciences and humanities.

Overview

The Multilateral Scientific and Technological Cooperation in the Danube Region supports joint research projects between researchers and institutions from participating countries. The programme is designed to strengthen scientific cooperation, researcher mobility, and research capacity across the region.

The call supports projects for a maximum period of two years, beginning on 1 January 2027 and ending on 31 December 2028. It aims to help researchers conduct joint research, exchange knowledge, build international partnerships, and prepare for future European research cooperation.

Participating Countries

The call involves the following countries:

Key Focus Areas

The call supports cooperation across all scientific disciplines and thematic areas.

The focus areas include:

Purpose of the Call

The purpose of the call is to support the mobility of researchers among participating countries so they can carry out joint research projects. Funding is mainly provided for visits and exchanges of scientists involved in collaborative research.

The programme encourages research teams to build stronger international partnerships, share scientific methods, exchange expertise, and develop projects that may lead to future European or international research opportunities.

Project Duration

Projects will be supported for a maximum period of two years.

The implementation period is:

All project activities, research visits, mobility exchanges, scientific outputs, and reporting must be completed within this period.

Partnership Requirement

Each project must be developed and implemented by researchers from at least three participating countries.

The project should show real multilateral cooperation. It should not be a collection of separate national activities. Each partner should have a clear role in the research plan, methodology, implementation, and expected outputs.

Eligible Research Areas

The call is open to all scientific disciplines and thematic areas.

Eligible areas include:

The proposed project should have clear scientific value, a realistic research plan, and strong added value from international cooperation.

Funding Purpose

Funding is mainly intended to support researcher mobility.

The sending state will cover the travel expenses, accommodation costs, and insurance of its own researchers. This means each country is responsible for funding its own participating researchers according to national rules.

Eligible Costs

Eligible costs generally include:

Some countries may also allow limited project-related material or implementation costs, depending on national funding rules.

Country-Specific Funding Amounts

Funding amounts vary by country and by the number of participating countries in the project.

Austria provides:

Bulgaria provides:

Croatia provides:

France provides:

Montenegro provides:

Slovenia provides:

The Czech Republic provides:

Serbia provides:

The Slovak Republic provides:

Who is Eligible?

Eligibility depends on the national rules of each participating country.

In general, eligible applicants are researchers or research teams based in participating countries who are able to form a joint project with partners from at least three participating countries.

Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements of their own national funding agency or ministry. Each participating country checks the eligibility of its own applicants and institutions.

Application Submission Rules

Applicants must submit proposals simultaneously to all responsible national funding bodies of the participating partners.

This is an important eligibility condition. If the proposal is not received by all participating partners’ national implementation agencies or ministries, it will not be considered for funding.

Each partner must follow the national application procedures, submission formats, documentation requirements, and deadlines set by their own funding body.

How to Apply

Applicants should prepare a coordinated joint research proposal with all project partners.

The application process generally includes the following steps:

  1. Find suitable research partners from participating countries.
  2. Build a partnership involving researchers from at least three participating countries.
  3. Define the joint research topic, objectives, methodology, and expected results.
  4. Prepare a clear mobility plan showing who will travel, where they will travel, why the visit is needed, and how the exchange will support the project.
  5. Check the eligibility rules in each participating country.
  6. Prepare national budgets according to each country’s funding limits and eligible cost rules.
  7. Submit the proposal simultaneously to all responsible national funding bodies.
  8. Ensure that all partners submit the same coordinated project proposal within the required deadline.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be evaluated by recognized national experts.

The maximum score is 100 points.

The evaluation criteria include:

After national evaluation, a joint shortlist of projects recommended for funding will be prepared through consultations among the implementing agencies and ministries.

The results of the project selection meeting are expected to be announced by December 2026.

Reporting Requirements

Scientific and financial reporting is mandatory.

All project partners must submit a final scientific and financial report to their national implementation agencies or ministries no more than 30 days after the end of the project.

The final report must mention:

Intellectual Property Requirements

Researchers from each participating country must take appropriate steps to protect and share intellectual property that may result from joint projects.

Partners should discuss intellectual property arrangements early, especially if the project may produce research data, publications, methods, technologies, prototypes, or commercially relevant outputs.

Why It Matters

This call is important because researcher mobility helps build stronger scientific cooperation between countries.

By supporting visits and exchanges, the programme allows researchers to share knowledge, improve research methods, develop joint outputs, and create long-term scientific partnerships.

The programme also supports young and female researchers by creating opportunities for international cooperation and scientific career development. It can also help research teams prepare for future participation in European and international funding programmes.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid the following mistakes:

Tips for a Strong Application

Applicants should prepare a proposal that is scientifically strong, practical, and well coordinated.

Useful tips include:

FAQ

1. What is the Multilateral Scientific and Technological Cooperation in the Danube Region call?

It is a funding call that supports joint research projects and researcher mobility among participating countries for the 2027–2028 period.

2. Which countries are participating?

The participating countries are Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovak Republic, and Slovenia.

3. How many countries must be included in a project?

Each project must include researchers from at least three participating countries.

4. What is the project duration?

Projects may run for up to two years, from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2028.

5. What costs are generally eligible?

Eligible costs generally include travel expenses, accommodation expenses, insurance, and other costs related to researcher mobility. Some countries may allow limited project-related material or implementation costs.

6. Are all scientific disciplines eligible?

Yes. The call is open to all scientific disciplines and thematic areas, including social sciences and humanities.

7. How are applications evaluated?

Applications are evaluated based on scientific value, feasibility, methodology, team competence, complementarity, added value of multilateral cooperation, future cooperation potential, participation of young researchers, and gender balance.

Conclusion

The Multilateral Scientific and Technological Cooperation in the Danube Region supports joint research projects and researcher mobility during 2027–2028.

The call encourages cooperation among researchers from at least three participating countries and supports all scientific disciplines. Strong applications should demonstrate scientific excellence, clear mobility value, team complementarity, national eligibility compliance, future cooperation potential, and proper simultaneous submission to all relevant national funding bodies.

For more information, visit Western Balkans Info Hub.

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