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The Combinatorics program supports research on discrete structures and includes algebraic, enumerative, existential, extremal, geometric, and probabilistic combinatorics, including graph theory. Conferences Principal Investigators should carefully read the program solicitation "Conferences and Workshops in the Mathematical Sciences" (link below) to obtain important information regarding the substance of proposals for conferences, workshops, summer/winter schools, and similar activities. Conference proposals must be submitted at least six months in advance of the conference, and in the same fiscal year (which begins October 1) if possible.

Summary: The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP) Clinical Trial Award supports the rapid implementation of clinical trials with the potential to have significant impact on the treatment and management of a disease or condition addressed in one of the congressionally directed FY26 PRMRP topic areas and FY26 PRMRP strategic goals.Distinctive Features: Must support a clinical trial. Supports two different application categories, based on the phase of planning for the clinical trial: Clinical Trial Only or Clinical Trial with Planning Phase. The Clinical Trial with Planning Phase option is intended to support the final phase of regulatory activities and planning activities that are necessary to be completed prior to initiation of the clinical trial. The planning phase cannot be used to finalize the intervention or support animal studies. Applications that already have regulatory approvals in place and are submitting to the Clinical Trial Only option may be prioritized over those requesting the Planning Phase option. Animal studies are not supported. Studies must complete all preclinical empirical laboratory work prior to the award start date.Supports three funding levels, each offered with and without a Planning Phase:Funding Level 1: Supports phase 0 or phase 1 clinical trials or non-phased trials with fewer than 100 participants.Funding Level 2: Supports phase 2 clinical trials or non-phased trials with fewer than 300 participants.Funding Level 3: Supports phase 3 clinical trials or non-phased trials with more than 300 participants.Funding D...

Summary: The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP) Platform Clinical Translation Award supports the translational development and/or early-phase clinical trials for broadly applicable clinical technologies that will address urgent and complex needs related to two congressionally directed FY26 PRMRP topic areas. The platform product in development should address one of the FY26 PRMRP portfolio-specific strategic goals and address the health care needs of military Service Members, Veterans and their Families.Distinctive Features:Allows for multiple Principal Investigators (PIs). The proposed experiments may represent a single project led by a single PI, or it may consist of partnerships between principal investigators that will occur synergistically to advance a platform product. One PI will be identified as the Initiating PI and will be responsible for the majority of the administrative tasks associated with application submission. Up to two additional PIs can be identified as Partnering PIs. If recommended for funding, each PI will be named on separate awards to the recipient organization(s).Requires a PI-convened external advisory board with patient advocate participation. The patient advocate must be a person living with, or a family member or caretaker of someone with, a disease or condition addressed in one of the applicant-selected congressionally directed FY26 PRMRP topic areas.Funding Details: The Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) expects to allot roughly $30M to fund approximately two Platform Clinical Transl...

Summary: The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Neurofibromatosis Research Program (NFRP) Synergistic Idea Award (SIA) supports new ideas that represent synergistic approaches to neurofibromatosis (NF) research involving two or three Principal Investigators (PIs). These investigators should utilize their complementary and synergistic perspectives to address a central problem or question in NF research. Applications must include preliminary and/or published data that are relevant to NF and the proposed research project.Distinctive Features:• Partnering Principal Investigators: One PI will be identified as the Initiating PI and will be responsible for the majority of the administrative tasks associated with application submission. An additional one or two PI(s) will be identified as a Partnering PI. Each partner will be recognized as a PI, submit a separate application (even if the partners are at the same organization), and receive an individual award.

Summary: The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Neurofibromatosis Research Program (NFRP) Exploration-Hypothesis Development Award (EHDA) supports the initial exploration of innovative, high-risk, high-gain, and potentially groundbreaking concepts in neurofibromatosis (NF) research. Studies supported by this award mechanism should lay the groundwork for future avenues of scientific investigation. The proposed research project should include a well-formulated, testable hypothesis based on strong scientific rationale and study design.Distinctive Features:• Innovation: The proposed research project should be innovative. Innovative research may introduce a novel paradigm, challenge existing paradigms, examine existing problems from novel perspectives, or exhibit other highly creative qualities.• Preliminary Data: Preliminary and/or published data is encouraged but not required.

Summary: The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Neurofibromatosis Research Program (NFRP) Investigator-Initiated Research Award (IIRA) supports high-impact research that addresses a critical need and has the potential to make important contributions to the field of neurofibromatosis disorders or advance patient care. Research projects may focus on any phase of research, excluding clinical trials. The rationale for a research idea may be derived from laboratory discovery, population-based studies, a clinician’s firsthand knowledge of patients, or anecdotal data. Applications must include preliminary and/or published data that are relevant to NF and the proposed research project.Distinctive Features: This award mechanism offers two funding levels based on participation in two optional features:• Open Science Initiative: Catalyzes research for neurofibromatosis through early access to data and data sharing within the neurofibromatosis community.• Optional Qualified Collaborator: Encourages collaborative research between basic scientists and clinical researchers, and between academic and biotechnology scientists.The funding levels are defined as follows:• Level 1: Applications without an optional feature.• Level 2: Applications including one of the optional features.

Summary: The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Neurofibromatosis Research Program (NFRP) Neurofibromatosis Research Academy – Scholar Award (NFRA-SA) supports early-career independent investigators (Scholars) joining the Neurofibromatosis Research Academy to pursue a neurofibromatosis project that may include basic, translational, and/or clinical research. The proposed research should address at least one of the FY26 NFRP Areas of Emphasis, under the leadership of the NFRA Director and Deputy Director. The overarching goal of the NFRA is to conduct innovative and impactful research in the field of neurofibromatosis disorders while developing successful, highly productive NF researchers in a collaborative research and career development environment.Distinctive Features:• Scholar: The Scholar, named as the Principal Investigator, must be less than 10 years of completion of their terminal degree by the time of the application deadline (excluding time spent in residency, clinical training, or on family medical leave).• Career Guide: This award mechanism requires each Scholar to designate a Career Guide for guidance. The Career Guide is not required to be at the same institution as the Scholar; however, if the (primary) Career Guide is from a different institution, the application must identify a secondary Career Guide at the Scholar’s institution.

Expected Outcome: Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:increased circularity and reduced emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants in the economic sectors, services and product value chains at local and/or regional scale This also includes an efficient valorisation of local resources, with positive effects on air and water quality as well as on biodiversity;widespread deployment and easier replication, scalability and visibility of circular systemic solutions for a multiplication of their economic, social and environmental benefits;enhanced collaboration and knowledge transfer between public authorities (cities and regions), companies, research and citizens in addressing environmental challenges, such as climate-change, resource depletion and biodiversity loss. Scope:This topic supports the implementation of the European Commission’s...

Expected Outcome: Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:urban manufacturers significantly increase their resource efficiency through increased circular material use or reduced overall material use per output;urban manufacturers contribute significantly to EU climate, zero pollution, circularity and biodiversity goals by engaging in clean, sustainable and circular business practices;improved knowledge sharing and proliferation of digital tools and methods that facilitate the adoption of circular business practices and enable large-scale diffusion. Scope: The Clean Industrial Deal confirms Europe’s dedication to its decarbonisation goals by offering clear business incentives. It will help create lead markets to boost supply and demand in clean tech and energy-intensive industries (such as chemicals, cement, steel and metals), enabling the deca...

Expected Outcome:Project results are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes:better understanding and communication of environmental, social and economic impacts of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) [1] is available for stakeholders across sectors, building on and enhancing existing knowledge systems, databases, and impact assessment frameworks;policymakers at different levels are able to more systemically integrate NbS across policy domains - such as energy, built environment, water management and transport - enabling systemic approaches to conserve, protect, restore and sustainably use ecosystems, strengthen climate resilience and maximise cost-effectiveness;scientifically credible, robust and policy-aligned evidence and projections (including from EO and modelling) are provided for practitioners and decision-makers on the long-term effectiveness of implemented NbS acr...

Expected Outcome:Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:citizen engagement in nature conservation and restoration is leveraged;new business opportunities and markets in the area of nature conservation and restoration are created, thus supporting the EU objectives of nature restoration for climate mitigation and adaptation. Scope:The EU biodiversity strategy for 2030 acknowledges that protecting and restoring nature will need more than regulation alone and will notably require action by citizens. This topic intends to support citizens willing to take directly part in nature protection and restoration. It is expected to contribute to the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and in particular to its target 21. A wide range of ecosystem types (in terrestrial environment, in fresh and/or marine water) can be conside...

Expected Outcome: Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:drivers behind the rapid decline of specific species are better understood;policymakers, land, water and sea managers, national agencies and other stakeholders are provided with fast, practical and effective measures to prevent further decline and promote the recovery of affected species populations, thus contributing to the EU objectives of nature protection and climate mitigation and adaptation. Scope:As a result of unsustainable human activities, the global population of wild species is estimated to have fallen by more than 70% over the last 50 years[1]. This is notably documented for bird populations, with long-term trends demonstrating that Europe has experienced a major decline in biodiversity[2]. Some species that were considered common in the past have recently been assessed as...

Expected Outcome:Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:competent authorities and the water sector have access to effective solutions – particularly based on life sciences and biotechnology – to bioremediate and decontaminate aquatic (marine and freshwater, including groundwater) pollution and improve the resilience of aquatic ecosystems to climate change and biodiversity decline;local authorities have improved monitoring and management tools for the protection of marine, surface and groundwater ecosystems, against contaminants of emerging concern (CEC), especially PFAS, antimicrobial substances and microplastics;the impact of CEC, especially PFAS, antimicrobial substances and microplastics on marine, freshwater and groundwater ecosystems are better understood including the interlinkages of these systems. Scope:Chemical pollution of aquatic e...

Expected Outcome:Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:EU, national and local policymakers possess the necessary knowledge to inform the development of election regulations, standards and tools that address the use of digital technologies in elections and political campaigns, ensuring their integrity, inclusiveness, accessibility, fairness, transparency, and security.Organisations involved in electoral processes develop and implement guidelines for the responsible use of digital technologies in elections and political campaigns, aligned with EU and national regulations.Enhanced transparency and accountability in AI-powered political campaigns, achieved through requirements for AI system audits, data disclosure, transparency regarding algorithms and sources of Large Language Models (LLMs), and responsible AI development. Scope:The integrity of electoral proc...

Expected Outcome:Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:EU national and local policymakers develop and implement effective strategies for sustainable peace and democratic reconstruction in post-conflict areas, promoting stability, inclusivity, equity, security, human rights, and strengthening integrity and anticorruption measures to ensure transparent, accountable, and ethical use of reconstruction aid.EU and national policymakers inform their decision-making with evidence-based recommendations on international cooperation, EU democracy support, and civil society engagement in post-conflict reconstruction, leading to more effective, inclusive and sustainable reconstruction efforts.Local civil society organisations and community groups, with a focus on persons and groups in a vulnerable situation in post-conflict countries, provide guidance and support to edu...

Expected Outcome:Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: EU institutions and national decision-makers, have a better understanding of how to foster democratic resilience through media and digital literacy, equipping societies to adapt and thrive in the face of evolving technological, political, and societal challenges.Citizens are empowered to navigate the digital landscape with discernment and critical thinking, actively engaging with media and other source of information, ensuring informed democratic participation. Scope:As recalled by the “Safer together” report[1], “over the past years, the Commission has already taken steps to counter hybrid threats (including foreign information manipulation and interference/FIMI) and enhance democratic resilience across the EU. It adopted, among other initiatives, the European Democracy Action Plan[2] to build more re...

Expected Outcome:Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:EU institutions, Member States and decision-makers worldwide, relevant international organisations, civil society organisations and other societal actors have a better shared understanding of the systemic challenges and the underlying drivers and motivations that undermine managing global commons sustainably.EU institutions, Member States and decision-makers worldwide, relevant international organisations, as well as academies of science, higher education institutions and research-performing organisations are better equipped with the tools needed to improve the science-policy interface in the area of foreign and security policies in general, and multilateral / national science advisory bodies in the field of foreign policy in particular with a recognition of the need to engage citizens in a more partici...

Expected Outcome:Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:The concept of sustainable competitiveness is analysed taking into account the shifts in geopolitics, global trade patterns, as well as changes in climate, the environment (including biodiversity loss[1]), technology and demography.Policymakers are provided with recommendations and innovative solutions, including a toolbox to boost Member States and Associated Countries (labour) productivity while ensuring high social and environmental standards and increasing competitiveness within planetary boundaries. Scope:The Future of European competitiveness report (also known as the Draghi report)[2] analysed and discussed the reason for European declining competitiveness, productivity and growth vis-a-vis its main competitors. A competitive economy is defined as an economy whose sustained rate of productivity i...

Expected Outcome:Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:Reinforced digital transformation of the news media industry by facilitating the development of new business models, contributing to a more resilient and inclusive democracies.Citizens, particularly those facing systemic disadvantages, are empowered and better equipped to make informed decisions, and news media’s role as contributor to a healthy, reinvigorated and fair democracy is enhanced. Stronger engagement with emerging media creators (such as influencers and other online content producers) to promote transparency and accountability in their role in sharing information, and to foster reliance on trustworthy media sources. Scope:Democracies are at risk when reliable and independent journalism is at risk. Yet, in order to be truly independent, media need sustainable financing models. At present, jour...

Expected Outcome:Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:Provide policymakers with a more detailed understanding of the contribution of basic skills on the economy in the short and medium term, with a focus on their contribution to productivity and innovation, to sustain EU competitiveness and growth.Develop actionable advice about how, in a lifelong perspective, education and training systems can help foster basic skills.Promote productivity, innovation, competitiveness and growth, including by reducing gender, disability and socioeconomic gaps in basic skills. Scope:In the context of the Union of Skills, the 2025 European Commission’s Action Plan on Basic Skills identifies five basic skills: literacy, mathematics (including also financial literacy), science, digital and citizenship. Strong basic skill levels among young people and adults are key to sustaini...

Expected Outcome:Projects should contribute to either the first and second (combined), or the third and fourth (combined) of the following expected outcomes:Improved implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum through evidence-based insights in asylum and migration management, age assessment of minors, and resettlement frameworks, ensuring fair and efficient migration governance.Insight into legal pathways addressing both EU Member States’ needs and potential offers of circular and permanent migration schemes in selected partner countries.Enhanced health equity for migrants, including refugees by integrating robust health data into national systems, addressing governance barriers, and tackling intersectional inequities in healthcare access, identifying data/indicators on basic needs in health and sanitation, including as compared to adequate treatment.Comprehensive evaluation o...

Expected Outcome:Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:Insights, recommendations, strategies, guidelines, methods and tools supporting full AI integration in CCSI practices become available to CCSI, policymakers, and stakeholders.Scenarios for co-created solutions tailored to CCSI needs, utilizing quality data and federated data sources, along with digital infrastructures, and inclusive cooperation processes, become available.Generally made available AI-powered and ethically designed solutions, tools and services in several CCSI areas benefit creators, cultural professionals, and society, including persons with disabilities and other specific needs, fostering innovative creative expressions and improving creative business models while preserving and enhancing cultural diversity, and inclusion.By mastering ethical and inclusive AI, CCSI are empowered drivers...

Expected Outcome:Proposals should contribute to the first two expected outcomes, and either the one listed under Focus 1, or the one listed under Focus 2.The potential of art-science and/or technology collaborations to address societal challenges and drive innovation is better understood. Guidance, toolkits, and actionable methodologies are developed to promote these collaborations, providing policymakers, professionals, and training organisations with clarity on intervention scope, applicability across various fields, and evaluation methods, metrics, or tools.New and existing national, European or international networks for art-science-technology collaborations are established or strengthened, expanding opportunities for artists to engage with science and technology. Focus 1Approaches, methodologies and model interventions for integrating arts and creative practices to enhance soft skil...

Expected Outcome:Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:Generate rigorous, policy-relevant evidence on the factors that may influence students, researchers, and high-skilled workers from non-EU countries to move to and remain in the EU.Provide policymakers and higher education/research institutions with guidance on which policies and programmes could be effective in attracting talented students, researchers and high-skilled workers from non-EU countries to the EU.Develop actionable advice to policymakers and higher education/research institutions about how to retain talented students, researchers and high-skilled workers from non-EU countries to ensure a long-term positive impact on the EU economy’s innovation and competitiveness.Provide evidence-based policy insights/options to improve the coherence of migration pathways for skilled talent across the EU. Su...

Expected Outcome:Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:Deepened knowledge of specific factors favouring the growth of creative startups[1], in particular those with potential for disruptive innovation[2] and/or cross-sectorial innovation impacts, is made available and promoted to policymakers, investors, funding- and enterprise support bodies.Effective methods to favour the growth of creative startups, in particular those with potential for disruptive innovation and/or cross-sectorial innovation impacts, are developed, tested and put in practice by industry, investors, funding- and enterprise support bodies, and relevant decision makers.Examples of creative startups scaling up and/or engaging in disruptive innovation are made available, with a view to increase the visibility and recognition of the innovative power of Europe’s creative startups. In addition,...