AGDATA - 1st Call "EU-wide data-driven solutions to real problems"
Fond National de la Recherche Scientifique (F.R.S.-FNRS)
This call addresses three topics reflecting the main objectives of the partnership. For each topic specific C-R&I-As are envisaged by the partnership and described in the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA). The three topics are:
Topic 1 - Data technologies and data management focused on identification, access, storage, integration and processing of FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data, tackling the diversity of relevant data to achieve i) interoperability, ii) data sharing in data marketplaces and data cooperatives and iii) enable application of AI techniques to develop robust AI models for the
sector.
Topic 2 - Data-based solutions for sustainable agriculture intended to strengthen capacities to adapt to climate change, enhancing functionality, performance assessment and decision making.
Topic 3 - Data-based solutions for policy-making to provide reliable indicators that reflect effects of policies, in particular the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and development of tools to strengthen policy performance assessment, by means of data gathering and analytical capabilities. The current national assessment approach will be improved by an EU approach. Benefits for end users like the reduction of administrative burden and support to their own decision-making tools should be explored.
Applicants shall choose one topic (the topic their proposal addresses most) amongst these three and respond in their proposal to the corresponding scope description outlined below. In addition, the proposals should select one or more C-R&I-As of the SRIA (see section 3.4) that closely relate to their proposed project. A scientific justification for this selection is required in the proposal form. Regardless of which topic is selected, all proposals must consider the EU policies on cybersecurity.
Financement
Each partner is funded separately by the national/regional funding organisation they are applying to. They must fulfil the conditions of their funding organisation.
The maximum amount of requested funding per project is 300.000 EUR for a total period of thee years. If the project involves the recruitment of a PhD student, the project duration of the F.R.S.-FNRS sub-project could be up to four years.
Eligible costs items
Personnel costs: 80,000€ EUR per year on average for the duration of the project. The usual duration of ERA-NET research programmes is three years. However, when the project involves a PhD student, the principal investigator can apply for an additional one year funding in order to complete the four years PhD programme. Since this programme is co-funded by the European Commission, this final year should not be included in the budget submitted to this call.
Equipment: can be eligible up to 20% of the total budget of the project
Running costs: travel expenses; organisation of small scientific events in Belgium; consumables and the following support costs: consumables Publication Designing (conception d’ouvrage) Dictionary Production (réalisation de dictionnaire) Purchase of Books Encoding Software Access Rights Congress Registration Fees Purchase of Computer Scanning Travel costs Visa costs Open Access publication of an article up until 500 euros (see F.R.S-FNRS Open Access policy).
“Overhead”
For “overhead” costs:
Operating expenses: up to 1% within the granted budget. This percentage should be included in the requested operating budget.
Personnel: up to 2% outside of the granted budget. This percentage will be paid upon reimbursement of expenses to institutions by the F.R.S.-FNRS.
Pour postuler
Transnational level
The call is conducted as a two-step-procedure. As a first step, a short proposal has to be submitted.f
Ithis short proposal is successful, the Coordinator receives an invitation to submit a full proposal.
Only following such an invitation, a full proposal can be submitted.
National/regional level
Applicants must provide basic administrative data by submitting an administrative application on e-space within 5 working days after the general deadline of the call to be eligible. Please select the “PINT-MULTI” funding instrument when creating the administrative application.
Deadlines
Deadline for short proposal submission is 21 January 2026, 12h (noon) CET.
Deadline for submission to FNRS is 28 January 2026, 14h (noon) CET.
Deadline for full proposal submission is 21 July 2026, 12h (noon) CEST.
Requis d'admission
Eligibility of the consortia
Research consortia must consist of a minimum of three Partners requesting funding from at least three different Members States or Horizon Europe associated countries and Funders of this call.
Associated Partners, not requesting funding from any Funder, are welcome to participate in consortia as well. However, Associated Partners cannot be Coordinator, their contribution should not be essential for the project’s successful implementation and they will not count towards the minimum number of Partners.
See call document for more details.
Eligibility for belgian partners (F.R.S. - FNRS):
Applicants requesting funding from F.R.S. FNRS must comply with the following rules.
The applicant must be affiliated to a university from the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (FWB).
At the closure of the call, the applicant should also:
- Be a permanent researcher of F.R.S-FNRS (Chercheur qualifié, maître de recherches ou Directeur de recherche) or;
- Hold a tenure track position (or an assimilated position including pending tenure track) with a research institution from the FWB
After the submission of applications, the F.R.S.-FNRS and the research institutions are required to verify the eligibility of the candidates. The F.R.S.-FNRS reserves the right to refuse those whose eligibility criteria would not comply with the Regulation. In order the check the compliance with these eligibility criteria, please contact your contact person at ULB-TTO (see details below). The complete F.R.S-FNRS rules for international research projects is available at the following link: https://www.frs-fnrs.be/docs/Reglement-et-documents/International/FRS-FNRS_PINT-Multi.pdf
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