SAS is one of the funding organisations involved in European Partnership programmes. The Presidium of SAS decides on the entry into the programme as well as on the involvement of the SAS in international calls. By its resolution, it defines the amount of the budget of its participation in the call or specifies other conditions for grant applicants in this scheme.
SAS in European Partnerships scheme programmes
| Research area | Acronym and programme name | Duration of the programme | Status of the call |
|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental research | BiodivScen Promoting and implementing joint programming at the international level to reinforce research on the development of scenarios of biodiversity and ecosystem services | 10/2017-6/2023 | Calls closed |
| BiodivClim Promoting and implementing joint programming to reinforce transnational research at the crossroad between biodiversity and climate change | 9/2019-8/2024 | Calls closed | |
| BiodivRestore Promoting & implementing joint programming to reinforce transnational research for the conservation and restoration of degraded ecosystems and their biodiversity, including a focus on aquatic systems | 10/2020-9/2025 | Calls closed | |
| BIODIVERSA+: European Biodiversity Partnership | 01/2021-12/2028 | Call deadline 09/09/2025 | |
| Agroecology Partnership | 01/2024-12/2031 | Full proposal deadline 09/07/2025 | |
| Water4All: Water Security for the Planet | 01/2022-12/2029 | Call will open in 11/2025 | |
| Materials research | |||
| ERA-MIN 3 Raw Materials for the Sustainable Development and the Circular Economy | 12/2020-11/2025 | Calls closed | |
| M-ERA.NET3 ERA-NET for research and innovation on materials and battery technologies, supporting the European Green Deal | 3/2021-2/2026 | Calls closed | |
| Medical research | Era4Health Partnership: Fostering a European Research Area for Health Research | 01/2022-12/2029 | Call open in 11/2026 |
| ERDERA: EUROPEAN RARE DISEASES RESEARCH ALLIANCE | 09/2024-08/2031 | Call open in 12/2026 | |
| EP BRAINHEALTH: EUROPEAN PARTNERSHIP FOR BRAIN HEALTH | 01/2026-12/2035 | Call open in 01/2027 | |
| TRANSCAN-4: Sustained collaboration of funders to support Cancer translational research | 04/2026-03/2031 | Call opening expected in 04/2027 | |
| Research of new technologies | EJP RD – European Joint Programme on Rare Diseases | 1/2019-12/2023 | Calls closed |
| QuantERA 2 ERA-NET Cofund in Quantum Technologies | 01/2021-12/2025 | Calls closed | |
| CHIST ERA IV European Coordinated Research on Long-term ICT and ICT-based Scientific and Technological Challenges | 12/2019-11/2024 | Calls closed | |
| Humanities and social sciences | CHANSE Collaboration of Humanities And Social Sciences in Europe | 1/2021-2/2026 | Calls closed |
European Partnerships are supported by the Horizon Europe programme (2021 – 2027) and belong to the 2nd pillar of the programme. Partnerships can cover a wide range of activities – from funding research and innovation projects, regulatory activities, supporting the commercialization of innovation, to working with users to create synergies with national and regional programmes. Horizon Europe expects the creation of 49 partnerships in three different forms (jointly programmed, jointly funded, institutional). Partnerships have a wider range of persons involved with greater reach, better visibility and increased transparency. They will also contribute to making European ecosystems of science, research and innovation more open (eraportal.sk). More information on European Partnerships in Horizon Europe is available directly on the European Commission’s website.
SAS is a partner in the European Biodiversity Partnership (Biodiversa+) project. The duration of the Biodiversa + European Partnership project is from 2021 to 2028. Calls for submitting research projects will be opened annually.
Since October 11, 2023, the SAS has also been part of the ERA4Health Partnership: Fostering a European Research Area for Health Research consortium. This EU-funded partnership brings together 67 partners from 30 countries with the shared goal of supporting translational research to address public health needs. ERA4Health runs for seven years—from November 1, 2022, to October 31, 2029—and is divided into two phases. Phase 1 involves the implementation of four joint calls focusing on nutrition and lifestyle-related diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and nanomedicine; the SAS is funding two projects during this phase. Phase 2 begins in 2025 and plans for four joint calls targeting the same areas as Phase 1. Under the first call of the second phase, titled INTERHEART, the SAS has one successful project receiving support. Evaluation of the second call, PREVENT-OO, is currently underway.
The European Partnership for Brain Health (EP BrainHealth), which SAS has also joined, is a major initiative involving over 60 participants from more than 30 countries. Launched in January 2026, EP BrainHealth is a ten-year partnership, which bringing together stakeholders along the entire translational pathway to support research, patient and public involvement, innovation and implementation, and to foster strategic alignment and dialogue in the brain health field. Every year, it launches two calls focused on biological, social, and environmental factors influencing brain health — one in the field of neurodegenerative disorders and another in the field of neurological, mental, and sensory disorders.
As of April 2026, the Slovak Academy of Sciences is participating in the new TRANSCAN-4 project – a Coordination and Support Action (CSA) titled “Sustained collaboration of funders to support cancer translational research.” This initiative involves a collaboration among 30 funding partners from 17 countries aimed at supporting translational cancer research. Building on a long-standing and successful collaboration that began in 2011, TRANSCAN-4 represents the next phase of a collective effort to accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into meaningful clinical applications for cancer patients.
SAS is part of the European Partnership for Research on Rare Diseases (ERDERA). ERDERA builds on the European Joint Program for Rare Diseases (EJPRD) as well as several previously funded EU projects in the field of rare diseases. The partnership is coordinated by the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research INSERM. ERDERA is officially the fifth co-financed partnership in the field of health within the Horizon Europe program. With almost 170 partners from 37 countries, a total budget estimated at €380 million, of which around €150 million will be provided by the European Union through the Horizon Europe program and the rest covered by EU Member States, associated countries as well as public and private partners, and with a planned duration of seven years, this partnership is the largest ever in the field of rare disease research and innovation. The partnership aims to transform rare disease research across Europe and bring significant health benefits to the more than 30 million people who suffer from these diseases through better prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
The Water4All Partnership – Water Security for the Planet – is a funding program for scientific research on water. The European Union participates in the co-financing within the Horizon Europe program. It brings together partners from 81 organizations from 31 countries of the world (23 EU states, Brazil, Georgia, Israel, South Africa, Moldova, Norway, United Kingdom, Turkey and Tunisia). These are representatives of the entire chain of water research, development and innovation (academic and private sector), research funding organizations, national water authorities and associations. The partnership started its activities in June 2022. Until 2029, its activities will contribute to the solution of water-related problems, whether in connection with climate change, the sustainable development of the use of water resources, or the competitiveness and growth of the EU. The Water4All strategic research and innovation agenda seeks to harmonize national programs and remove research fragmentation in the field. It sets out the key research and innovation themes that the partnership should address in the coming years to address the grand challenge of water for all. In fulfilling the set goals, the Water4All partnership will cooperate with other and highly innovative initiatives, especially with the EU mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030” and with other EU partnerships (Biodiversity partnership, Sustainable Blue economy partnership, Driving Urban Transition partnership). SAS has been part of the Water4All partnership since the beginning of its creation in 2020. The SAS Presidency has allocated an indicative budget of €240,000 for the annual Water4All calls for project submissions with the aim of supporting 2 research projects in each call.
Agroecology Partnership, which SAS has also joined – the partnership focuses on the support of a sustainable, resilient and farmer-friendly agricultural sector and solves the issues of climate change, loss of biodiversity and food security, etc. A large and ambitious European research and innovation effort by the European Commission and 70 organizations from 26 Member States, associated countries and third countries aims to support an agricultural sector that is fit to meet the objectives and challenges related to climate change, biodiversity loss, food security, sovereignty and environment, while ensuring a profitable and attractive activity for farmers. The total budget of the partnership is €120 million, of which approximately €60 million is planned to provide EC.