Seed Programme 2025 launched!

Seed Programme

Our two actions in the Seed Programme

ECIU launches a new Seed Programme call to initiate new or strengthen existing research collaborations.

The Seed Programme supports the implementation of a shared research and innovation (R&I) agenda through the peer-to-peer training and engagement in international, cross-disciplinary and intersectoral collaboration of ECIU researchers, currently focused on the 5 research fields.

  1. Research Field Citizen Science
  2. Research Field Energy and Sustainability
  3. Research Field Circular Economy
  4. Research Field Transport and Mobility
  5. Research Field Resilient Communities

The submission deadline for the Seed Programme is 31 October 2025.

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Seed Programme 1
Blended Mobility to create NEW networks‍

The objective is to promote inter-institutional collaboration through the blended exchange of research and innovation staff to create new consortia. The expected outcome is a solid foundation for a new, long-lasting collaboration among the participating ECIU Institutions.

Seed Programme 2
Seed projects for EXISTING consortia‍

The objective is to further promote inter-institutional and intersectoral research and innovation seed projects linked to shared challenges in the involved regional ecosystems. The SP2 call focuses/ prioritizes already existing collaborations.


Both actions support the challenge-based approach of ECIU University by focusing on capacity building activities to promote challenge-based research as an innovative, interdisciplinary way of doing research based on societal needs and in close collaboration with citizens and businesses.

This differs from calls that ask for excellent research in a specific field. ECIU defines challenge-based research by “doing research with partners in society, using the grand challenges they face in reality as point of departure, with the objective of arriving at solutions to these challenges” – see our paper: Challenge-based Research for a Stronger and More Sustainable Europe.

As a third tool, to build up research collaboration across all the member universities, the ECIU offers travel grants up to 5.000 EUR per stay at an ECIU partner. For more details on the ECIU Researcher Mobility Fund please see: ECIU Researcher Mobility Fund.

Participating ECIU Members

The following six ECIU member universities have made funding available for their researchers to get involved in Seed Programme 1 and Seed Programme 2.

Compare the two actions
in the Seed Programme

Blended Mobility to Create NEW Networks

Seed projects for EXISTING consortia

The Aim

  • To promote inter-institutional collaboration through the blended exchange of research and innovation staff to create new consortia. The expected outcome is a solid foundation for a new, long-lasting collaboration among the participating ECIU Institutions. By new consortia, we mean consortia composed of researchers who have not col-laborated before on a joint project involving all involved institutions in the specific proposal for the Seed programme SP1.
  • To support the development of new networks based on a joint research and innovation plan, including, but not limited to, the submission of future collaborative proposals to EU (i.e. HE, COST Action, LIFE Programme) or other types of funding programmes to provide answers to urban/regional/interregional challenges in one or more of the 5 research fields in Annex 1.

The Aim

  • To further promote inter-institutional and intersectoral research and innovation seed projects linked to shared challenges in the involved regional ecosystems. The SP2 call focuses/ prioritizes already existing collaborations.
  • To support  the development of research and innovation activities aimed at solving challenges identified by local/regional communities or citi-zens/group of citizens of any region of the participating ECIU institutions.

Supported Activities

  • To exploit complementary competences.
  • To enable networking experiences.
  • To promote and increase the concept of citizen science.
  • To develop communication and dissemination events to reinforce the impact of the ECIU research agenda amongst the communities.

Supported Activities

  • to motivate the exploitation of complementary competences of the participating researchers and other relevant stakeholders outside academia, contributing to tackling the challenges

Eligibility Criteria

  • Please check the financial table for the specific criteria set by individual institutions.
  • ECIU Researchers collaborating and applying for the first time together are invited to go for action SP1.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Please check the financial table for the specific criteria set by individual institutions ink to the funding rules SP 1 and SP 2)
  • Applicants of rejected proposals in the first Seed programme 2024 are eligible to apply again for SP2. Consortia awarded in the first Seed programme 2024 are not eligible to apply to the 2025 edition

Funding

  • Each of the current six participating ECIU institutions have defined a maximum available funding amount for their participating researchers (see funding rules).
  • Please check the amounts in the table and consult with your institutional contact person for financial questions.

Funding

  • Each of the current six participating ECIU institutions have defined a maximum available funding amount for their participating researchers (see funding rules).
  • Please check the amounts in the table and consult with your institutional contact person for financial questions.

Duration of the Proposed Projects

  • Projects can last up to 24 months

Duration of the Proposed Projects

  • Projects can last up to 24 months

Deadline for Submission of the Project Proposal

  • 31 October 2025 23:59 CET

Deadline for Submission of the Project Proposal

  • 31 October 2025 23:59 CET

Application Process

Application Process

Budget Template

Budget Template

Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation Process

  • The evaluation panel will consist of evaluators from the participating institutions and come together in December 2025.
  • Applicants will be expectedly informed about the results end of January 2026.
  • 15 March 2026: Potential starting date for the projects

Evaluation Process

  • The evaluation panel will consist of evaluators from the participating institutions and come together in December 2025.
  • Applicants will be expectedly informed about the results end of January 2026.
  • 15 March 2026: Potential starting date for the project

Final Report

  • Each project needs to submit a technical report indicating how to sustain the initiated activities, for example by an external funding roadmap (download template).

Final Report

  • Each project needs to submit a technical report indicating how to sustain the initiated activities, for example by an external funding roadmap (download template).

Guidelines

  • You can find the complete guidelines for the seed programme here.

Guidelines

  • You can find the complete guidelines for the seed programme here.

Contact for Questions about the Programme

  • research.innovation@eciu.eu

Contact for Questions about the Programme

  • research.innovation@eciu.eu

Apply now to SP1

Apply now to SP2

Institutional Contacts
for Questions around Internal Funding

Universidade de Aveiro

Vera Fernandes

Science and Technology Officer

ContactWebsite
Universitat A. Barcelona

Mireia Gali

ECIU Institutional Coordinator

ContactWebsite
Dublin City
University

Amy Hall

Senior European Research Development Officer

Contact
Lodz University of Technology

Agnieszka Tiele

Project Manager European Projects

ContactWebsite
INSA
Group

Laure Fabre / Emilie Morin

Project Manager European Projects

Contact (Laure)Contact (Emilie)
Kaunas University of Technology

Vilma Karobliene

Head of the KTU Research and Innovation Project Centre

Contact