Following the visit of President von der Leyen to Australia, the European Commission and Australia have today opened formal negotiations for the association to Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship research and innovation programme.

Association would allow Australian entities to access funding directly from the programme and to participate on similar terms with EU Member States and other associated countries. This would enable more ambitious, long-term collaboration between researchers, businesses and public institutions, while reducing administrative barriers and aligning efforts within a single framework.

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The DESCA (Development of a Simplified Consortium Agreement) has been updated and the newest version (2.1) can be found on the DESCA website.

The DESCA model

The NCP Portal now offers a growing resource page on AI and LLMs. It helps NCPs understand AI’s opportunities and challenges, especially the need for responsible and fair use when supporting Horizon Europe applicants.

NCP Portal website dedicated to AI in HE

The EC has published Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2030. It builds on the achievements of its predecessor and translates the long-term vision of the Roadmap for Women’s Rights into action.

The Strategy proposes concrete actions for each of the eight principles of the Roadmap for Women’s Rights, keeping gender equality at the heart of the EU’s action both within the EU and across the world.

Read the Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2030

New report has been published on a large-scale survey of Horizon Europe beneficiaries. It offers a systematic analysis of how the programme’s rules are applied in the day-to-day management of projects

The report was prepared by the community of National Contact Points (NCPs) within the Horizon Academy project. 

Download the Report

Submitting a project proposal under Horizon Europe s a challenging task that requires careful planning, precise budgeting, and a seamless collaboration with partners. The European Research Executive Agency has put together information how to avoid common mistakes in project proposals:

Dos and don’ts when applying for funding

Network of National Contact Points for the five EU Missions (NCP4Missions) has collected the content of the Q&W session during the EC Info day in January 2026 along with the information published in the FAQ section of the Funding & Tenders Portal.

Open document

The European Medicines Agency has published new guidance on the conduct of clinical trials during public health emergencies in the EU. Recommendations are to streamline authorisation of new clinical trials and changes to ongoing trials to generate clinical evidence

More information on European Medicines Agency website

This report presents the recommendations of the eCancer Working Group, convened under the Cancer Subgroup of the Public Health Expert Group, to guide the European Commission in implementing two digital platforms: UNCAN.eu and the European Cancer Patient Digital Centre (ECPDC). These initiatives are flagships of Europe's Beating Cancer Plan and the Cancer Mission under Horizon Europe.

ECancer Working Group Recommendations

The European Union has updated its gender equality plan and the updates can be found in:

• General Annexes:
  Gender equality plans and gender mainstreaming: Beneficiaries must take all measures to promote equal opportunities between men and women in implementing the action and, where applicable, in line with their gender equality plan. They must aim to achieve, to the extent possible, a gender balance at all levels of personnel assigned to the action, including at supervisory and managerial level:
• Read General Annexes
   
• Horizon Europe, gender equality, a strengthened commitment in Horizon Europe
  Read/download gender equality document
   
• Gender equality plans (GEPs) - How to be ready for ex-post checks
  Read/download GEPs document

The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), in collaboration with the Directorate General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) is hereby calling for expression of interest from potential candidates to be appointed to the Working Group of the European Commission Initiative on Prostate Cancer (EC-PrC). 

They are seeking for expressions of interest from clinical, scientific and technical experts in areas related to prostate cancer screening, diagnosis and care (Annex I of the call document), as well as from patients and/or caregivers, to be appointed as members of the EC-PrC Working Group.

Deadline: 15 February 2026 

More information and call document

The European Commission and Japan have successfully concluded negotiations on Japan's association to Horizon Europe, the EU's flagship €93.5 billion research and innovation funding programme.

The agreement specifically targets Pillar II of Horizon Europe, which tackles societal challenges through multinational collaborative projects, such as the digital transition, food security, and climate-neutral energy. Under transitional arrangements, Japanese entities can apply to Horizon Europe calls starting in 2026 and will be treated as 'eligible entities' from an associated country.

Read Press release 

As part of its mapping activities, EP PerMed has compiled a comprehensive list of European research infrastructures, as well as research and innovation projects and initiatives related to personalised medicine.

More information and list on EP PerMed website

Questions and answers: Global Health EDCTP3 Work Programme 2026 has been published

Q&A document (pdf)