The European Commission has published the Horizon Europe Work Programmes for 2026–2027, confirming EUR 14 billion in EU investment to support research and innovation across Europe over the next two years. In line with the EUDA mandate (1), we have reviewed the programmes and identified a set of upcoming Horizon Europe calls of relevance to drug-related research and innovation. These calls span multiple parts of the programme, including:
- Cluster 1: Health — addressing prevention, mental health, non-communicable diseases and health systems.
- Cluster 3: Civil Security for Society — including crime prevention and responses to the availability and use of synthetic drugs.
- Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) — supporting doctoral and postdoctoral training, skills development and research mobility.
Together, these funding opportunities are relevant to a wide range of stakeholders working on issues relating to drugs, public health, social responses, security and research capacity building.
International cooperation encouraged
The Horizon Europe Work Programmes 2026–2027 place a strong emphasis on international collaboration and participation is encouraged from associated and other third countries. All sections of the programmes actively encourage international collaboration, with a particular focus on initiatives involving Africa, the Mediterranean, Latin America and the Caribbean countries and increased collaboration with India and South-East Asian nations. While entities from some third countries may not be automatically eligible for EU funding, their participation may be supported through complementary national funding mechanisms. This approach reflects Horizon Europe’s objective of addressing complex societal challenges through transnational and interdisciplinary research and innovation.
Related events and recordings
To support applicants, the European Commission organised a series of information days and brokerage events.
- Cluster 1 — Health Brokerage Event | 26–30 January 2026 (online)
Organised by the Cluster 1 national contact points, this event focused on consortium building and offered opportunities for matchmaking, bilateral meetings and pitching sessions to support the preparation of strong proposals. - Cluster 1 — Health Info Day | 10 February 2026 (online)
The Info Day presented the 2026 Health topics under the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2026–2027, covering the six Cluster 1 destinations and providing an overview of funding opportunities and priorities. The recording of the morning sessions is available here, while the afternoon sessions can be viewed here. - Cluster 3 — Civil Security for Society Info Day | 4 March 2026 (hybrid event)
The recording of the event is available here. The EUDA contributed with a presentation during this info day.
The Horizon Europe Civil Security for Society calls for 2026 opened for the submission of proposals on 6 May 2026. Relevant opportunities can be explored via the EUDA Drug-related research webpage.
Interested in applying?
Follow the publication of calls on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal
For application support, a National Contact Point network is available to provide guidance and assistance in your own language.
Updates will also be shared via the EUDA Drug-related research webpage.
