The University of Tartu actively creates and uses opportunities to apply for external research funding, including participation in the European Union’s research and development partnership programmes in strategic research fields. We encourage researchers to participate in calls for proposals opened for them through the partnerships, and provide advice and support.
The University of Tartu participated in 174 projects in the European Union’s Horizon 2020 framework programme and raised 60 million euros, thus being the most successful research institution in Estonia.
The university participates in partnerships either as a member or in individual projects. In certain partnerships, activities are carried out based on annual work programmes. Other partnerships, in cooperation with the European Commission, organise open calls for proposals, and to participate in the calls it is possible to find organisations in the network that are interested in cooperation, particularly private-sector organisations.
At the beginning of 2022, the University of Tartu participates in the following partnerships of Horizon Europe, the European Union’s framework programme for research and innovation:
The knowledge and innovation communities of European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) support cooperation between businesses and universities in knowledge-intensive product development and bringing to the market new innovative products and services that meet the needs of the sector. EIT also supports education and business creation initiatives between partners to improve the innovation capacity in the EU regions, and to generate new ideas and enterprises. Each knowledge and innovation community addresses specific global challenges from climate change and sustainable energy to healthy lifestyle and food.
In 2022, partnerships co-funded by the European Commission and Estonian ministries will be launched, where the University of Tartu will also have the opportunity for international research cooperation with other European universities and public sector institutions. The partnerships support research and development in the member states and cross-border public sector cooperation. In particular, it is expressed in supporting applied research of common interest to contribute to addressing the economic, social and environmental challenges formulated in the Horizon Europe framework programme.
The partnerships’ work programmes are established in the first half of 2022, with calls for proposals expected to open in the second quarter of 2022.