Available budget

In the period 2024–2028, the Ministry of Culture and Innovation allocates a combined budget of HUF 19 billion from the NRDI Fund for the programme of the EXCELLENCE projects (EXCELLENCE_24), the ADVANCED projects (ADVANCED_24), the STARTING projects (STARTING_24), and the programme of thematic research projects based on Hungarian–Austrian and Hungarian–Slovenian bilateral cooperation (ANN_24 and SNN_24).

Duration of the projects

Projects shall commence not earlier than on the first day of the third month following the submission of the proposal and on 1 January 2025 the latest, according to the funding agreement. The maximum project duration is 24 months.

Amount of funding

According to the call, a maximum of HUF 200 million for a maximum of 24 months can be requested. If the duration of the project is shorter than 24 months, requested funding should be decreased on a pro rata temporis basis. Apart from remuneration and related taxes payable by the employer, certain tangible costs are also eligible, as well as overhead costs at a flat rate of 20% of the direct project costs. The implementation of the projects may involve participating researchers, technical staff, and students. They do not have to join the proposal but it is recommended to list the participating researchers in a separate part at the end of the research plan. The earliest date for reporting costs is the project start date specified in the funding agreement.

Submission of applications

The applications have to be submitted in the English language. The request for funding has to be prepared and submitted in the Electronic Proposal Review system (EPR) of the NRDI Office (https://www.otka-palyazat.hu/). The proposal has to be submitted only electronically, none of its parts has to be sent to the NRDI Office on paper.

A proposal can be considered submitted if it is electronically finalized by the principal investigator and approved by the representative of the host institution by the submission deadline defined in the call for proposals. Furthermore, the electronically signed versions of the documents, required to be submitted with electronic signature in section K of the call, have to be submitted through the EPR as well.

Eligible applicants

Principal investigators can apply jointly with the host institution which has to be a Hungarian based

• higher education institution, research centre, research institution, budgetary institution or an institution thereof having legal personality that qualifies as a research and knowledge-dissemination organisation under Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014;
• business company which has at least two completed business years, maintains double-entry accounting that qualifies as a research and knowledge-dissemination organisation under Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014;
• non-profit organisation that qualifies as a research and knowledge-dissemination organisation under Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014.

Throughout the entire implementation period, the principal investigator shall be employed by the host institution under an employment contract, civil service contract, or other contract aimed at performing work.

Further eligibility terms for principal investigators

A proposal can be submitted by a principal investigator who previously submitted a proposal as a principal investigator in the ERC Starting Grant, Consolidator Grant, Advanced Grant, or Synergy Grant category, and the ERC proposal reached the second round of the evaluation but failed to receive funding or obtained at least a “B” qualification according to the review received after 1 January 2023.

Submitting an EXCELLENCE_24 proposal, the principal investigator declares that, if funding is awarded, he/she submits an ERC Starting, Consolidator, or Advanced Grant proposal from a Hungarian host institution within the duration of the project.

One principal investigator can submit only one proposal in this call; ANN_24 or SNN_24 proposal cannot be submitted. An ADVANCED_24 proposal or a STARTING_24 proposal can be submitted along with an EXCELLENCE_24 proposal but only one of the two can be funded. During the funding period of an EXCELLENCE project, another EXCELLENCE proposal cannot be submitted.

Eligible objectives and actions

Project proposals can cover discovery research in any fields of science, regardless of thematic priority, if otherwise the application meets the conditions laid down in the call. All activities are eligible in order to attain the primary goals set out in the discovery research plan, with reference to the research plan of the attached ERC proposal, submitted to the NRDI Office.