Eight research team leaders have been awarded a total of HUF 2.23 billion in funding, HUF 200 to 300 million each, under the Forefront – Research Excellence Programme launched on 20 November 2020, managed by the National Research, Development and Innovation Office, with the policy support of the Ministry for Innovation and Technology. The research funding will enable the applicants to carry out a world-class research project in Hungary over the next five years, which will help it to participate successfully in the European Research Council (ERC) research funding programmes.

As in previous years, one of the selection criteria for the call was that the team leaders should have at least one previous successful international project. The programme received 11 admissible proposals with a funding demand of more than HUF 3 billion. 64% (7) of the proposals focused on life sciences, 18% (2) on medical and biological sciences , 1 on humanities, and 1 on ecology.

The funding decision was based on the assessment of an evaluation panel appointed by the NRDI Office and on the applicants’ personal project presentations. The evaluation panel examined the proposals against the selection criteria of the call and invited all 11 applicants to present their project proposals in a personal interview. Following the presentations, the evaluation panel ranked the proposals and recommended 8 proposals for funding to the minister responsible for science policy coordination.

Based on this recommendation, the deputy state secretary for innovation, acting on the instructions of the minister responsible for science policy coordination, has decided to support the following 8 outstanding research proposals with a total amount of HUF 2.23 billion:

FUNDED PROJECTS

Funding organisation: Ministry for Innovation and Technology
Source: NRDI Fund
Date of decision: 3 June 2021