The Thematic Excellence Programme (TIP 2021) was launched on 16 August 2021, as a continuation of the previous programmes to promote excellence in institutions – the Excellence Programme for Higher Education Institutions (HEIP) and the Thematic Excellence Programme (TIP) – which will provide funding for research and innovation activities of knowledge dissemination organisations, mainly university knowledge hubs and research centres, until the end of 2025.

The aim of the TKP 2021 is for knowledge dissemination organisations to build on their professional excellence and carry out thematic research and development programmes (including basic research, applied research and experimental development) in order to

1. generate basic research results that will contribute to the development of responses to civilisation challenges or provide the basis for applied research and experimental development based on them, and to trigger further development and innovation processes within the institution;
2. develop a product, prototype, technology or service with significant scientific and/or technical novelty;
3. make the product, technology or service resulting from the thematic research commercially viable;
4. improve the research conditions;
5. increase scientific productivity;
6. improve the conditions for the next generation of scientists and researchers;
7. make the results of Hungarian science more visible, and increase the participation of Hungarian scientists in international R&D programmes, in particular in EU Framework Programmes for Research and Innovation;
8. put a stronger focus on research and innovation in the operation of higher education institutions and research centres;
9. ensure the social, economic and environmental use of research results and provide support for related initiatives;
10. facilitate cooperation with non-institutional actors in the thematic area and contribute to the conclusion of research and development agreements;
11. promote the commercial or societal utility of the product, technology or service resulting from thematic research.

Under the call, funding requests can be submitted for 3 research areas (Health (EGA); National Research (NRC); and National Defence and Security (NDA)), each with a budget of HUF 25 billion from which up to HUF 2 billion may be awarded to a project proposal.

The number of proposals supported per sub-programme is 29 in the Health sub-programme, 27 in the National Research sub-programme, and 24 in the National Defence, National Security sub-programme.

Funded institutions per research area (per sub-programme)

Source: NRDI Fund
Date of decision: 24 November 2021