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 on 1 January 2025, and the maximum project duration is 48 months.

Amount of funding

According to the call, a maximum of HUF 100 million for a maximum of 48 months can be requested. If the duration of the project is shorter than 48 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 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.

Regardless of scientific domain, the applications have to be submitted in the English language. Applications in the Hungarian language can only be submitted on the basis of advance permission (so-called Hungaricum permission) requested on 30 May 2024 the latest.

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

Only those postdoctoral researchers are eligible for the funding whose degree or its award is later than 1 January 2017. Researchers with child(ren) born after the date of their degree can apply for preferential terms with regards to the period after obtaining the PhD/DLA degree.

One principal investigator can submit only one proposal in this call; ADVANCED_24, ANN_24 or SNN_24 proposal cannot be submitted. A STARTING_24 proposal can be submitted along with an EXCELLENCE_24 proposal but only one of the two can be funded. Supported K_23, FK_23, PD_23, SNN_23 project, ongoing MTA Momentum project, and Frontline (KKP) project starting after 31 December 2020 also constitute ground for exclusion. During the first 24 months of the STARTING_24 support, ADVANCED, STARTING, ANN or SNN 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 submitted to the NRDI Office.