The National Research, Development and Innovation Office facilitates the social and economic utilisation of discovery research findings by defining strategic areas where Hungary has the sufficient level of scientific excellence for the implementation of tasks, so that such goals can be reached faster and more efficiently.

The call is open for the consortia of research and knowledge-dissemination organisations and businesses to submit project proposals involving research activities addressing large-scale interdisciplinary scientific and technological challenges which, due to their comprehensive nature and volume, are implemented in long-term cooperation between scientific, industrial and social stakeholders and decision-makers in the following areas:

• Subprogramme “A”: National Brain Research Programme
  
• Subprogramme “B”: National Quantum Technology Programme
  

The call is financed from the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund.

Submission of project proposals

Project proposals should be submitted online, by logging in and completing the online application form on the Participant Portal (Pályázati e-ügyintézés) which can be reached through the www.palyazat.gov.hu website. Along with the request for funding finalised in the online application form, applicants have to submit a duly executed statement certifying the electronic submission of the application, in line with the Application Guidelines. Unless executed using a qualified electronic signature, the hard copy of the statement should also be sent by regular mail to the NRDI Office no later than 3 days after the electronic submission. Applications may not be submitted in person. The applications are assessed in a simplified procedure in several stages. Assessment deadline: 10 May 2017.

Who can apply

The call is open to consortia comprised of at least 12 members, led by a research and knowledge dissemination organisation. Members can be:

• budgetary organs or their institutions with legal personality, provided that they qualify as research centres
  
• non-profit organisations with legal personality whose R&D spending, according to their tax returns for the last two closed financial years, reaches at least 25% of the requested amount of funding at member level; and public, denominational or private higher education institutions accredited by the state 
  
• business companies with registered seat in Hungary or the Central Hungarian branch offices of business companies with registered seat in the European Economic Area, provided that they have at least two completed business years, maintain double-entry accounting and are not subject to the simplified entrepreneurial tax (EVA) or the small taxpayers’ itemized lump sum tax (KATA), and that they have at least 20 full-time employees with a higher education degree in technology, natural sciences, medicine or agriculture at the time of application.
  

Eligible objectives and activities

The following activities are eligible for funding independently:

• basic research 
  
• applied (industrial) research 
  
• experimental development
  

Activities not eligible for funding independently:

• procurement of equipment and immaterial assets 
  
• publicity and information activity
  
• project coordination activities
  
• other activity performed to further the project
  

Total available budget and maximum funding per project

The total budget of the call is HUF 10 billion financed from the NRDI Fund in the following distribution:

• Subprogramme “A”: HUF 6.5 billion (the funding is non-refundable and its maximum amount is HUF 2 to 6.5 billion per project)
  
• Subprogramme “B”: HUF 3.5 billion (the funding is non-refundable and its maximum amount is HUF 1.5 to 3.5 billion per project)
  

The share of research and knowledge-dissemination organisations shall account for at least 35% of the total eligible costs.

Duration of the project

Funded projects shall be implemented within 48 months from project launch. Eligible project costs can be declared from the start date specified in the grant agreement. The applicant shall maintain the project results for 3 years.