Co-funding mechanisms in Brazil (under Horizon Europe)
1. Different funding schemes are being set up in different Brazilian states through the existing State Research Foundations (FAPs) to fund Brazilian participation in Horizon Europe collaborative projects. All FAPs endorsed the Administrative Arrangement between the European Commission and CONFAP-FINEP and CNPq. To date (December 2023), the following FAPs published guidelines to set the conditions for researchers from their states to apply for co-funding:
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Amazonas – FAPEAM
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo - FAPESP
- Fundação de Apoio ao desenvolvimento do Ensino, Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul - FUNDECT
- Fundação Araucária de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico do Paraná
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (FAPERGS)
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Santa Catarina (FAPESC)
Reminder: Eligibility to Horizon Europe
Both Brazilian individual researchers and entities are fully eligible to join (almost) all Horizon Europe calls.
1. Individual researchers from Brazil are eligible to funding under the Excellent Science Pillar of Horizon Europe within the Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions (MSCA) and the European Research Council (ERC).
Within MSCA, Brazilian researchers can receive PhD and postdoc funding. Under the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships scheme, it is also possible to bring EU based researchers to Brazil for up to 2 years at no cost. The call is annual and will open again in April 2025. More details at https://bit.ly/MSCAPF.
Within the ERC, Brazilian researchers can carry out groundbreaking research in European institutions (at least 50% of their Working time should be spent in Europe). They can also take part in a group of up to 4 Principal investigators in which one of them can stay in Brazil if it is relevant for the project.
2. In pillar II, Brazilian institutions can join most of Horizon Europe calls as part of a consortium comprised of:
- at least 1 partner from an EU member state and
- at least 2 additional partners from 2 other different countries coming either from EU member states and/or countries associated to Horizon Europe.
Some Horizon Europe calls target specific geographic regions and explicitly call for Brazilian or LAC participation, but it does not imply they will be funded by the Commission. As a matter of fact, although they can participate, Brazilian institutions are not eligible to automatic funding by the European Commission.
In the case of institutions (public or private) from Brazil and other countries not automatically eligible for funding, funding can exceptionally be provided if:
- The country is explicitly identified in the work programme and/or call for proposals as being eligible for funding.
- if the granting authority considers that their participation as a beneficiary is essential for implementing the project, for example in view of their:
- outstanding competence/expertise,
- access to particular research infrastructures,
- access to particular geographical environments,
- access to particular data.
In all the other cases, the Brazilian institutions have to participate at their own cost. That’s why the European Commission and three Brazilian funding agencies set an Administrative Arrangement on the mechanisms to support Brazilian participation in Horizon Europe (2021-2027) collaborative projects, Partnerships and Missions.
 | Please note: 22 FAPs joined CONFAP who launched a specific call to co-fund Brazilian-EU research partnerships within MSCA Staff Exchanges. They will top up selected MSCA Staff Exchanges projects, enabling research and innovation organisations in their respective areas to carry out joint research projects with European and international partners. More details and requirements: https://bit.ly/MSCASE_CONFAP |
Background
The ‘Agreement for Scientific and Technological (S&T) Cooperation between the European Community and Brazil’ (signed in 2004, entered into force in 2007 and and most recently extended for 5 years in 2022) is the main framework of the scientific and technological collaboration. The S&T Agreement aims to encourage, develop and facilitate cooperative activities in areas of common interest, based on the principles of mutual benefit, timely exchange of information, reciprocal access to activities and protection of intellectual property rights.
Under this Agreement, the European Commission and three Brazilian funding agencies; the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), the Funding Agency for Studies and Projects (FINEP) and the Brazilian National Council of State Funding Agencies (CONFAP) signed in 2018 and renewed in 2021 an Administrative Arrangement on the mechanisms to support Brazilian participation in Horizon Europe (2021-2027) collaborative projects, Partnerships and Missions.
The signature of the Administrative Arrangement further strengthens the alliance between the EU and Brazil in science, research and innovation as one of the most solid pillars of bilateral relations, and of the EU-Brazil Strategic Partnership (2007).
The Administrative Arrangement aims to facilitate the co-funding of Horizon Europe collaborative activities set up by the three Brazilian funding agencies and it establishes the operational steps necessary to support other collaborative activities such as twinning of projects and the launch of coordinated calls, as well as actions to enhance mutual knowledge and awareness.
This is of particular importance for the EU and Brazil scientific communities as it facilitates Brazilian participation in Horizon Europe proposals by making it possible for co-funding for successful applicants. The establishment of such a funding mechanism is important, as the programme does not automatically fund partners from industrialised third countries such as Brazil. The Arrangement does not create rights and obligations under international law and it has no financial implications.
The EU-Brazil research and innovation cooperation is fully aligned with the Global Approach to Research and Innovation. It reconfirms bilateral commitment to the global openness needed to drive excellence, pool resources for faster scientific progress and develop vibrant innovation ecosystems.
Brazil was in the top five non-European countries in terms of active participation in the EU’s 7th framework programme for science and technology (FP7) and in the top six under Horizon 2020. It now ranks 9th in participations share in Horizon Europe.