Pandemic preparedness and response: Hostpathogen interactions of infectious diseases with epidemic potential
Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
Viral disease emergence is expected to accelerate due to among other factors, climate change, and thus a proactive approach to the development of vaccines and inhibitors for the cellular uptake of viruses in preparedness for future infectious disease outbreaks is needed. The availability of vaccines and candidates that inhibit cellular uptake of viruses would provide a critical preparedness measure against future health threats, in particular against pathogens with high pandemic potential meeting the criteria identified by the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA).
Proposals should follow innovative approaches to characterise host-pathogen interactions with a view to inhibit viral replication, viral proteases, viral exit strategies and to develop therapeutic antibodies and vaccines that target viruses with high epidemic or pandemic potential for the EU. Proposals should focus on the following viruses: Hendra and Nipah virus, Lassa virus, Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever virus, Rift Valley fever virus, Ebola and Marburg virus, Dengue virus, Yellow Fever virus, Zika virus, West Nile fever virus and Chikungunya virus. Proposal should take into account sex and gender aspects.
Proposals should aim to diversify and accelerate the global therapeutic research and development pipeline for emerging and re-emerging viral infections, and to strengthen the current leading role of the EU in therapeutic research and development, and therefore contributing to the work of the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA).
Detailed Call Description
Proposals should address several of the following areas:
- Identification and characterisation of receptors on the host cell that enable the docking and internalisation of a virus with a particular emphasis on the diversity of cellular entry receptors and tissue specificity.
- Identification and characterisation of viral surface proteins that are capable of interacting with host target cells.
- Characterisation of the mechanism of viral uptake in the host cell with regard to the topology and the dynamics of the host receptor – virus ligand interaction.
- Identification of receptor and ligand (sub)units that could be targeted by preventive or therapeutic intervention.
Proposals could consider the inclusion of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) research infrastructure (Nanobiotechnology laboratory) for biophysical characterisation of recombinant proteins, antigens and therapeutic antibodies, and its expertise at the interface between the research activities and regulatory aspects. In that respect, the JRC will consider collaborating with any successful proposal and this collaboration, when relevant, should be established after the proposal’s approval.
Applicants envisaging to include clinical studies should provide details of their clinical studies in the dedicated annex using the template provided in the submission system. See definition of clinical studies in the introduction to this work programme part.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
100%
EU contribution per project: between €7.00 and €8.00 million
Thematic Categories
- Health
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
Eligibility for Participation
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
Eligibility For Participation Notes
In recognition of the opening of the US National Institutes of Health’s programmes to European researchers, any legal entity established in the United States of America is eligible to receive Union funding.
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as member of the consortium selected for funding.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Research and Innovation Foundation
29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia,
P.B. 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Telephone: +357 22205000
Fax: +357 22205001
Email: support@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/en/
Contact Persons:
George Christou
Scientific Officer
Email: gchristou@research.org.cy
Ioannis Theodorou
Scientific Officer
Telephone: +357 22 205 038
Email: itheodorou@research.org.cy
EU Contact Point
European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
https://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/research-and-innovation_en#contact