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Call key data
Implementation research addressing strategies to strengthen health systems for equitable high-quality care and health outcomes in the context of non-communicable diseases (GACD)
Funding Program
Horizon Europe: Cluster 1 - Health
Call number
HORIZON-HLTH-2025-01-DISEASE-06
deadlines
Opening
22.05.2025
Deadline
16.09.2025 17:00
Funding rate
100%
Call budget
€ 20,000,000.00
Estimated EU contribution per project
between € 3,000,000.00 and € 4,000,000.00
Link to the call
Link to the submission
Call content
short description
This topic aims at supporting activities that are enabling or contributing to one or several expected impacts of destination “Tackling diseases and reducing disease burden”.
Call objectives
The European Commission is a member of the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD). The GACD specifically addresses NCDs and supports implementation science to improve health outcomes. This topic is launched in concertation with the other GACD members (international funding agencies) and aligned with the 10th GACD call.
Health systems in many countries have not kept pace with the rapid emergence of NCDs that require costly long-term care and treatment. Resilient, fit for purpose health system should provide high-quality, safe, equitable, accessible healthcare, that reflects the needs of the population, and enables the integration of healthcare across the care continuum, encompassing prevention, screening, diagnosis and long-term management of NCDs[3]. While health systems across the world struggle with these challenges, this is a particular problem in LMICs that have relatively overburdened, poorly resourced and fragile health systems that struggle to cope with the burden of NCDs. Health inequalities (e.g. linked to geographical location, socioeconomic status, sex and/or gender, ethnicity, disability) are often accentuated by structural and/or systemic weaknesses such as lack of staff and appropriate medicines.
The increasing burden of NCDs on healthcare systems has spurred a greater interest in exploring strategies to tackle these conditions, including a move from a healthcare system focused on disease and hospital-based care, to a more holistic model, involving communities and primary care, and focused on maintaining health. These include interventions addressing the integration of and access to care, screening, access to medicines and technologies, task shifting and digital health interventions. Implementing these strategies while retaining a focus on equity is challenging and health systems need to account for geographical disparities as well as reach communities that have traditionally suffered health inequalities. Equity in health requires that resources and processes are designed to promote equalisation of health outcomes for populations experiencing health disparities, to ensure similar health outcomes for all of society.
Evidence for how to strengthen health systems to improve services and ensure equitable health outcomes is emerging, mostly from research in HICs. However, implementing equity-oriented interventions for transformation and/or strengthening of health systems remains challenging and largely unexplored in underserved populations, especially in LMICs. Providing evidence on implementation strategies that can enable effective adaptation and scaling of programmes will be critical to improving survival and quality of life as well as reducing disability, the burden of caretaking on (typically female) family members and costs of healthcare falling on households.
This implementation research topic is therefore focused on strategies to support health system transformation and/or strengthening using evidence-based interventions in the context of NCDs that can be adapted to and implemented in LMICs and/or disadvantaged populations experiencing health disparities in HICs to encourage equitable health outcomes.
The proposed implementation research should be focused on one or more evidence-based interventions (or complex interventions) focused on building equity-orientated health systems change to tackle the growing burden of chronic conditions, including NCDs. The choice of intervention(s) and provision of existing evidence of the intervention’s effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, sustainability, scalability and potential for long-term health and other impacts should be justified (and in what context this evidence has been generated). As the evidence underpinning strategies to transform and/or strengthen health systems in the context of NCDs is still emerging, particularly in LMICs, a limited period of testing the effectiveness of an intervention that the applicant’s team has adapted for local implementation is therefore usually appropriate.
Applicants should explore the implementation of proposed intervention(s) for a selected study population(s) taking into account the unique social, political, economic, and cultural context(s) in which the study will take place. Applicants should justify why any adaptation will not compromise the known effectiveness of the selected intervention(s). meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities.
All projects funded under this topic are strongly encouraged to participate in networking and joint activities, including internationally, as appropriate. These activities could, for example, involve the participation in joint workshops, the Annual Scientific Meetings of the GACD, the exchange of knowledge, the development and adoption of best practices, or joint communication activities. Therefore, proposals are expected to include a budget for such activities and may consider covering the costs of any other potential joint activities without the prerequisite to detail concrete joint activities at this stage. The details of these joint activities will be defined during the grant agreement preparation phase.
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.
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Expected effects and impacts
Proposals should address all the following activities:
- Provide a research plan using validated implementation research frameworks or hybrid design research;
- Have an appropriate strategy for measuring implementation research outcomes and real-world effectiveness outcomes and indicators. Other health or non-health outcome measures, especially those identified as important by patient participants and/or critical for advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC), are also welcome;
- Specifically address health equity and the principles of UHC;
- Engage an appropriately expert and skilled research team which can ensure a suitable multidisciplinary approach and that demonstrates equitable partnership and shared leadership between HIC-LMIC, and/or non-Indigenous-Indigenous members of the project team and external stakeholders through a clear governance strategy;
- Provide a stakeholder engagement strategy with evidence of support/engagement from key stakeholders for delivering patient-centred care;
- Ensure that project partners are engaged from the beginning to contribute to the sustainability of the intervention after the end of project. Proposals should demonstrate sustainability of the strategy, beyond the lifespan of the project;
- Provide opportunities for implementation research capacity building for early career researchers and team members from lower resourced environments, such as LMICs or disadvantaged communities;
- Ensure meaningful involvement of early career team members, including at least one early career member as a co-investigator.
The study population may include the general population, people with one or more existing NCDs, those currently without NCDs, or a combination of both. The study population may also include patients with NCDs and chronic infectious disease(s) (e.g., studies that focus on integrating NCD management into an HIV or tuberculosis clinic). With regard to NCDs, applicants are encouraged to explore any chronic non-communicable condition (or combination of conditions), including mental health disorders, neurological disorders and sleep disorders.
Proposals are expected to use an appropriate implementation research design and frameworks for feasibility studies, cluster randomised control trials (cRCTs), before and after studies, and additional implementation science classifications of study designs (e.g. hybrid designs).
Applicants are not limited to use any particular design, however a validated implementation research framework should underpin the study.
Proposals would be expected to generate evidence that is of direct relevance to policymakers, communities and practitioners. Also, proposals will require a strategy to include the relevant policymakers, local authorities, as well as other stakeholders such as community groups, or other individuals or organisations involved in the implementation of the intervention, with co-creation from the development of the project through to the implementation knowledge translation phase. Applicants should also provide a clear plan for continuing to engage with stakeholders.
Stakeholders also include patients, their family members and carers. Their contributions should be nurtured through meaningful engagement from the outset, not only as participants in the research undertaken. Patient engagement throughout the research project is critical to developing patient-centred models of care.
All stakeholders should be engaged at every stage of the research project, from initial ideation of research questions, throughout the duration of the project, and afterwards during the knowledge translation phase. It is also important to include stakeholders who can help sustain the project’s implementation, facilitate scale up, and use the knowledge generated from the project after the grant ends.
Poverty, racism, gender inequality, ethnic discrimination, and other inequities are directly associated with reduced potential for equitable access to quality care. Proposals should consider the social determinants of health and discuss their potential impact on the effective implementation of the intervention(s). If there is a focus on a particular population (e.g., gender, race and/or ethnicity), then the reason for this should be justified.
In order to promote health equity, proposals should aim to address differences in intervention access, uptake, and effectiveness in socially disadvantaged groups and develop strategies for reducing inequities. To facilitate this process at the data analysis stage, studies should be designed to address such differences. At a minimum, studies should capture and disaggregate data on sex and/or gender differences. If feasible, a plan for capturing intersectional impacts on health outcomes should be included in the analysis strategy.
This topic requires the effective contribution of social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts, institutions as well as the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise, in order to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities.
All projects funded under this topic are strongly encouraged to participate in networking and joint activities, including internationally, as appropriate. These activities could, for example, involve the participation in joint workshops, the Annual Scientific Meetings of the GACD, the exchange of knowledge, the development and adoption of best practices, or joint communication activities. Therefore, proposals are expected to include a budget for such activities and may consider covering the costs of any other potential joint activities without the prerequisite to detail concrete joint activities at this stage. The details of these joint activities will be defined during the grant agreement preparation phase.
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.
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Expected results
Proposals under this topic should aim to deliver results that are directed, tailored towards and contributing to some of the following expected outcomes.
- Healthcare practitioners and providers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and/or those in high-income countries (HICs) serving disadvantaged populations have access to information allowing to strengthen health systems for equitable high-quality care and health outcomes in the context of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
- Public health managers and authorities have access to improved insights and evidence on how to decrease the fragmentation of care for patients living with NCDs and ensure continuity of care across all stages of disease progression, including prevention, risk reduction, and timely diagnosis of NCDs. They use this knowledge to design policies to reduce health inequities and to promote equitable health outcomes.
- Researchers, clinicians and authorities have an improved understanding how the proposed interventions for strengthening health systems for equitable high-quality care and health outcomes in the context of NCDs could be adopted in LMICs and/or disadvantaged populations of HICs setting, taking into account specific social, political, economic and cultural contexts.
- Communities, local stakeholders and authorities are fully engaged in implementing and taking up interventions that strengthen health systems for equitable high-quality care and health outcomes in the context of NCDs and thus contribute to deliver better health, improve quality of life across the life course and extend healthy life expectancy.
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Eligibility Criteria
Regions / countries for funding
Moldova (Moldova), Albania (Shqipëria), Armenia (Հայաստան), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина), Canada, Faeroes (Føroyar / Færøerne), Georgia (საქართველო), Iceland (Ísland), Israel (ישראל / إِسْرَائِيل), Kosovo (Kosova/Kosovë / Косово), Montenegro (Црна Гора), New Zealand (Aotearoa), North Macedonia (Северна Македонија), Norway (Norge), Serbia (Srbija/Сpбија), Tunisia (تونس /Tūnis), Türkiye, Ukraine (Україна), United Kingdom
eligible entities
EU Body, Education and training institution, Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) / Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Other, Private institution, incl. private company (private for profit), Public Body (national, regional and local; incl. EGTCs), Research Institution incl. University, Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)
Mandatory partnership
Yes
Project Partnership
To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
- the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions
- the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States
- countries associated to Horizon Europe - see list of particpating countries
Only legal entities forming a consortium are eligible to participate in actions provided that the consortium includes, as beneficiaries, three legal entities independent from each other and each established in a different country as follows:
- at least one independent legal entity established in a Member State; and
- at least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated Countries.
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.
Any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal entities from non-associated third countries or international organisations (including international European research organisations) is eligible to participate (whether it is eligible for funding or not), provided that the conditions laid down in the Horizon Europe Regulation have been met, along with any other conditions laid down in the specific call topic.
A ‘legal entity’ means any natural or legal person created and recognised as such under national law, EU law or international law, which has legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations, or an entity without legal personality.
other eligibility criteria
Specific cases:
- Affiliated entities (i.e. entities with a legal or capital link to a beneficiary which participate in the action with similar rights and obligations to the beneficiaries, but which do not sign the grant agreement and therefore do not become beneficiaries themselves) are allowed, if they are eligible for participation and funding.
- Associated partners (i.e. entities which participate in the action without signing the grant agreement, and without the right to charge costs or claim contributions) are allowed, subject to any conditions regarding associated partners set out in the specific call conditions.
- Entities which do not have legal personality under their national law may exceptionally participate, provided that their representatives have the capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf, and offer guarantees to protect the EU’s financial interests equivalent to those offered by legal persons.
- Legal entities created under EU law (EU bodies) including decentralised agencies may be part of the consortium, unless provided for otherwise in their basic act.
- International European research organisations are eligible to receive funding. International organisations with headquarters in a Member State or Associated Country are eligible to receive funding for ‘Training and mobility’ actions or when provided for in the specific call/topic conditions. Other international organisations are not eligible to receive funding, unless provided for in the specific call/topic conditions, or if their participation is considered essential for implementing the action by the granting authority.
- Joint Research Centre (JRC)— Where provided for in the specific call conditions, applicants may include in their proposals the possible contribution of the JRC but the JRC will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal. Applicants will indicate the contribution that the JRC could bring to the project based on the scope of the topic text. After the evaluation process, the JRC and the consortium selected for funding may come to an agreement on the specific terms of the participation of the JRC. If an agreement is found, the JRC may accede to the grant agreement as beneficiary requesting zero funding or participate as an associated partner, and would accede to the consortium as a member.
- Associations and interest groupings — Entities composed of members (e.g. European research infrastructure consortia (ERICs)) may participate as ‘sole beneficiaries’ or ‘beneficiaries without legal personality’. However, if the action is in practice implemented by the individual members, those members should also participate (either as beneficiaries or as affiliated entities, otherwise their costs will NOT be eligible.
- EU restrictive measures — Entities subject to EU restrictive measures under Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU) as well as Article 75 TFEU, are not eligible to participate in any capacity, including as beneficiaries, affiliated entities, associated partners, third parties giving in-kind contributions, subcontractors or recipients of financial support to third parties (if any).
- Legal entities established in Russia, Belarus, or in non-government controlled territories of Ukraine — Given the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the involvement of Belarus, there is currently no appropriate context allowing the implementation of the actions foreseen in this programme with legal entities established in Russia, Belarus, or in non-government controlled territories of Ukraine. Therefore, even where such entities are not subject to EU restrictive measures, such legal entities are not eligible to participate in any capacity. This includes participation as beneficiaries, affiliated entities, associated partners, third parties giving in-kind contributions, subcontractors or recipients of financial support to third parties (if any). Exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis for justified reasons.
With specific regard to measures addressed to Russia, following the adoption of the Council Regulation (EU) 2024/1745 of 24 June 2024 (amending Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 of 31 July 2014) concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine, legal entities established outside Russia but whose proprietary rights are directly or indirectly owned for more than 50% by a legal person, entity or body established in Russia are also not eligible to participate in any capacity. - Measures for the protection of the Union budget against breaches of the principles of the rule of law in Hungary — Following the Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/2506, as of 16 December 2022, no legal commitments can be entered into with Hungarian public interest trusts established under the Hungarian Act IX of 2021 or any entity they maintain. Affected entities may continue to apply to calls for proposals and can participate without receiving EU funding, as associated partners, if allowed by the call conditions. However, as long as the Council measures are not lifted, such entities are not eligible to participate in any funded role (beneficiaries, affiliated entities, subcontractors, recipients of financial support to third parties, etc.).In case of multi-beneficiary grant calls, applicants will be invited to remove or replace that entity in any funded role and/or to change its status into associated partner. Tasks and budget may be redistributed accordingly.
Additional information
Topics
Relevance for EU Macro-Region
EUSAIR - EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, EUSALP - EU Strategy for the Alpine Space, EUSBSR - EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSDR - EU Strategy for the Danube Region
UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)
Additional Information
Applications must be submitted electronically via the Funders & Tenders Portal electronic submission system (accessible via the topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section). Paper submissions are NOT possible.
Applications must be submitted using the forms provided inside the electronic submission system (not the templates available on the topic page, which are only for information). The structure and presentation must correspond to the instructions given in the forms.
Applications must be complete and contain all parts and mandatory annexes and supporting documents.
The application form will have two parts:
- Part A (to be filled in directly online) contains administrative information about the applicant organisations (future coordinator and beneficiaries and affiliated entities), the summarised budget for the proposal and call-specific questions;
- Part B (to be downloaded from the Portal submission system, completed and then assembled and re-uploaded as a PDF in the system) contains the technical description of the project.
Annexes and supporting documents will be directly available in the submission system and must be uploaded as PDF files (or other formats allowed by the system).
The limit for a full application (Part B) is 45 pages.
Call documents
Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025 Cluster 1 - HealthHorizon Europe Work Programme 2025 Cluster 1 - Health(1200kB)
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