Within the Horizon 2020 EU framework programme the first call for project proposals promoted by the European Partnership on Animal Health and Welfare (EUPAHW) – the initiative funded by the European Commission for the control of animal infectious diseases and the promotion of a greater awareness concerning animal welfare – has been recently published.
Among 56 main European research institutions and 30 funding organizations that adhered to the partnership, the Italian participants include Experimental Zooprophylactic Institutes, Universities, the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS), CREA (the Italian Centre for Agriculture and Environment Research) and, along with the Ministry of University and Research (MUR), the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry (MASAF), for the first time, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), as a beneficiary.
During the 7-year partnership, research activities will be mainly focused on the surveillance and control of animal infectious and diffusive diseases, especially focused on the risk of zoonoses, e.g. avian influenza, and the prudent use of antimicrobial agents for the prevention of antibiotic resistance.
The project proposals will concern the following three main topics:
- New technologies for the prevention, detection, evaluation and management of animal health and welfare;
- Fundamental research for animal health and welfare;
- Animal health and welfare and society.
For the Supporting the Future of Animal Health and Welfare call for projects, MUR has allocated two million euro, as non-repayable grants, to be assigned as follows:
- Maximum amount per individual eligible project, regardless of the number of Italian partners involved, €300,000;
- Minimum amount per each project, 100,000 euro.
The submission procedure is in two phases: 8 July 2024 is the deadline for the submission of preliminary project proposals (pre-proposals) on the dedicated page, while consortia that will pass the first selection will be invited to submit their full proposals no later than 4 February 2025.
It is mandatory for Italian participants to submit a national additional application on this platform within the same deadline of the first phase of the international call. Failure to submit this application will result in ineligibility to funding.
Further information is available here.
