Advancing Respect for Human Rights in Cuba program

Middle East Regional Cooperation (MERC) Program is sponsored by United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The MERC Program aims to enhance research and development cooperation between Israel and its regional neighbors in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It focuses on scientific cooperation, technology-led development, and capacity building to promote regional development and achieve a comprehensive Middle East peace. Objectives include supporting actionable research, fostering implementation of research results, and building science and technology capacity.

Advancing the European bio-based innovation enabled by biotechnology and biomanufacturing concepts is sponsored by European Commission — Horizon Europe. Expected Outcome: Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: significant advance in the development of innovation in biotechnology, life sciences and/or biomanufacturing concepts, preparing future deployment of bio-based and bio-inspired processes, products and materials, as a basis for sustainable, fair, safe and circular value chains, contributing to decarbonisation, industrial competitiveness and the strategic autonomy of the EU and Associated Countries; improved environmental sustainability of the developed innovative bio-based solutions, with positive and quantifiable impact on climate and biodiversity, and circularity of the European bioeconomy via enhanced resource efficiency, including of biological feedstocks, water and energy, integrating bio-based sector to minimize and remediate waste production. Scope: Actions funded under this topic are relevant to the EU policies related to the European Commission communication on ‘Building the future with nature: Boosting Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing in the EU’, the Life Sciences Strategy, the upcoming EU Biotech Act, and Circular Economy Act, the EU strategy on research and technology infrastructure, the Clean Industrial Deal and the policies related to the digital transition (e.g. AI Act, etc.). It also contributes to the Start-ups and Scale-ups Strategy. Proposals should address the following activities: identify, select and develop further promising selected key technologies underpinning the bio-based innovation/industry, in particular R&D on synthetic/molecular biology, gene editing, metabolic engineering, microbiome [1] , and/or biofoundry approaches, covering all applications aiming at clean growth and environmental solutions. Advancing towards validation at a pilot-scale is encouraged, to enable future exploitation. The applications in health biotechnology, as well as the biofuel/bioenergy area are excluded, to avoid overlaps with Horizon Europe Clusters 1 and 5, respectively; ensure the integration of digital technologies (e.g. AI/Machine Learning, bioinformatics); advance the convergence of biotech and life sciences developed under the first point with Nature-based Solutions, e.g. for environmental applications, carbon sequestration [2] , biodiversity protection/enhancement, aligned with (bio-)circular economy principles (e.g. cascading biomass use), ensuring the environmental fate and sustainability is considered quantitatively at the earliest stage and ensuring safety to human health and environment is addressed and guaranteed; develop recommendations for policy makers and industrial actors, taking into account the available scientifically sound assessment of risks and benefits of the developed solutions. Proposals should involve SMEs – both as project beneficiaries and as external actors – and offer opportunities to newcomers (to Horizon Europe Cluster 6). Proposals should also engage with the civil society stakeholders such as NGOs and consumer organisations to seek stakeholder involvement and acceptance, thus advancing scale-up and facilitating future market uptake. Proposals need to ensure compliance with the ‘Do no significant harm’ (DNSH) principle. Proposals are encouraged to consider, where relevant, the data, expertise and services offered by European research infrastructures [3] , such as EMSO ERIC, EU-OPENSCREEN, ELIXIR, EMBRC ERIC, IBISBA. Efforts should be made to ensure that the data produced in the context of this topic is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable). Cooperation with the parallel projects funded under topic HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-10: Bio-based innovation in society: supporting the sustainable way of living is encouraged, to benefit from synergies and avoid overlaps. Similarly, activities should benefit from synergies and avoid overlaps with ongoing projects, e.g. funded under the topic HORIZON-CL6-2022-CIRCBIO-02-05-two-stage: Life sciences and their convergence wi Programme areas: Horizon Europe (HORIZON), Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness, Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment, Bio-based Innovation Systems in the EU Bioeconomy Keywords: Agricultural biotechnology, Bio-based products (products that are manufactured using biological material as feedstock) bio-based materials, bio-based plastics, biofuels, bio-based and bio-derived bulk and fine chemicals, bio-based and bio-derived novel materials, Biochemistry and molecular biology, Bioprocessing technologies (industrial processes relying on biological agents to drive the process) biocatalysis, fermentation, Bioproducts (products that are manufactured using biological material as feedstock) biomaterials, bioplastics, biofuels, bioderived bulk and fine chemicals, bio-derived novel materials, Cell biology and molecular transport mechanisms, Cell biology, Microbiology, DNA synthesis, modification, repair, recombination, degradation, Environmental biotechnology, Environmental biotechnology related ethics, Environmental biotechnology, bioremediation, biodegradation, General biochemistry and metabolism, Industrial biotechnology, Natural resources exploration and exploitation, Other biological topics, Plant sciences, botany, Proteomics, RNA synthesis, processing, modification and degradation, Social innovation, Social sciences, interdisciplinary, bio-based, bio-product, bioeconomy, biofoundry, bioinformatics, biomanufacturing, bioproduct, biotechnology, environmental biotechnology, gene editing, industrial biotechnology, life sciences, microbiome, synthetic biology

Bio-based innovation in society: supporting the sustainable way of living is sponsored by European Commission — Horizon Europe. Expected Outcome: Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: advanced socio-economic transformation based on scientific/technological opportunities delivered by the bio-based sectors and bioeconomy. This will result in innovative bio-based products and services, supporting the more sustainable way of living (e.g. new socio-economic models), higher circularity, affordability, resource efficiency, climate neutrality etc); improved public understanding and engagement in bio-based innovation underpinned by scientific advances in life sciences and biotechnology; better living conditions for individuals and communities, benefiting from less polluted ecosystems, via healthier, and environmentally sustainable products and services with a reduced carbon footprint and based on circular and bio-based solutions. Scope: The projects under this topic are relevant to the EU policies related to the European Commission communication on: Building the future with nature: Boosting Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing in the EU, the Strategy for European Life Sciences, the EU Biotech Act, Clean Industrial Deal and the policies related to the fair green transition (objective of not leaving anyone behind). It also contributes to the Start-ups and Scale-ups strategy. Synergies with activities under the Circular Bio-based Europe (CBE) Joint Undertaking and New European Bauhaus are encouraged. Proposals should address the following activities: develop the innovative user-friendly bio-based products and/or services, underpinned by biotechnology and biomanufacturing approaches, to support the more sustainable applications with a clear societal benefit, such as less resource-intensive consumer goods, to reduce environmental and climate pressures. Foresee the necessary links with the digital technologies and tools (e.g., bioinformatics, AI, etc.); assess the potential of new socio-economic models for circular and bio-based systems, integrating aspects of environmental justice, gender equality, diversity and social inclusion, as well as relevant international global best practice, via e.g. societal dialogue/innovation, social impact assessment, involvement and inputs from the social sciences and humanities (SSH); include research and innovation activities to understand and increase the level of current public perception and acceptance, including the benefits / risks, addressing the consumer perspective, market acceptance and understanding of the bio-based innovation, as well as delivering higher understanding of consumption patterns and social demands; foresee the cooperation and feedback loops with industry and authorities, in respect to any new market solutions proposed. The multi-actor approach is encouraged. Proposals should involve SMEs – both as project beneficiaries or external actors - and offer opportunities to newcomers to Horizon Europe Cluster 6, as well as engage with the civil society stakeholders such as NGOs and consumer organisations to advance scale-up and facilitate future market deployment. Cooperation with projects funded under parallel topics such as HORIZON-CL6-2026-01-CIRCBIO-07: Advancing the European bio-based innovation enabled by biotechnology and biomanufacturing concepts is encouraged to maximise synergies, while avoiding overlaps. Cooperation between all projects funded under this topic should also be foreseen, as a specific tasks, with an allocation of resources, for synergies. Proposals should integrate the gender dimension and consider other social categories besides gender (disability, age, socio-economic status, ethnic and/or cultural origin, sexual orientation, etc.), and their intersections. This topic requires the effective contribution of SSH disciplines and involvement of SSH experts in order to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities. International cooperation is encouraged. Technology Readiness Level - Techn Programme areas: Horizon Europe (HORIZON), Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness, Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment, Bio-based Innovation Systems in the EU Bioeconomy Keywords: Bio-based products (products that are manufactured using biological material as feedstock) bio-based materials, bio-based plastics, biofuels, bio-based and bio-derived bulk and fine chemicals, bio-based and bio-derived novel materials, Biochemical research methods, Biochemistry and molecular biology, Biodiversity conservation, Bioprocessing technologies (industrial processes relying on biological agents to drive the process) biocatalysis, fermentation, Environmental biotechnology, Environmental engineering, Industrial biotechnology, Materials engineering, Social innovation, Social sciences, interdisciplinary, Sociology, bio-based, bio-product, bioeconomy, biomanufacturing, biomass, biotechnology, fair transition

Disruptioneering (DARPA-PA-25-07) is sponsored by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). This program serves as a mechanism for DARPA's Defense Sciences Office (DSO) to issue individual Disruption Opportunities (DOs) that investigate high-risk, high-reward science and technology research projects quickly, typically making awards within 120 days of publication. It focuses on pursuing high-risk, high-payoff research in support of national security and technological surprise. Universities are explicitly eligible.