Talent Ready Connections Grant

IHI European HealthCare Incubator Network is sponsored by European Commission — Horizon Europe. Expected Impact: The action under this topic is expected to achieve the following impacts and contribute to the following EU policies/initiatives: deliver innovative, early technology solutions that contribute to addressing strategic unmet public health needs across multiple therapy areas to improve prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment; leverage the unique network and scale of IHI JU members to create a pipeline to support innovative startups in the health industry, fully integrated into European initiatives in support of start-ups and entrepreneurship; drive early cross-sector health R&D and innovation to strengthen the European healthcare industry’s global competitiveness, contributing to the EU Industrial Strategy and Pharmaceutical Strategy objectives; create a sustainable network of European healthcare incubators to guide and support highly talented and innovative early-stage companies; harness digital health and data-sharing technologies (e.g., AI and big data) to enable interoperable health solutions, contributing to the European Health Data Space (EHDS) and improved evidence based care;- the action should generate a portfolio of early‑stage companies that have undergone rigorous multi‑industry validation, significantly increasing their credibility with investors, regulators, and healthcare systems. This ‘industry quality seal’ should enhance the selected startups’ ability to secure follow‑on financing; by integrating corporate expertise into a pan‑European incubator network, the action should reduce fragmentation, support faster clinical and eventually commercial decision‑making, and enable more innovators to navigate regulatory and reimbursement pathways successfully. This should contribute to the objectives of the EU to accelerate the translation of research into deployable health technologies. The Network should serve as a feeder mechanism into wider EU support structures, ensuring that promising companies can transition smoothly into later‑stage funding and scale‑up opportunities. This complementarity should maximise the added value of EU public funding while avoiding duplication and reinforcing Europe’s position as a globally competitive hub for health innovation. The action under this topic should synergise with relevant EU programmes and contribute to several key EU strategies and policies: Life Science strategy, the proposed Biotech Act (especially the biotechnology development accelerators as referred to in article 5 of the Commission proposal), Industrial strategy, Pharmaceutical strategy, EU4Health Programme, Digital Europe Programme, Testing and Experimental Facility for Health AI and Robotic (TEF-Health), European Innovation Council (EIC) programmes, EU Competitive Compass, Choose Europe initiative, Startup and Scale-up strategy by the European Commission. Additionally, the action under this topic should synergise with the forthcoming European Startup and Scaleup Hubs and, in particular, encourage connection into the Network from the Call ‘European Startup and Scaleup Hub Pilot Call – HORIZON-EIE-2026-02-CONNECT-01’. Furthermore, the action has the potential to support Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, EU Mission on Cancer, Healthier Together – EU Non-Communicable diseases initiative, Joint Action for Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes in Europe, or the Cardiovascular Health Plan. Applicants should demonstrate in the proposal how these synergies will avoid duplication, ensure complementarity with existing EU efforts, and provide early-stage companies with continuity and scale up pathways. Expected Outcome: This call topic responds to the pressing need for a collaborative approach to accelerating the research-to-market pathway and fostering innovation and competitiveness in the European healthcare sector. Accordingly, the action under this topic must contribute to all of the following outcomes: 1. A sustainable European HealthCare Incubator Network (hereafter, the ‘Network’) linking incubators from t Programme areas: Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness, Health, Innovative Health Initiative, Horizon Europe (HORIZON) Keywords: Competitiveness, innovation, research and development, Decrease technological and industrial risks, Health care, Incubator companies, Investment readiness, Related to SME and start-up support, SME support, Start-up companies, European HealthCare Incubator Network, IHI, IHI JU, Innovative Health Initiative, Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking, Joint Undertaking Deadline stages: 2026-10-08, 2027-04-21

NSF-supported science and engineering research increasingly relies on cutting-edge infrastructure. With its Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program and Major Multi-user Facilities ("Major Facilities") projects, NSF supports infrastructure projects at the lower and higher range of infrastructure project costs, Foundation-wide, across science and engineering research disciplines. The Foundation-wide Mid-scale Research Infrastructure opportunity is intended to provide NSF with an agile, Foundation-wide process to fund experimental research capabilities in the mid-scale range between MRI and Major Multi-user Facilities. NSF defines Research Infrastructure (RI) as any combination of facilities, equipment, instrumentation, or computational hardware or software, and the necessary human capital in support of the same. Major facilities and mid-scale projects are subsets of research infrastructure. The NSF Mid-scale Research Infrastructure-1 Program (Mid-scale RI-1) supports either design activities or implementation of unique and compelling RI projects. Mid-scale implementation projects may include any combination of equipment, instrumentation, cyberinfrastructure, broadly used large scale datasets and the personnel needed to successfully commission the project. Mid-scale RI-1 design activities include the design efforts intended to lead to eventual implementation of a mid-scale class RI project. Mid-scale RI-1 projects should involve the training of a diverse workforce engaged in the design and implementation of STEM research infrastructure. Mid-scale RI-1 projects should directly enable advances in any of the research domains supported by NSF. Projects may also include upgrades to existing research infrastructure. Mid-scale RI-1 emphasizes strong scientific merit, a response to an identified need of the research community and/or fulfillment of a national need to enable U.S. researchers to be competitive in a global research environment. Well-conceived technical and management plans are essential for both design and implementation proposals, as are well-developed plans (e.g., mentoring and professional development) for student training and the involvement of a diverse STEM workforce in all aspects of mid-scale design and/or implementation activities. The inclusion of individual project participants that will lead to a supportive working environment is especially encouraged at all levels of the project team. Within Mid-scale RI-1, proposers may submit two types of projects, “Implementation” (e.g., acquisition and/or construction) or “Design”. The “Design” track is intended to facilitate progress toward readiness for a mid-scale range implementation project. Both Implementation projects and Design activities may involve new or upgraded research infrastructure. Mid-scale RI-1 "Implementation" projects may have a total project cost ranging from $4 million up to but not including $20 million. Mid-scale RI-1 "Design" activities may request less than $4 million, with a minimum request of $400,000 and a maximum request up to but not including $20 million, as appropriate, to prepare for a future mid-scale range implementation project. Note: Successful award of a Mid-scale RI-1 design activity does not imply NSF's commitment to the future implementation of the project being designed, nor is a Mid-scale RI-1 design award required for the submission of an implementation project. The Mid-scale RI-1 Program seeks to broaden the representation of PIs and institutions in its award portfolio, including a geographically diverse set of institutions (especially those in EPSCoR jurisdictions). Proposals submitted by, or involving partnerships between institutions are encouraged. Participation in this opportunity is encouraged for the full spectrum of diverse talent society has to offer to include PIs who are women, early-career researchers, persons with disabilities, or members of other groups underrepresented in STEM. To improve participation in science and engineering research for persons with disabilities, Mid-scale RI-1 encourages PIs to incorporate accessibility as part of Mid-scale RI-1 design activity and implementation projects. Please consult NSF's Research Infrastructure Guide, or RIG (available at https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/lfo/lfo_documents.jsp), for definitions of certain terms used in this solicitation, such as the Project Execution Plan (PEP) and Design and Execution Plan (DEP). The RIG provides guidance specific to Mid-scale Research Infrastructure Projects, including references to other parts of the RIG as needed. Note that PEP or DEP should be appropriately scaled for the complexity of the project and may not require all of the elements described in the RIG. Mid-scale research infrastructure projects with total project costs beyond the Mid-scale RI-1 Program limit are separately solicited through the Mid-scale RI-2 Program. Proposals to the Mid-scale RI-1 Program with total project costs outside of this solicitation's budgetary limits, either during initial submission or after cost analyses/revisions during subsequent review, are subject to return without further review. Funding Opportunity Number: 24-598. Assistance Listing: 47.041,47.049,47.050,47.070,47.074,47.075,47.076,47.079,47.083,47.084. Funding Instrument: G. Category: ST. Award Amount: $4M – $20M per award.