We are delighted to pre-announce the upcoming LUKE Joint Call, set to launch on 30 January 2026. This call will support basic and/or applied research, development and innovation projects, fostering research collaboration across borders.
The Call aims to build research and innovation partnerships, with Ukraine as the central partner. It is jointly implemented by 15 funding parties actively involved in the LUKE project, ensuring participation of more than ten countries.
Who can apply and how consortia should be organised
The Call is open to legal entities, including institutions, organisations, and enterprises, registered in one of the following countries: Austria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Georgia*, Germany, Latvia, Republic of Moldova, Poland, Romania, Türkiye and Ukraine.
We encourage the formation of consortia involving different types of organisations in research, innovation and business. However, the partner eligibility criteria vary depending on the national rules of the funding organisations. The preliminary eligibility information below indicates which types of organisations are eligible to apply to each funding agency under this Call.
A project consortium must include eligible partners from at least three above mentioned countries, with one partner based in Ukraine. The Lead Partner is nominated within the consortium.
* Confirmation is still pending
Call topics and scope
The following research and innovation topics are selected for project applications:
- Energy: Sustainable and renewable energy and energy security
- Cybersecurity: Cyber resilience of critical infrastructures and adaptive cybersecurity systems
- Medical and health research: Telemedicine, biomedical research
- Social sciences and humanities: Social reconciliation, sustainable social development, and human capital restoration
Topic descriptions are available here:
Indicative list of funding organisations and preliminary applicant eligibility
Austrian Research Promotion Agency, FFG, Austria
Austrian companies of all sizes, universities, and research institutions as well as R&D intermediaries.
Focus: Applied research (industrial research and experimental development).
Webpage: https://www.ffg.at/en
Austrian Science Fund, FWF, Austria
Austrian research institutions are eligible to apply if they are registered in the FWF’s research institution portal. Principle investigators must meet the FWF eligibility criteria as stated in the FWF guidelines for “Principle Investigator Projects”.
Focus: Basic research.
Webpage: www.fwf.ac.at
Technology Agency of the Czech Republic, TA CR, Czech Republic
Czech research organisations/universities, SMEs or large companies.
Focus: Applied research.
Webpage: https://tacr.gov.cz/en/
Estonian Research Council, ETAG, Estonia
Eligible applicants include Estonian universities and higher education institutions, public and private research and development organisations, as well as other legal entities established in Estonia that are capable of conducting research and meeting the national eligibility requirements defined for participation in multilateral transnational partnerships.
Focus: Basic and applied research.
Webpage: https://www.etag.ee
Research Council of Finland, RCF, Finland
Applicants must hold a doctoral degree, demonstrate significant scientific merits (typically at professor or docent level), and have a strong connection to Finland to enable a multi-year project. Funding is awarded to Finnish entities, mainly universities and research institutes, and decisions follow the “Principles of RCF funding decisions.”
Focus: Basic research, while also supporting applied research.
Webpage: https://www.aka.fi/en
Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, BMFTR, Germany
BMFTR funds both basic and application oriented projects. Research proposals may be submitted by German universities/higher education institutions, non-university research institutions, commercial enterprises, in particular SMEs, as well as local authorities and other institutions in Germany that provide research contributions.
Focus: Basic and applied research.
Webpage: https://www.bmftr.bund.de
Latvian Council of Science, LZP, Latvia
Research proposals may be submitted by Latvian universities/higher education institutions, state research institutes, research centres as well as enterprises, in particular SMEs.
Focus: Basic and applied research projects.
Webpage: https://www.lzp.gov.lv
National Agency for Research and Development, NARD, Republic of Moldova
Eligible applicants include public research organizations, universities, accredited laboratories, alone or in partnership with private organisations engaged in research and innovation activities (SMEs, NGOs etc.).
Focus: Basic and applied research.
Webpage: https://ancd.gov.md
National Science Centre, NCN, Poland
Within the call under the LUKE programme, researchers holding at least a PhD will be eligible to apply for funding through a broad range of research-conducting institutions recognised under Polish law, including universities, federations of higher-education institutions, institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences, research institutes, and centres within research networks such as Łukasiewicz, among many others.
Focus: Basic research.
Webpage: www.ncn.gov.pl
The Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding – UEFISCDI, Romania
Legal entities established in Romania are eligible to get funding, i.e. public and private accredited universities, national R&D institutes, other research organisations, SMEs, large industrial enterprises with R&D activity within their domains.
Focus: Exploratory and applied research.
Webpage: https://uefiscdi.gov.ro/
The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye, TÜBİTAK, Türkiye
Research proposals may be submitted by universities and higher education institutions, public and private research organisations, and private sector companies, including SMEs, established in Türkiye.
Focus: Basic and applied research.
Webpage: https://www.tubitak.gov.tr
National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, NASU, Ukraine
Eligible applicants are NASU research entities.
Focus: Basic and applied research.
Webpage: https://www.nas.gov.ua/
The National Research Foundation of Ukraine, NRFU, Ukraine
Eligible applicants are Ukrainian partner organisations that are legal entities registered and operating in Ukraine in accordance with national legislation. Such organisations may include institutions of higher education, as defined by the Law of Ukraine “On Higher Education”, or research institutions, as defined by the Law of Ukraine “On Scientific and Scientific-Technical Activities”, regardless of their legal form or form of ownership.
Focus: Basic/applied research (developments) projects only.
Webpage: https://nrfu.org.ua/
Indicative calendar
- Publication of the Joint Call: 30 January 2026
- Deadline for proposal submission: 30 April 2026
- Tentative date for starting the projects: January 2027
- Tentative end date of the projects: December 2028
Details presented here may be subject to change before the opening of the Call.
Further information and updates can be found here: LUKE Joint Call
Read more about about LUKE Joint Call development in LUKE newsletter:
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
