The Transforming Health and Care Systems (THCS) initiative has been established as a European partnership under Horizon Europe, co-funded by the European Commission. The aim of THCS is to coordinate and optimize research and innovation efforts in Europe and its partner countries supporting health and care systems transformation.
The call addresses the challenge presented by the increasing number of patients admitted in hospitals or other healthcare facilities and the need to ensure they are treated in the appropriate setting according to their respective medical condition in a healthcare continuum that makes the best use of resources and deliver better patient satisfaction. To reach this ambition, the complementarity of inpatient and outpatient care, and the coordination between them needs to be optimised.
The challenges are complex and can be answered with a wide variety of Research and Innovation (R&I) projects and concepts. These include applied, innovative research as well as development of strategies, testing, implementing and assessing interventions and solutions in different countries and in different health and care contexts and settings.
In this context, 36 funding organisations from 23 countries have agreed to launch a Joint Transnational Call (JTC2023) for collaborative research projects on “Healthcare of the Future”.
Note that there is a mandatory intent to apply stage for this call with a deadline of 23 May 2023 at 13:00 (GMT).
The full proposal deadline is 13 June 2023 at 13:00 (GMT).
Details of this scheme
HRB Guidance and FAQSs for applicants based in Ireland can be found on this page. Please refer to the main THCS call site for full details of the call and a recording of the webinar for this call (all links across).
The JTC 2023 envisages proposals addressing solutions for seamless integration of health services in different settings in which health and care is delivered and received, locally, regionally, at home or in specialised hospitals, and in different contexts. Proposals should identify and describe the health and care settings where particular needs can be best addressed. Proposals can focus on one or more intervention areas (I.e. NCDs and CDs, cancer etc.)
The call has two aims:
- To provide the necessary knowledge to build the health and care of the future. This includes addressing several dimensions of health and care systems such as quality, safety, equity, efficiency, effectiveness, accessibility, sustainability, economy, ethics and resilience in reorganised health and care settings. As such, the call aims to support the development of new and innovative solutions that can address the current and future challenges facing health and care systems.
- To support the implementation of innovative solutions on a larger scale. This includes identifying and promoting the adoption and transferability of evidence-based and successful practices that have already been proven to be effective in some contexts in addressing the challenges facing health and care systems. In this way, the call aims to accelerate the pace of change and make a positive impact on health and care systems in a more efficient way.
The transformation of health and care systems involves re-evaluating the role of hospitals, primary care and community care. Proposals should aim at presenting a clear vision of the future role, mission, and activities of health- and care organisations within the context of new and evolving care settings and determining the most appropriate roles in that new context.
The following types of research projects are excluded for partners funded by the Health Research Board:
- Proposals involving basic biomedical research.
- Research intended to create human embryos solely for the purposes of research or for the purposes of stem cell procurement, including by means of somatic cell nuclear transfer.
Who can apply?
This is a joint transnational call: applicants must apply as part of a transnational consortium.
Note that this call is not open to Host Institutions in Northern Ireland, who must apply as self-funded collaborators if they wish to be involved.
Researchers from Ireland can apply as coordinators or partners. If successful, researchers from Ireland will be funded by the Health Research Board up to a maximum per consortium of €370,000, or €500,000 for consortium coordinators. Applicants applying for funding from Ireland must be based at an eligible HRB Host Institution.
Individual country partners/coordinators should confirm eligibility with their national funding organisation contact point.
Main Eligibility Criteria
- A minimum of three eligible and a maximum of nine eligible partners from at least three different countries participating in the call.
- No more than three eligible partners from the same country participating in the call will be accepted within one consortium.
- A maximum of two collaborators per consortium. Collaborators are self-funded partners.
How to apply
Please review HRB’s Guidance and FAQs on this page alongside the core call text for full details of the aim, objectives and scope of the call (links across).
The call’s partner search tool can be used to identify potential partners.
Apply for this award
This is a one-stage application procedure for joined applications with preceding ‘Intent to Apply’ step before the full application.
- Coordinators must submit an “intent to apply” by 23 May 2023 at 13:00 (GMT). Proposals without a preceding “intent to supply” will be ineligible.
- One joint proposal document (in English) shall be prepared by the partners and must be submitted by the Coordinator by 13 June 2023 at 13:00 (GMT).
- Both documents must be submitted via the online submission platform (see the main THCS call website, link across).
Contact us
For general information, please contact the THCS Joint Call Secretariat (JCS):
ZonMw, Netherlands
Email: thcs(at)zonmw.nl
For country-specific information for Irish Partners, please contact the HRB, Ireland:
Dr Siobhán Hackett
Email: eujointprogrammes(at)hrb.ie