The HRB hosts a National Contact Point (NCP) role for the Horizon Europe Health Cluster, offering expert advice and guidance on proposal preparation to applicants based in Ireland. Horizon Europe is the EU’s key research and innovation funding programme, with a budget of €95.5 billion. The Health Cluster and Cancer Mission calls for proposals are part of Horizon Europe’s Pillar 2, which funds large collaborative projects tackling global challenges in health and cancer care in Europe.

Commenting on the launch, Irene Castellano, NCP for Horizon Europe Health and Cancer Mission at the HRB, said:

‘The Health Cluster and Cancer Mission Work Programmes offer unique and valuable funding opportunities for researchers in Ireland. I encourage those interested in submitting a proposal to contact us, so we can help them access larger funding streams at a European level, enlarge their international networks and become leaders in their fields.’

Health Cluster Work Programme 2025

Horizon Europe’s priorities for the Health Cluster are geared towards social cohesion, inclusion, and the overall health and wellbeing of Europeans. 20 call topics under six main destinations have been launched:

Destination 1: Staying healthy in a rapidly changing society (€40 million)

Destination 2: Living and working in a health-promoting environment (€80 million)

Destination 3: Tackling diseases and reducing disease burden (€365.5 million)

Destination 4: Ensuring equal access to innovation, sustainable and high quality-healthcare (€40 million)

Destination 5: Developing and using new tools, technologies and digital solutions for a healthy society (€220 million)

Destination 6: Maintaining an innovative and sustainable and competitive EU health industry (€84 million)

A full breakdown of the Health Cluster Work Programme can be read here.

Cancer Mission Work Programme 2025

EU Missions aim to address some of Europe’s greatest challenges. The Cancer Mission, together with Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, seeks to improve the lives of more than three million people by 2030 through prevention, cure and solutions to live longer and better.

The 2025 Cancer Mission Work Programme has launched six call topics under four mission clusters and one transversal topic.

1 Understanding (€35.45 million)

2 Prevention and early detection (€2 million from the cancer mission and €10 million from the cities mission)

3 Diagnosis and treatment (€56 million)

4 Quality of life (€15 million)

Transversal topic: Support to the Network of National Cancer Mission Hubs (€11 million)

A full breakdown of the Cancer Mission Work Programme can be read here.

For expert guidance from the HRB on your Horizon Europe Health Cluster or Cancer Mission proposal, finding project partners in Ireland and Europe, and navigating the application process, please contact NCP Irene Castellano at icastellano@hrb.ie.

You can also watch HRB’s step-by-step guide for researchers preparing a competitive Horizon Europe funding application here.