Modelling & simulation supported AI framework for military decision-making and training

Expected Outcome: Practical chip design experience integrated into education at multiple levels; at least 1,000 students across Europe completing funded tape-outs over 4 years; stronger reskilling pathways for students from adjacent fields; and a sustainable, continent-wide pipeline of chip design talent to support Europe's semiconductor ambitions. Scope: This call funds a comprehensive Chip Design Skills Programme to lower barriers to entry in chip design and tape-outs. At least 60% of the budget must support hands-on tape-out experiences (via multi-project wafers) for university and secondary school students.

Expected Outcome: Europe's first long-term VET provider network for semiconductors; a larger and more diverse pool of qualified technicians; and increased intra- and extra-EU mobility of students and workers to fill skills gaps in semiconductor facilities. Scope: This call supports the establishment of a European-level federation of Vocational Education and Training (VET) providers focused on semiconductor industry roles. Projects should develop industry-aligned micro-credentials and reskilling programmes, with a strong emphasis on workers transitioning from other industrial sectors and on cross-border recognition of qualifications.

Expected Outcome: project results are expected to contribute to all of the following outcomes: complementing national programmes whose purpose is to ensure a sufficient and competent nuclear workforce. The action will generate EU added value by supporting coordination, sharing best practices and creating a single point for nuclear education and training at the EU level; enhancing nuclear careers by promoting Euratom competences in the fields of nuclear safety, security, safeguards, radioactive waste management and radiation protection; making them available through a higher number of attractive education programmes; and expanding mobility opportunities and job perspectives (including giving access to world-class infrastructure); advancing nuclear education and training through strategic actions for the safe implementation of AI; making nuclear education more attractive and disseminating information to communities of various profiles and ages, including for experienced professionals from adjacent industries (e.g. manufacturing industries) interested in continuing developing their career in the nuclear field. Scope: the purpose is to support the programme’s objective of maintaining…

Expected Outcome: Projects should contribute to all the following expected outcomes: Enhanced understanding, accompanied by documented good practices, showing what works to encourage multilingualism in society and what type of practices have led to safeguarding linguistic heritage, including lesser used, endangered and historically marginalised languages. Rigorous policy-relevant evidence, strategies and policy recommendations for promoting multilingualism and safeguarding linguistic diversity are available to policy makers, and users are involved in their development, especially the younger generation. Non-linguistic benefits of language maintenance and revitalisation are well documented, communicated and understood by different stakeholders. Citizens are empowered and engaged in the sustainable management of their own linguistic heritage and resources, with a focus on intergenerational dialogue and education activities, with particular attention to communities where oral transmission is the primary mode of language preservation. Maps and visual presentations showing the linguistic diversity in Europe are available, including a variety of existing languages (regional and minority…

Expected Outcome: Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: Policymakers gain insights into the cost of child poverty and the returns from securing access of disadvantaged children to quality Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) in the EU. Policymakers receive operational advice on ways to reduce this cost and support participation of disadvantaged children in quality ECEC to close the gap with other children in the EU. Scope: Past studies researched the cost of child poverty, and the returns yielded by and ways to secure disadvantaged children’s participation to ECEC, yet their relevance to the current EU context is limited (i.e. most of them were conducted outside of the EU or they are now outdated). Producing EU-specific insights on these issues is the aim of this topic, which should help close the ECEC participation gap and improve social outcomes, in line with the European Pillar of Social Rights, while fostering fiscal sustainability and inclusive growth. The proposals may: Define disadvantaged children, by going beyond monetary aspects of disadvantages, building on the EU’s concept of risk of poverty or social exclusion, and taking into…

Expected Outcome: Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: An in-depth analysis of the socio-economic dimensions and impacts of generative AI on the cultural and creative sectors and related societal implications. Particular attention should be paid to rights and remuneration of creators, diversity of cultural expression, audience perception, consumption patterns, market dynamics, value chains, royalty allocation and the effectiveness of copyright infrastructure. Scenarios, value chains, standards and robust, agile solutions to ensure transparency and trust in the generative AI supply chain are developed, aiming for a fair and transparent market for cultural and creative content. This includes: systems for content provenance detection of AI-generated and manipulated creative content; tools and infrastructure that reinforce rights management, creators’ consent, control, and fair compensation for the use of their works in AI training and generation; measures supporting the findability and discoverability of trustworthy cultural and creative content; mechanisms for the long-term preservation and stewardship of AI-generated creative works. Adaptive policy…

Scope: Proposals must demonstrate their disruptive impact on defence applications in order to accelerate the creation and deployment of novel solutions for armed forces and support the uptake of new civilian innovations in the defence sector. Proposals must focus on enhancing operational readiness and effectiveness, improving strategic decision-making and addressing emerging threats through cutting-edge technologies or products. Solutions must embrace disruption to enable armed forces to gain a technological edge and adapt to rapidly evolving security challenges, ultimately ensuring radical technological superiority over potential adversaries. Proposals must address disruptive knowledge, products and technologies in any area of defence interest reaching at least TRL4 . The funded actions should aim to achieve a rapid time-to-market. Management mode : Action implemented in indirect management by the European Defence Agency. Indicative number of proposals to be funded: Several proposals may be funded. Range of financial contribution of the EU per proposal: The requested funding cannot exceed EUR 3 000 000. Targeted types of activities: At least generating knowledge or integrating…

Scope: This topic aims to follow up and complement previous activities for the development of an endo-atmospheric interceptor by maturing key technologies required to successfully counter hypersonic and ballistic threats up to TRL 6. It should build on specific concept designs and advance the required technologies by developing dedicated demonstrators, e.g. for airframe, propulsion, platform separation, lethality, threat tracking and acquisition. This topic contributes to the STEP objectives as defined in the STEP Regulation in the target investment area of defence technologies. Management mode: Action implemented in indirect management by the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation. Form of funding: Contribution Agreement. Entrusted tasks : Implementation of actual cost grants following a competitive call. Targeted types of activities: Studies, design, system prototyping and testing, not excluding upstream and downstream activities eligible for development actions. Indicative budget: EUR 100 000 000 for this topic under the EDF-2026-DA call and EUR 2 000 000 for the remuneration of the entrusted entity. Indicative number of proposals to be funded: One proposal is to be funded…

Scope: The proposals must demonstrate their disruptive impact on defence applications and address innovative technologies and solutions for defence, including those that can improve the readiness, deployability, reliability, safety and sustainability of forces in defence tasks and missions, for example in terms of operations, equipment, infrastructure, energy solutions, surveillance systems or digital solutions. Proposals must address disruptive knowledge, products and technologies in any area of defence interest (8 ) reaching at least TRL 4 (9 ).In addition, to best complement R&D efforts that already target civil applications and encourage the efficient spinning-in of knowledge, innovation and technological development to the defence sector, this topic also welcomes proposals for add-on research actions to adapt solutions originally developed for civilian applications and previously not applied in defence. Management mode : Action implemented in indirect management by the European Defence Agency. Targeted types of activities: Any activities eligible for a research action. However, proposals must not be limited to studies. Indicative budget: EUR 35 000 000 to support this…

Scope: This topic aims to improve the design of underwater platforms and the proper integration of sonars, including the verification of existing tools and the development of better tools for modelling underwater flow-generated noise that can support the placement of sonars and the simulation of radiated noise from underwater platforms. The models to be developed for both sonar design and radiated noise will include the generation of high-quality verification data and would support the design of underwater platforms and the placement and design of sonars. Targeted types of activities: Generating knowledge, integrating knowledge and studies, not excluding downstream activities eligible for research actions. Indicative budget: EUR 10 000 000 for this topic under the EDF-2026-RA call. Indicative number of proposals to be funded: One proposal is to be funded for this topic. However, depending on the quality of the proposals submitted and the budget available, more than one proposal may ultimately be funded for this topic.