The European R&I funding network for Quantum Technologies

Both the national/regional FWO fundamental (FO) and Strategic Basic Research (SBO) funding channels are integrated within this multilateral call. The type and scope of the proposed research project will determine the choice of funding channel for the research performed within Flanders (e.g. more fundamental in nature, or more aimed at economical/societal valorisation). Non-compliance with the specific requirements per funding channel might lead to non-eligibility.

Please note, this is only an FWO requirement: European and/or international partners within the project consortium can choose their type of research freely, according to their own national regulations.

For the fundamental funding channel the respective regulations apply. For the SBO channel the SBO regulations have to be taken into account: these imply projects with a primarily economic and/or societal finality, for which ‘valorisation’ is a key - and mandatory - aspect.

Project proposals have to be submitted by European and international consortia through the QuantERA call secretariat, by making use of the designated proposal template and financial template, via the submission platform (which will be made available from the end of September onwards), according to the applicable procedures and eligibility criteria included in the call documents and regulations mentioned above.

In case the consortium includes more than one partner requesting funding from FWO, a single online form should be submitted containing all relevant information from the different Flemish partners.

The deadline to submit the administrative application to the FWO is the same as the deadline of the joint transnational call. To ensure the eligibility of the proposal, it is recommended to consult the FWO administration at least one week in advance.

The FWO is able to support two projects for a 36 months duration, with an available maximum budget of 350.000 EUR (overhead included) per project/consortium. The FWO budgetary rules, which differ per funding channel, are also clarified in the call announcement document (from p. 24 onwards).

The cofund modality under the Horizon Europe framework programme provides for co-financing by the European Commission in addition to national/regional funds. This can result in additional support at the time of the funding decision, based on the final ranking after international peer review, which can lead to more projects – also for Flanders.

Some key points and deviations from the ‘regular’ FWO participatory framework to consider:

• Participation in the framework of the European co-funded partnerships does not interfere with the ‘regular/national’ FWO project submission framework, and is consequently not taken into account with regard to the max. available number of applications that can be applied for/run. However, researchers can only participate in a maximum of two different international consortia per call, provided they concern different subjects.
• Diverging overhead arrangements apply for what the fundamental and SBO funding channels are concerned, which is clarified in the call announcement document (from p. 24 onwards).
• SBO projects aimed at developing a spin-off route are not eligible in this context. As such, no mention of this option should be made in the FWO pre-registration document, nor within the QuantERA proposal.
• Projects have a max. duration of 36 months and should be budgeted accordingly. Automatic extensions/no-cost prolongations are not accepted in this framework. Consequently, article 28 of the FWO research project regulations and article 14 of the SBO project regulations are explicitly excluded.
• The PI, for each of the participating institutions from Flanders, must hold an admissible appointment that fully covers the duration of the research project. With regard to the ‘FO’ projects, and more specifically regarding the ‘emeritus’ regulation (artikel 10, §7): it does not apply in this context.
• In essence, the FWO only funds QPR projects (Quantum Phenomena and Resources), unless participation in an AQS consortium (Applied Quantum Science) can be substantiated.

Researchers are strongly advised to contact the FWO before submission regarding the eligibility criteria. This to avoid the ineligibility of a researcher individually, and the project consortium as a whole.