The European Commission has endorsed IST_ID and NOSEVAC’s proposal to expand the project’s scope, allowing for new tasks and the integration of a new partner from a widening* country into the consortium.
Challenging candidate selection
Among seven strong candidates, the Associação do Instituto Superior Técnico para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento (IST-ID) from Portugal emerged as the unanimous choice. NOSEVAC’s application under the “Hop-on facility” funding scheme showcased that the new partner’s research and innovation (R&I) added real value to the project, and defined a clear work package (WP) for their integration.
IST-ID will lead the hop-on NOSEVAC modelling activity (proposed as WP 8) that aims to develop mathematical and quantitative modelling platforms for nasal vaccines research. By combining biological data and theoretical models to deliver more robust quantitative analysis of bivalent RNA- and protein-based nasal vaccines’ mechanisms, these platforms will aid in better understanding, preventing and reducing nasal colonisation and infection by viral and bacterial respiratory pathogens.
The data generated from animal, human and in vitro studies, combined with integrative models will help policymakers and funders make informed decisions on supporting further nasal vaccine development.
We are pleased to welcome IST-ID as a new partner, represented by Erda Gjini and looking forward to fruitful collaboration.
What is a Hop-on facility?
The Hop-on facility allows for organisations from low R&I-performing countries to join already selected collaborative projects, subject to the agreement of the respective consortium. The scheme aims to improve the inclusiveness of Horizon Europe by involving more research institutions from widening countries under Horizon Europe Pillar 2 and EIC Pathfinder actions.
In that case, based on excellence and added value contribution criteria, the respective consortium may decide to add a new partner. The only condition is that legal entities from such countries should not already participate in the partnership.
*Which are the 'widening countries'?
Low performing R&I countries or the so-called widening countries are Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and all Associated Countries with equivalent characteristics in terms of R&I performance and the Outermost Regions: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, North Macedonia, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey and Ukraine.
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