Grants for universities: 9 open calls (Project Office)

Grants for universities: 9 open calls (Project Office)

The Project Office of Lviv Polytechnic National University has released the 15th issue of its “Current Grant Opportunities” bulletin. We gathered the calls into one article, checked every deadline against the donor’s own page, and confirmed whether Ukrainian universities, researchers and organisations can apply.

The roundup covers 9 international programmes for universities, research teams and cultural organisations, spanning education and urban mobility, artificial intelligence, energy, plus history and cultural heritage. You can read the original bulletin via the Project Office link.

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Education, innovation and urban mobility

Two EIT Urban Mobility 2027 calls are open to universities and academic consortia. Because Ukraine is associated with Horizon Europe, Ukrainian entities qualify for both. You can apply as a single organisation or as a consortium.

1. RIS Education Open Call 2027 (EIT Urban Mobility) – Project Office issue

This call funds education and innovation projects in sustainable urban mobility across the EIT RIS countries. So it supports entrepreneurial capacity building, training programmes, summer and winter schools, scaling up local initiatives, and cooperation between universities, cities and business. In total, five activity types are available (RISE 1 to 5).

Budget

from EUR 70,000 (RISE5) to EUR 300,000 (RISE1, RISE2) per project; indicative total of EUR 2,600,000

Deadline

8 September 2026, 17:00 CEST

Who can apply

universities, research organisations, SMEs, startups and cities from the EU and Horizon Europe associated countries, so Ukraine qualifies

Офіційна сторінка

eiturbanmobility.eu

2. Master School and Fellowship Open Call 2027 (EIT Urban Mobility) – Project Office issue

This call invites universities and academic consortia to build international education programmes in sustainable urban mobility. Specifically, it supports new master courses, summer schools, joining existing EIT Urban Mobility programmes, and student startup entrepreneurship projects.

Budget

from EUR 30,000 to EUR 200,000 per project; total pool of EUR 1,400,000; own co-financing of at least 25% is required

Deadline

3 September 2026, 17:00 CEST

Who can apply

organisations from the EU and associated countries, including Ukraine

Офіційна сторінка

eiturbanmobility.eu

Planning a consortium? Both RIS Education and Master School reward strong partnerships. A practical guide to building an EU project consortium: Building a consortium for EU projects →

Artificial intelligence and digital solutions

3. AI-BOOST: AI Challenge Competition (Horizon Europe) – Project Office issue

This competition backs generative-AI solutions that answer concrete challenges set by industrial and research partners. Specifically, the current round runs two challenges: synthetic clinical patient data for medical imaging (EUCAIM), and automatic test case generation for autonomous driving safety (Siemens). Selection happens in two phases, Spark and Advance.

Funding

in the Spark Phase, EUR 28,500 goes to each of 5 winners per challenge, with further funding in the Advance Phase

Deadline

8 September 2026, 17:00 CEST

Who can apply

individual applicants and consortia from academia and industry, based in the EU, Overseas Countries and Territories, or Horizon Europe associated countries, so Ukraine qualifies; civil applications only

Офіційна сторінка

aiboost-project.eu

More on AI grants. A separate roundup of IT and artificial intelligence programmes open to Ukrainian teams in 2026: Grants for IT and AI 2026 →

History, culture and heritage preservation

Together, four programmes serve museums, archives, cultural organisations and heritage researchers. Three have a fixed September or August deadline, while ALIPH accepts applications year-round, so it sits in its own block below.

4. Europa Nostra Award (European Heritage Awards 2027) – Project Office issue

This award recognises the best European practices in preserving and developing tangible, intangible and digital cultural heritage. In fact, authors of forward-looking, participatory projects delivered in recent years can apply. There are five categories: conservation and adaptive reuse, research, education and skills, citizens’ engagement, and heritage champions.

Budget

up to EUR 10,000 for each Grand Prix (up to 5) and EUR 10,000 for the Public Choice Award

Deadline

7 September 2026, 23:59 CEST

Who can apply

entrants from countries in the Culture strand of Creative Europe; Ukraine takes part in Creative Europe

Офіційна сторінка

europeanheritageawards.eu

5. Innovative Cultural Products (UCF, EU co-financed) – Project Office issue

These grants develop cross-sectoral and cross-border partnerships between Ukrainian and European organisations. Specifically, funding covers the creation of a new cultural product, such as podcasts, film, VR and AR, platforms, exhibitions and performances, focused on digitalisation, urbanism, sustainable development, inclusion and cultural diplomacy.

Budget

total budget of UAH 19,108,000 (about EUR 400,000); per the operator, up to UAH 1,000,000 per project

Deadline

14 August 2026, 18:00

Who can apply

Ukrainian cultural, artistic and civic organisations with a track record; consortia and partnership projects are allowed

Офіційна сторінка

ucf.in.ua

6. CERV-2026-CITIZENS-REM: European Remembrance – Project Office issue

This call supports projects about defining events of recent European history: totalitarian regimes, the Holocaust, genocides and war crimes. Priorities include democratic transition, the rule of law and shared remembrance. Projects are transnational and require foreign partners.

Budget

from EUR 50,000 with no upper limit; funding rate around 90%

Deadline

30 September 2026

Who can apply

civil society organisations, NGOs, public bodies and research institutions; Ukraine participates in the CERV programme and can act as applicant or partner

Офіційна сторінка

EU Funding & Tenders Portal

Applications accepted on an ongoing basis: ALIPH

7. ALIPH: Action Plan for Ukraine – Project Office issue

An emergency programme to protect, stabilise and safeguard tangible cultural heritage in conflict zones. Specifically, funding covers the evacuation of collections, protective equipment for museums, archives and libraries, and urgent 3D documentation of objects at risk.

Budget

up to USD 75,000 for emergency measures; projects within the wider Action Plan have no strict ceiling

Deadline

applications accepted on an ongoing basis (a decision usually arrives within 1 to 2 months via the ALIPH online platform)

Who can apply

Ukrainian heritage institutions and professionals; funding is provided directly

Офіційна сторінка

aliph-foundation.org

Summary table: all 9 calls

Programme Donor Amount Deadline Official page
RIS Education 2027 EIT Urban Mobility EUR 70,000 – 300,000 8 September 2026 eiturbanmobility.eu
Master School 2027 EIT Urban Mobility EUR 30,000 – 200,000 3 September 2026 eiturbanmobility.eu
AI-BOOST Horizon Europe EUR 28,500 (Spark) + Advance 8 September 2026 aiboost-project.eu
Europa Nostra 2027 Europa Nostra, EC up to EUR 10,000 7 September 2026 europeanheritageawards.eu
Innovative Cultural Products UCF, EU up to UAH 1,000,000 14 August 2026 ucf.in.ua
CERV European Remembrance EU (DG JUST) from EUR 50,000 30 September 2026 EU Portal
Canon Research Fellowships Canon Foundation up to EUR 30,000 / year 15 September 2026 canonfoundation.org
LIFE-2026-CET-POLICY EU (CINEA) up to EUR 2,000,000 (95%) 16 September 2026 cinea.ec.europa.eu
ALIPH Action Plan ALIPH Foundation up to USD 75,000 ongoing aliph-foundation.org
Arts, heritage and European consortia. How Ukrainian cultural organisations can enter Horizon Europe and Interreg through partnerships: Arts and consortia: Ukraine in Horizon Europe and Interreg →

Energy, environment and research fellowships

8. LIFE-2026-CET-POLICY: Clean Energy Transition – Project Office issue

This topic supports the effective implementation of EU legislation on sustainable energy. In practice, activities focus on the Energy Efficiency Directive or the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive through joint methodologies, better data collection and experience exchange.

Budget

up to EUR 2,000,000 per project; funding rate of 95%

Deadline

16 September 2026, 17:00 CET

Who can apply

companies and SMEs, public authorities, universities, research organisations and NGOs; usually at least 3 entities from 3 countries. Ukraine is associated with the LIFE Programme

Офіційна сторінка

cinea.ec.europa.eu

9. Canon Foundation Research Fellowships – Project Office issue

A programme of individual research fellowships for European researchers, including those from Ukraine, to carry out research in Japan. Notably, the competition supports every academic discipline with no field restrictions.

Budget

up to EUR 30,000 per year, pro rata for a stay of 3 months to 1 year; funds cover living costs, travel, insurance and research expenses

Deadline

15 September 2026

Who can apply

European and Japanese researchers with a master’s or PhD earned in the past 10 years; up to 15 fellowships each year

Офіційна сторінка

canonfoundation.org

Preparing a Horizon Europe application? A breakdown of the most common application mistakes and how to avoid them: How to prepare a strong Horizon Europe application →

Who can apply and what to watch

Importantly, Ukrainian participation is confirmed for all 9 programmes. In the EIT Urban Mobility calls and AI-BOOST it works because Ukraine is associated with Horizon Europe. Ukraine is directly associated with LIFE, takes part in CERV as a programme country, and joins Europa Nostra through the Culture strand of Creative Europe.

UCF and ALIPH work with Ukrainian organisations directly, so entry there is simplest. Similarly, Canon Foundation reviews Ukrainian researchers on the same terms as other European candidates.

Before you apply, check two things on the official call page: whether the deadline has moved and whether partners are required. CERV, LIFE and both EIT calls mostly ask for a consortium, whereas Canon, UCF and ALIPH accept applications from a single organisation or an individual researcher.

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