LUKE Joint Call - TA ČR SIGMA DC 4: International Cooperation
The aim of the LUKE Joint Call, announced as part of the LUKE (Linking Ukraine to the European Research Area) project, is to strengthen the involvement of research teams from Ukraine in international cooperation in the field of research, development, and innovation.
Call topics (in original wording):
- Energy: Sustainable and renewable energy and energy security
- Cybersecurity: Cyber resilience of critical infrastructures and adaptive cybersecurity systems
- Medical and health research: Telemedicine, biomedical research
- Social sciences and humanities: Social reconciliation, sustainable social development, and human capital restoration
Detailed information on possible project focus areas can be found on the call for proposals website.
The call for proposals is governed by international rules common to all applicants from all countries. In addition to these rules, Czech applicants must also meet national conditions. The rules for Czech applicants will be based on the SIGMA program (Sub-objective 4 – international cooperation).
The activities of the Czech applicant in the project proposal must comply with the following basic rules:
- they correspond to applied research activities,
- they lead to the achievement of a result or results that can be applied in practice,
- the applicant has clearly described in the project proposal how the result will be achieved and how the results/impacts of the project will be used in practice,
- the objective of the project is in line with the overall objective of the SIGMA program, DC4.
Deadlines
- Start of competition period: February 27, 2026
- Deadline for receipt of project proposals: May 15, 2026, 11:59 p.m. CET
- Deadline for submission of mandatory attachments to TA ČR: May 15, 2026, 11:59 p.m. CET
- Start of project implementation: January–March 2027
- Project duration: up to 24 months
- The maximum amount of support per project has not been set (for Czech applicants), but is expected to be approximately EUR 200,000 per project
- Maximum support intensity per project: 80%
- Project applicants for the Czech Republic may be enterprises (small or medium-sized) and research organizations
- A consortium consisting of at least 3 eligible partners from at least 3 participating countries (including at least 1 from an EU member state or associated country); each project consortium must include an eligible partner from Ukraine
We kindly ask all applicants to let us know their intention to participate in the competition as soon as possible.
- Internal deadline for budget review: April 30, 2026.
- After the budget has been checked and approved, it is necessary to upload the draft proposal to the ISEP documents and start the electronic approval process no later than May 7, 2026.
- When planning personnel costs, please follow the Methodological Sheet for Planning Personnel Costs.
- By April 24, 2026, send HR manager Eva Žufanová a list of the research team members you plan to include in the project proposal. You will be sent a range of salaries that you can plan for individual employees.
More information (detailed information and instructions, internal deadlines) can be found on the provider's website.
Consultation of results with CTT: Mgr. Hana Půstová
Consultation on legal issues: Mgr. Radim Kunc
Contact:
Ing. Kateřina Páleníková Fialová – economics, factual control, dispatch
Ing. Eva Žufanová – personnel costs