HESSEN HORIZON – Seed Fund for EU Research Projects of Hessian Universities

The HESSEN HORIZON Seed Fund specifically targets public Hessian universities, inter-university doctoral centers, and university associations and networks in Hesse. The goal is to support these institutions in increasing their chances of acquiring EU research funds and advancing their research projects at the European level.

The HESSEN HORIZON Seed Fund supports measures for the successful initiation of Hessian applications for various EU research programs. The funding covers open-topic research areas and specific thematic priorities of the EU. Primarily eligible for funding are personnel expenses, and in exceptional cases, directly beneficial material costs that contribute to improving EU research funding acquisition.

Financial support is provided in the form of a grant. The amount of funding is variable and depends on the needs of the respective university as presented in the application. There are no fixed maximum amounts, but funds are available until the end of 2025.

To utilize the funding, Hessian universities and their cooperations must meet certain conditions, particularly regarding the economical use of funds and the distinction from permanent funding. Annual applications based on university-specific EU research concepts must be submitted, and strict regulations for the use of funds must be observed.

The application for the HESSEN HORIZON Seed Fund must be submitted annually to the Hessian Ministry for Science, Research, Art and Culture (HMWK), based on a specific EU research concept of the university. Approval is granted after assessing the needs, and the use of funds must be documented through a factual and numerical proof.

This section explains the official foundations that establish the HESSEN HORIZON – Seed Fund for EU Research Projects of Hessian Universities funding program and regulate its operational implementation. It refers to the authoritative guideline that sets out the principles of funding.