Horizon Europe

Horizon Europe is the European Union’s funding programme for research and innovation. It aims to:

  • Tackle climate change
  • Support the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
  • Enhance the EU’s competitiveness and economic growth
  • Facilitate collaboration and amplify the impact of research and innovation in shaping and implementing EU policies
  • Promote excellent knowledge and technology dissemination
  • Create jobs, engage the EU’s full talent pool, and optimize investments across a stronger European Research Area

 

Programme Structure

Horizon Europe is built on three main pillars:

  • Pillar 1 – Excellent Science
  • Pillar 2 – Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness
  • Pillar 3 – Innovative Europe

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Source: Horizon Europe Website

 

Pillar 2 – Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness

Pillar 2 is strategically organized into six thematic clusters, each addressing key societal and industrial priorities:

  1. Health
  2. Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society
  3. Civil Security for Society
  4. Digital, Industry and Space
  5. Climate, Energy and Mobility
  6. Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

This structure enables interdisciplinary research to address global challenges while advancing Europe’s industrial leadership.

 

Cluster 2: Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society

Cluster 2 approaches societal challenges through research in the social sciences and humanities, aiming to strengthen democratic governance, safeguard cultural heritage, and foster inclusive and sustainable development. To address these goals, it is divided into three destinations:

  • Democracy – Promoting European democratic values, including the rule of law and fundamental rights
  • Cultural Heritage – Protecting and enhancing Europe’s rich and diverse cultural heritage
  • Social and Economic Transformations – Driving socio-economic change to support inclusion, resilience, and sustainable growth

 

Brazil’s Role in Horizon Europe

Brazil ranks sixth among third countries in Horizon Europe participation. The average success rate of proposals involving Brazilian researchers is 26% - above the overall program participation success rate of 19%. Currently, Brazil has 144 participations in Horizon Europe projects, 4 of which are in Cluster 2. (Public Dashboard of Horizon Europe). 

In Brazil, Goret Pereira Paulo, Director of Research and Innovation at FGV, serves as the National Contact Point (NCP) Cluster 2. In this role, she is responsible for supporting Brazilian researchers participation in Horizon Europe.

 

Her core mission as a Cluster 2 NCP includes

  • Raising awareness about Horizon Europe and its opportunities for Brazilian researchers
  • Fostering strategic collaboration between Brazilian and European institutions
  • Facilitating connection between researchers interested in participating in Horizon Europe and funding agencies in Brazil 
  • Promoting inclusive and sustainable international collaboration
     

✉️ Contact the NCP

 

Funding Opportunities

 

Watch the 2025 Work Programme presentations

 

Net4Society

Net4Society is a transnational network that supports Cluster 2 NCPs by promoting the integration of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) across Horizon Europe. It organizes SSH-focused events, provides specialized training, and disseminates targeted funding opportunities — not only within Horizon Europe, but also across its missions and partnerships.
Visit the Net4Society website to learn more.

Looking for the right partners for your Horizon Europe project under Cluster 2?

The Cluster 2 Community Platform is a dedicated space to connect with over 3,500 researchers and institutions worldwide who share interests in democracy, cultural heritage, and socio-economic transformations. By registering, filling out your profile, and selecting the destinations and calls that match your expertise, you gain access to a dynamic network focused on generating impact through collaborative research.
Organized by the Net4Society and the Enterprise Europe Network, this platform is an easy and strategic first step to building or joining a competitive consortium.

Horizon Europe and Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH)

Cluster 2 – Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society – is fully dedicated to Social Sciences and Humanities. All its topics require strong SSH contributions, engaging experts and institutions to drive meaningful societal impact.

However, SSH participation goes far beyond Cluster 2. Other areas of Horizon Europe, such as Cluster 5 (Climate, Energy and Mobility), also emphasise the importance of social and cultural perspectives to ensure that research and innovation results are relevant, inclusive and effectively adopted by society. Several calls across different clusters recognise that achieving a high level of societal readiness requires integrating SSH expertise to better understand human behaviour, public engagement and governance.

Reflecting this cross-cutting importance, the European Commission has published the first monitoring report on SSH-flagged projects funded under Pillar II of Horizon Europe (2021–2023). The report offers valuable insights into how SSH is being mainstreamed across the programme. You can access it at this link.

SSH expertise is therefore essential across multiple areas, offering valuable insights to co-create solutions for today’s complex challenges.

Click here to access a list of SSH-Focused Calls Across Clusters (2025).

SSH integration: Past, Present and Future – A data analysis

European Alliance for Social Sciences and Humanities (EASSH) presents a detailed analysis and recommendations based on the European Commission’s first monitoring report on the integration of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) in Horizon Europe. The paper explores progress, challenges, and future pathways to strengthen multidisciplinarity and ensure sustainable policy implementation.

Access the paper.

Useful links