Springboard Programme 2026

The Springboard Programme includes:

• A springboard meeting between the Spain and UK collaborating team members, designed to: 
  - Bring bilateral teams together to plan a joint project or publication
  - Be a springboard for joint applications to large national, European or international funding organisations
• An online communication skills training  for the early career researchers who are part of the team
• Research placements in the partner’s lab for PhDs and postdocs involved in the programme.

The partners will organise bilateral UK-Spain workshops and will take place in either Spain or the UK. 

Grants of up to a maximum of 10,000 GBP can be used to cover the following costs:

• Travel and subsistence during a two-day springboard meeting for all team members (up to 10 people)
• Travel and accommodation for up to 2 Spanish and 2 UK early career researchers (PhDs or postdocs) for specific lab placements (for up to one week). Meals for the lab placement week
• Participation in communication skills training modules for early career researchers involved in the project

Please consult the Springboard Programme guidelines at the bottom of this page to get more information about the eligible expenses.

Applicants may request accessibility adjustments or additional support for their application, the funded project activities and reporting stages.

Springboard accepts joint applications from directors and Principal Investigators of established research laboratories/teams in the UK and Spain who wish to build new collaborations or strengthen existing ones.The UK partner is lead partner and will receive the funding on behalf of both partners. 
Each application can include up to 10 participants, including 6 early career researchers.
Partners based in other EU countries or the private sector can be added to the project.
Lead applicants are asked to also consider encouraging participation from researchers from under-represented groups in the teams implementing their proposed activities.

Applications in the fields from the six following Horizon Europe thematic priorities will be taken into consideration: 

• Health
• Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society 
• Civil security for Society
• Digital, Industry and Space
• Climate, Energy and Mobility
• Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

All disciplines are welcome (medicine, biology, social sciences, arts and humanities, physics, chemistry, environmental sciences etc.). Priority will be given to multidisciplinary proposals.

This call is especially intended for teams wishing to prepare applications for European and international funding (e.g. Horizon Europe).

Applications must be submitted from the UK research centre or university, that will sign the contract and will manage funds for activities by both institutions.  You can apply from here until 30 September 2026 at 17.00h CET

The submitted proposals will usually include:

• Names and affiliations of the researchers involved in the project (researchers from the same institution/laboratory must have complementary skills)
• Description of the research project and skills of the various institutions/laboratories involved (with an emphasis on existing synergies and previous collaboration)
• Brief description of existing links between the researchers involved (joint papers; joint PhD between labs; evidence of national funding)
• A specification of the types/sources of funding (e.g. UKRI, DFG, Horizon Europe…) you intend to apply for as a follow up from this meeting.

All submitted proposals are evaluated for their scientific quality and relevance.

You will get feedback on whether your application has been successful by January 2027.