Submitting multiple proposals under the same call can be somewhat complicated, as the consortia you are involved in may end up competing against each other. In some cases, the number of projects to be funded is limited by the total budget allocated to the call. Depending on the situation, it may even be preferable to merge the two consortia into one.
On the other hand, it is entirely possible for a researcher to participate in multiple Horizon Europe projects. This should be considered based on how much the researcher can realistically contribute to each project.

Once selected, the Grant Agreement (GA) must be concluded in accordance with EU administrative procedures, usually led by the project coordinator within the consortium. The GA template is normally provided together with the call documents. In addition, consortium members typically prepare and sign a Consortium Agreement (CA) among themselves.




 

 

When preparing a proposal, a “call writing team” is usually formed. Typically, 2–3 key members meet regularly (e.g. weekly) to discuss details and coordinate with all partners. This helps ensure consistency and coherence in the proposal. Support may also be provided by Grant Advisors, Research Support Offices, or external consultants.
In practice, the proposal is written collaboratively by the entire consortium. The process is generally led by the project coordinator, who oversees drafting and submission. Each consortium member is asked to write the section related to their specific tasks, and the coordinator compiles and finalizes the full proposal. In many cases, external professional consultants are also hired to help with meeting coordination, minutes, and proposal preparation.

You can find the English online manual for using the EU Funding & Tenders Portal at the following link.
For Korean-language materials, please refer to the analytical research report and guidebook comparing EU Horizon Europe and the National Innovation Act.

The submission deadline varies by call. You can check upcoming, open, and closed calls on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

All procedures related to Horizon Europe proposal evaluation are carried out entirely by the EU.

In general, Pillar II calls use a standard proposal template with a maximum length of 45 pages. Apart from some predefined sections that applicants must complete, proposers are free to use various visual tools—such as tables, diagrams, and coloured boxes—to present their ideas. There are, however, exceptional cases, such as lump-sum funding calls, where the maximum length may exceed 45 pages.

It is very important to continuously update your profile and actively promote yourself through online tools such as LinkedIn or Google Scholar, so that European partners can easily find you. Participating in international conferences to build connections is also essential.
In addition, it is helpful to highlight your unique strengths or expertise that other partners may not have. You can also identify potential European partners in your field of interest and try to make contact through their Research Support Office or similar institutional channels.

In many cases, applicants do not have prior experience with European projects. For instance, there was recent collaboration with an institution in the UK and a university in Mozambique, both of which had no Horizon participation experience. As a result, it was necessary to ask them the right questions to help clarify their research ideas and objectives, and several rounds of discussion were required. At one point, an offline meeting was even arranged to bring all partners together for in-depth discussions.
Apart from budget-related aspects, this process was not perceived as particularly difficult. Ultimately, the most important factor is the partner’s expertise.

When participating in an MSCA consortium, many institutions were involved. At first, the partners did not know each other well, but through kick-off meetings and Zoom meetings, they gradually learned about each other’s research activities. Since they were part of the same project, it became much easier to approach one another—for example, by saying, “We are working on this area; what are you doing? Let’s visit each other and learn more.”
In the case of the Luxembourg institution, they had only briefly met at a previous meeting and were not particularly close. However, while preparing the CHIASMA project, their research needs aligned, which led to a much more active and collaborative relationship.

As long as emeritus or adjunct professors are officially affiliated with the institution, there should be no issue with their participation as partners. However, it is more important to consider whether the researcher can effectively manage all communication with the European Commission and complete all deliverables within the required deadlines.

If Korea is included in a consortium, it may be advantageous in terms of geographical diversity compared to other consortia that receive the same evaluation score. In addition, since Korea has recently joined as an associated country, consortia that include Korean institutions may be preferred over others with equal scores.

As mentioned, the easiest way to initiate international collaborative research is to build on your existing network. However, if you need to establish new connections with European researchers, there are several approaches.
First, when a Horizon Europe call is published, a Partner Search platform is usually activated. Researchers or institutions interested in the call can post their research fields and collaboration interests, allowing others to get in touch. You can use this platform to connect with potential partners. Another option is to seek support from NCPs in identifying suitable collaborators.
In addition, the EU organizes various networking and brokerage events, which can be valuable opportunities to find research partners. Since Korea’s participation in Horizon Europe as an associated country, there has been a noticeable increase in collaboration inquiries from EU researchers. Although this may vary by field, interest from the European side appears to have grown significantly due to the expansion of a new and strong pool of Korean research partners.
For example, one researcher shared that when starting their first EU project, they joined as a coordinator because they initially had no network or clear way to join an existing consortium. They posted their idea on the Partner Search platform and received 20–30 collaboration requests, from which they selected partners. Some of these partners already had EU project experience and introduced additional contacts. Coordinating the first project created a snowball effect, leading to more partnerships and further project opportunities.
(Partner Search page link : https://ec.europa.eu/info/fundingtenders/opportunities/portal/screen/how-to-participate/partnersearch?isExactMatch=true&frameworkProgramme=43108390&type=ORGANISATION,PERSO N&order=DESC&pageNumber=1&pageSize=50&sortBy=lastModified) 




 

 

Early-career researchers can benefit from various Horizon Europe programmes. For example, funding under Pillar I allows institutions and principal investigators to recruit PhD candidates and researchers.
In 2024, ERC Consolidator Grants supported 328 researchers with a total of €678 million, which is estimated to create around 2,750 jobs for postdoctoral researchers, PhD candidates, and other staff at host institutions.
All job opportunities created through EU research funding are published on the EURAXESS portal. Therefore, Master’s and PhD students can participate in Horizon Europe projects by actively exploring such opportunities via EURAXESS.
You may also find useful information on the EU Research Career page on the KERC website or on the EURAXESS Korea page.

In the case of Horizon Europe, participants receive funding from the EU.

Yes. Since Korea is not an associated country for Pillar I, Korean participants who wish to take part must secure and cover their own research funding.
You may also refer to the casebook of Korean participation in Horizon Europe projects published by KERC, which includes examples such as participation in Pillar I MSCA-RISE projects (see the link below).

Pillar I is not a domain covered by associated country participation for Korea, so in general Korean researchers cannot apply as PIs. However, in some programmes such as the ERC Synergy Grant, researchers from third countries can also participate as PIs.
In addition, certain MSCA schemes allow individual researchers from third countries to participate. One example is the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships, where Korean researchers can apply by securing a host institution in Europe.
In ERC Synergy Grants, research teams consist of 2–4 PIs, and one PI may be based in a third country. Furthermore, programmes like the ERC do not impose nationality restrictions but are based on the host institution, meaning Korean researchers can also apply if they are affiliated with a European institution.

All projects under Horizon Europe Pillar II follow a top-down approach, as they aim to address global societal challenges in line with the EU’s policy priorities. Therefore, key elements such as the expected impact, expected outcomes, topic, and scope are predefined.
However, these are not specified at the level of a detailed RFP. Instead, research consortia typically develop their proposal and research plan collaboratively to achieve the stated objectives and impacts.
In contrast, a fully bottom-up scheme within Horizon Europe is the European Research Council (ERC) under Pillar I, which supports excellent frontier research proposed by individual researchers.

You can search for NCPs by country and thematic area through the EU portal provided by the European Commission.

At present, there are no additional recruitment plans beyond the current selection. However, further selections may be considered in the future, taking into account domestic demand and budget availability.