Description

The IHI Call 13 is a two-stage Research and Innovation Action (RIA) under the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking (IHI JU). The call aims to accelerate healthcare innovation through collaborative public-private research addressing major health challenges. It includes three topics: (1) establishing a European healthcare innovation network, (2) developing AI-based toxicology models to reduce animal testing in drug safety studies, and (3) advancing understanding of immune-mediated diseases associated with ageing.

This topic aims to improve understanding of how biological ageing and age-related changes to the immune system (immunosenescence and inflammaging) contribute to the onset, progression and exacerbation of chronic immune-mediated diseases. The project should generate new evidence on the molecular mechanisms linking ageing and immune dysfunction by integrating clinical cohorts, multi-omics data, biobanks, digital biomarkers, artificial intelligence and population health data. Ultimately, the action seeks to enable earlier diagnosis, personalised prevention strategies, improved patient stratification and the development or repurposing of therapies specifically suited to elderly populations.

Funding Amount

Maximum IHI JU contribution

• EUR 9,200,000

Additional indicative contributions

• Industry in-kind contribution: EUR 9,200,000

The indicative project duration is 60 months. The industry contribution may include in-kind contributions to additional activities (IKAA).

Submission Deadlines

• Stage 1 (Short Proposal): 8 October 2026
• Stage 2 (Full Proposal): 21 April 2027 (by invitation only)

Eligible Types of Businesses

The consortium may include organisations eligible under Horizon Europe and IHI Joint Undertaking rules, including:

• SMEs
• Large pharmaceutical companies
• Biotechnology companies
• Universities
• Research institutes
• Hospitals and clinical centres
• Healthcare providers
• Biobanks
• AI and data science organisations
• Bioinformatics and computational biology organisations
• Public bodies
• Non-profit organisations

Applicants are expected to collectively provide expertise in:

• ageing biology and immunosenescence;
• rheumatology, gastroenterology and pulmonology;
• immunology, immunogenetics and epigenetics;
• multi-omics technologies;
• clinical studies and cohort management;
• AI, big data and digital biomarkers;
• project management of large European public-private partnerships.

Eligible Countries

Participation follows the standard Horizon Europe and IHI Joint Undertaking eligibility rules.

Funding is generally available to legal entities established in:

• EU Member States;
• Horizon Europe Associated Countries;
• other countries eligible under Horizon Europe participation rules.

Country-specific funding restrictions described in the IHI Work Programme apply where relevant.

Submission Conditions

• Research and Innovation Action (RIA).
• Two-stage submission procedure.
• Only the highest-ranked consortium from Stage 1 is normally invited to prepare the full proposal together with the pre-identified industry consortium.
• The full proposal must be jointly developed with the pre-identified industry partners.
• Proposals must be submitted electronically through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.
• Applicants should include a strategy for regulatory engagement, sustainability of project outputs and collaboration with European research infrastructures.
• Where relevant, proposals should include clinical studies supported by appropriate clinical study documentation.