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Horizon Europe · European Union

Leveraging functional genomics to reveal novel targets for cancer treatment

Opens 10 Feb 2027

The EU's Horizon Europe programme expects to make 4 awards of €7 million – €8 million each, from a total budget of €32.32 million. Applications close on 16 Sep 2027 (EU calls usually close at 17:00 Brussels time). Organisations in EU member states and Horizon Europe associated countries such as Türkiye can usually take part; the topic conditions control.

Expected outcome

Proposals under this topic should aim to deliver results that are directed and tailored towards and contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• Researchers and health professionals gain a deeper understanding of the functional effects of tumour heterogeneity during cancer initiation and progression, supporting the identification of more precise and novel therapeutic targets.

• Researchers, health professionals and innovators benefit from improved knowledge and tools to support the discovery and development of next generation genomically-informed cancer treatments.

• Researchers, innovators, and professionals across disciplines and sectors contribute to the UNCAN.eu research data platform by ensuring data interoperability, and enabling sustainable access to newly developed digital tools and models for the analysis and management of multimodal clinical data.

Scope

The proposed topic will contribute to the EU Cancer Mission objective of improving the understanding of cancer initiation and progression. Of particular interest for this topic are paediatric and adolescent cancers [1] , cancers with limited treatment options, refractory cancers, rare cancers or cancer types with low five-year survival rates. Proposals may include the design of exploratory mechanistic studies using longitudinal patient bio-samples, clinical proof-of-concept studies and/or observational and translational studies involving newly collected or existing data, as appropriate. Applicants are encouraged to leverage technological advances in functional genomics [2] and structural biology including but not limited to rapid gene sequencing, single-cell studies, spatial gene mapping, spatial transcriptomics, epigenetic profiling, liquid biopsies and functional precision oncology pipelines. The use of causal inference, computational modelling and/or artificial intelligence tools is encouraged for the collection, visualisation, analysis and management of large, complex, and heterogeneous data sets. Collaboration among different scientific disciplines, including healthcare professionals, is envisaged [3] .

Who can apply

Consortium of at least 3 independent legal entities from 3 different EU Member States or associated countries, at least one in a Member State (Horizon Europe standard rule).

Applicant categories are a starting point. The official call decides eligibility.

Topics

Anticancer therapy Cancer and its biological basis Epigenetics and gene regulation Genomics, comparative genomics, functional genomics Cancer onset Cancer progression Functional Genomics Therapeutic targets

Timing

Single-stage call. Next deadline 2027-09-16. The portal states the exact cut-off time (EU calls usually close at 17:00 Brussels time).

How to apply

1. Read the full topic on the Funding & Tenders Portal: expected outcome, scope, type of action and the topic conditions, including any country restrictions.
2. Register each participating organisation in the Funding & Tenders Portal to get a PIC.
3. Consortium of at least 3 independent legal entities from 3 different EU Member States or associated countries (Horizon Europe standard rule; Türkiye is associated). Confirm in the topic conditions.
4. Prepare Part A (administrative forms and budget, completed in the portal) and Part B (the technical description on the official template for this type of action).
5. Submit in the portal before the cut-off time on the deadline day. Late submissions are not accepted.

From the call text

Who can apply

Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page

Company stage

Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page

Single applicant or consortium

Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route.

Where applicants must be based

Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route.

Where to apply

Read the topic conditions on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for eligible countries, consortium requirements, budget and the application route.

Read the EU application guide

Where these facts come from

Official sources

Official call page

Facts on this page come from the funder’s official data, taken on 14 Nov 2026. The funder's own documents, including later amendments, always take precedence.

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