EUROPE’s Rail launched its Call for Proposals 2022-2 in presence of the European commissioner for transport, Ms Adina Vălean, during InnoTrans on September 20. The call is now open for applications and submissions will be accepted until December 14.
The call includes funding worth €14.7m for projects worth €35.8m, and includes three topics under Destination 7 (Innovation on New Approaches for Guided Transport Modes) and seven topics under Destination 8 (Exploratory Research and Other Activities).
The Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking intends to use the call to also build a network within the rail scientific and research community, including the funding of PhD programmes. This will strengthen, expand and optimise rail research and innovation capabilities through the sharing of world-class national facilities in Europe to contribute to the Europe’s Rail programme or other funded multi-national programmes. Europe’s Rail says that all the activities launched during 2022 will be operational and start delivering results from 2023.
“These calls for proposals are an invitation to Europe’s best and brightest researchers and innovators to get involved in building a modern, efficient and reliable rail network - one that attracts passengers in droves, and companies en masse,” Vălean says. “The call budget is also clear evidence of the European Commission’s commitment to rail, and to the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking’s role in ensuring that it is fit for the future.”
“The new Europe’s Rail call is a great opportunity for the scientific and research community to have an increased involvement in the Europe’s Rail Research and Innovation activities,” says chair of the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking Scientific Committee, Professor Angela Di Febbraro. “As chair of the Scientific Committee, I look forward with high interest to all the topics included and I count on major participation. This call complements the first one, where more than 200 participants are expected to be involved. The Scientific Committee has great expectations from this work that will pave the way also to future calls in the years to come.”
