UNIPD-FBK “Seed Grants” 2026 Call

Within the framework of the strategic collaboration between Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) and the University of Padua (UNIPD), the pilot call “2026 Call for Proposals – Seed grants for joint research activities“ has been officially launched.
The goal of this initiative is to fund joint research projects to strengthen the partnership between the two institutions and pave the way for larger external funding in the future.
 

Funding Details

  • Project Duration: 1 year (from January 1 to December 31, 2027).
  • Available Budget: A total of 60,000 € is available to fund up to a maximum of 10 projects.
  • Grant per Project: Up to 7,000 € maximum (with equal contributions from both FBK and UNIPD).
  • Eligible Expenses: Travel, accommodation, and living expenses for missions between the two institutions; organization of small project-related meetings; short-term fellowships for researchers holding a Master’s degree (not enrolled in a Ph.D. program); expenses for presenting results at external events.
  • Ineligible Expenses: Salaries or salary supplements for FBK/UNIPD employees, hardware/software, consumables, and costs of joint publications. Any funds not spent by the end of the project will be taken back by the central administrations.

Eligibility Requirements for FBK Participants

  • Each proposal must be presented and carried out by two Principal Investigators (PIs): one from FBK and one from UNIPD.
  • At FBK, the PI must be a member of the research/technology staff.
  • The PI's contract (if fixed-term) must not end before the project's end date.
  • In the application form, PIs must declare that the technological and scientific background needed for the project is free from third-party restrictions or rights that could limit the project's execution or the exploitation of its results. The generated project results will be jointly owned by both institutions in equal shares (50% each).

Deadlines & Timeline

  • Application Deadline: October 30, 2026, at 13:00.
  • Notification of Results: November 30, 2026.
  • Beginning of Activities: January 1, 2027.

How to Apply

  • Applications must be written in English and submitted by only one of the two PIs through the CINECA online application system at the following link: https://pica.cineca.it/unipd/.

    Proposals will be evaluated by a joint Selection Committee based on scientific relevance, project feasibility, balanced distribution of budget and activities, expected impact, and perspectives for future sustainability.

Useful documents

For the complete call for proposals and further details, please read the following documents.

2026 Call for Proposals Seed grants for joint research activities

drive.google.com/file/d/1Xmpkxs0bv_eSTEUlqBwDjMKrGyPbx0AE/view?usp=drive_link

Facsimile application form

drive.google.com/file/d/1ZTFZNK0-7-nj8hTJnfHuGtbFVQzuYvxE/view?usp=drive_link

Useful contacts