DUT Call 2024 - pre-announcement

Research

Funding organisation:

Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek - Vlaanderen

What?

This call for proposals will be launched around 2 September and aims to support transnational research and/or innovation projects addressing urban challenges to help cities transition towards a more sustainable economy and functioning. The challenges are grouped into three themes called ‘Transition Pathways: Positive Energy Districts, the 15-minute City and Circular Urban Economies.

It is the third call of the European Partnership Driving Urban Transitions (DUT), co-funded by the European Commission under Horizon Europe.

The projects selected will be funded directly by national/regional funding agencies. In Belgium, the FWO will fund the selected proposals.
Maximum amount: 250.000 EUR per project/consortium
Project duration: 36 months
The FWO integrates two of its ‘national’ funding channels within this multilateral framework. The choice of funding channel depends on the type of project. The scope and the eligibility of institutions and its researchers can be verified in the relevant and respective chosen funding channels regulations, which can be consulted on the FWO website:
FWO Research Projects (FO)
Strategic Basic Research (SBO)

Call Topics can be found in the DUT Transition Pathways:

Positive Energy Districts Pathway (PED): entails finding innovative investment models and incentives to foster collaboration among public authorities, real estate entities, financing institutions, utilities, and homeowners, enabling the implementation and realization of Positive Energy Districts.
PED topic 1: Local PEDs in a multi-level perspective​
PED topic 2: Towards the climate-neutral city: PEDs, system integration and urban strategies​
PED topic 3: Managing the urban energy transition: data management and decision support systems​

15-minute City Pathway (15minC): How can we open up more leeway to lower existing car dependency? It becomes imperative to explore methods for actively involving people in the transition process, raising awareness, and promoting incentives for the use of more sustainable modes of transportation.
15mC topic 1: Advancing urban mobility: innovations for inclusive and youth-centric mobility systems​
15mC topic 2: Reconsidering urban mobility systems: towards system innovation and proximity policies for sustainable city regions​
15mC topic 3: Evidence for the urban mobility transition: data and indicators for effective decision-making​

Circular Urban Economies Pathway (CUE): We need to understand how we utilize the existing building stock both by recycling or reusing its materials in new constructions, and by refurbishing and renovating buildings to minimize its energy loss during heating. And how can we enhance the connections between urban and rural areas to facilitate the flow of food, water, and waste? Additionally, in this year’s call, they seek to explore intentional planning and design approaches that integrate nature back into the existing building stock of our cities.
CUE topic 1: Creating a new paradigm for urban water cycles​
CUE topic 2: Circular models for regenerating, repurposing, protecting and conserving urban space for biodiversity​
CUE topic 3: Multi-city strategies for circular urban economy monitoring and management

Funding via VLAIO is also possible, but in that case UHasselt can only be involved as a subcontractor in the project.

Who?

Applicants are defined as organisations/institutions/companies (i.e. legal entities) that apply for funding. Applicants can be research organisations, urban government authorities and consumers and civil society representatives.

Each proposal must be submitted by a consortium consisting of at least three eligible Applicants from at least three different participating countries. In addition, at least two of the eligible Applicants must be from different EU Member States or Associated Countries eligible for EC co-funding in this Call.

The Main Applicant (project coordinator) must be eligible to be funded and request funding by its national/regional participating Funding Agency.

A Principal Investigator (PI) must only participate in a maximum of two proposals, and only once as the PI of a Main Applicant.

Consortia must include at least one urban government authority.

  

Application?

The rules for application can be found here (link will follow soon).

Deadline pre-proposals: 14 November 2024, 13:00 (CET)
Deadline full proposals: 24 April 2025, 13:00 (CET)

Only pre-proposals invited to submit a full proposal will be eligible in the second stage of the selection procedure.

Pre-proposals/full proposals must be prepared in English using the designated mandatory proposal form.

Pre-proposals and full proposals must be submitted on the UEFISCDI electronic submission system, UDiManager15 (www.uefiscdi-direct.ro).

The FWO requires pre-registration on a national/regional level as well by filling in an application form on the FWO e-portal before the deadline for submission of the pre-proposals. When you're logged on to the e-portal, you can find it under "Researcher". 
It is strongly recommended to contact the FWO administration about your pre-registration at the latest one week before submission in order to verify admissibility.

Given the pre-proposal already has to be OK in terms of budget, OBI has an internal deadline to check your proposal.
Internal deadline: 7 November 2024, 17:00

This internal deadline is only applicable if UHasselt is the main applicant. When UHasselt is a co-applicant, you have to respect the internal deadline of the university of the main applicant.

Regulations?

The regulations can be found here (link will follow soon).

More information about the guidelines can be found on the website.

More information?

All information about documents and regulations will be published on the website.

Please contact research@uhasselt.be if you want to apply.

Upcoming events:

2 Info Days and some regional events will be organised:

Info Day 1: 10 September 2024 (10:00 – 12:00 CET). This Info Day will provide all relevant information about DUT Call 2024 and your proposal submission. The session will be followed by a first matchmaking session from 12:00 – 14:00. You can register via the DUT Matchmaking Platform (link will follow soon).

Info Day 2: 9 October 2024. Subject = Project pitches. You can also register via the DUT Matchmaking Platform (link will follow soon).

National/Regional events: you can consult the national/regional events via this link (link will follow soon).

Deadline intern

07.11.2024, 14.11.2024

Contact Hasselt University?

E-mail sarah.szyr@uhasselt.be

Tel. +3211269052