BE READY Partnership: European Partnership for Pandemic Preparedness

Features

The BE READY European Partnership for Pandemic Preparedness has published its 2026 Joint Transnational Call for the BE READY Partnership: Advancing knowledge of host and pathogen dynamics to better combat emerging diseases.

The objective of this call for proposals is to improve scientific knowledge and evidence regarding emerging and re-emerging pathogens with pandemic potential, as well as host responses to infection, in order to strengthen the capacity to anticipate, prevent, and respond to infectious threats. All of this will be achieved through a multinational, collaborative, and interdisciplinary approach that bridges research and development.

The call for proposals focuses primarily on Priority 1 ofthe SRIA (BE READY Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda), which is to advance knowledge in a coordinated and integrated manner, with a focus on:

• • Action 1.1: Increase knowledge to understand, identify, and target therapeutic targets in pathogens.
  • Action 1.2: Increase knowledge of the pathophysiology.

These calls for proposals are co-funded by the European Union and involve 9 countries and more than 20 funding organizations.

In addition, the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII) participates in these calls for proposals as the national funding agency.

Requirements

Proposals are expected to yield results that are aimed at contributing to at least one of the following expected outcomes:

• Identification of new pathogen-specific molecular targets and hotspots for mutation (i.e., discovery of key proteins, enzymes, or signaling molecules that play a central role in the pathogen’s infectivity, survival, and/or resistance)

• Improved understanding of the cross-species (zoonotic) aspects of host-pathogen interactions (within the framework of the One Health approach)

• Application of the “Pathogen X” approach to generate transferable knowledge that can subsequently be applied to other threatening viruses in the same family

• Identification, development, and optimization of (new) structures with optimal therapeutic activity and low toxicity that could serve as potential lead compounds (especially for vulnerable groups)

• Identification and validation of targets, along with efforts in data integration, interoperability, and modeling to demonstrate the potential of these targets—including antigenic structures suitable for vaccine development—for subsequent therapeutic development (i.e., proof-of-concept studies)

• Improving data integration and modeling to predict pathogen behavior and therapeutic susceptibilities

• Understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying host–pathogen interactions in humans, including host predisposing factors, to guide the future development of diagnostics, therapies, and vaccines

• Development and refinement of advanced immunological assays, experimental models, and preclinical studies that link host genetics to disease outcomes.

Submission deadline.

The following table lists the different dates: