Infectious diseases can quickly escalate into health crises with global impact, exemplified by the COVID-19 pandemic and more recent outbreaks of avian influenza H5N1 and the spread of Mpox. These events have highlighted the close link between environment, human and animal interactions in a One Health context while underscoring the importance of international cooperation in research and development. During these crises, it became evident across Europe that although research efforts were quickly launched, they were not coordinated leading to a fragmented research landscape.

The European Partnership for Pandemic Preparedness (BE READY Partnership) aims to establish a European research and innovation ecosystem that is optimally prepared for future health crises caused by infectious diseases. This ecosystem will be capable of responding swiftly and efficiently to such crises and will be fully integrated into the broader European institutional framework for health security.

To realise this vision, the BE READY Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) on Pandemic Preparedness defines the Partnership’s research priorities and scientific objectives. The SRIA is organised around five thematic priorities, and adopts a comprehensive research approach, that encompasses fundamental, technical, epidemiological, and clinical domains, while also incorporating social sciences and humanities, in line with an integrated One Health approach.

To put the SRIA’s research priorities into practice, the BE READY Partnership will launch annual Joint Transnational Calls (JTCs) that will fund transnational, interdisciplinary research projects. These calls will foster collaboration between researchers and other stakeholders across Europe and beyond, with the aim to increasing knowledge and strengthening readiness for emerging health threats through interdisciplinary cooperation.

In total, 21 funding organisations have agreed to launch the first JTC in the BE READY Partnership (JTC 2026). This call will support innovative, collaborative, interdisciplinary and transnational research projects aiming for a better understanding of the pandemic potential of emerging pathogens, elucidating the pathophysiology induced by these pathogens, and developing innovative medical countermeasures. The participating funding organisations expect to add value to their existing national and regional research activities by pooling their efforts in this JTC, which will be coordinated centrally by the Joint Call Secretariat (JCS) at DLR Projektträger, Germany.

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An information webinar introducing the JTC to the research community will be organised on 28 January 2026, 11:00 AM (CET).

Webinar topic: BE READY WEBINAR

Date and time: Wednesday, 28 January 2026 11:00 AM | (UTC+01:00) Amsterdam, Berlin, Bern, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna

Webinar number/ Access code: 2742 754 5401

Webinar password: 2026JTC1 (20265821 when dialing from a phone or video system)

Join by phone +49-619-6781-9736 Germany Toll, +49-89-95467578 Germany Toll 2

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Electronic proposal submission is mandatory via PT-Outline. Research project consortia intending to submit a transnational proposal should register as soon as possible, by clicking on “Sign up” and follow further instructions. Please note that the coordinator will be responsible for the final submission of the project.

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DLR Projektträger (DLR-PT) Germany

Dr. Theresa Köbe | Dr. Luise Richter | Dr. Friederike Maaßen

Phone: +49-228-3821-2712

E-Mail: beready@dlr.de

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Important note to applicants: Applications to the BE READY Partnership JTCs can require the submission of additional information on national funding platforms. All applicants must have fulfilled both joint and national requirements for an application to be eligible.

For contact details please check the call document Annex A.

1. AZVCR: call administration/implementation at national level ↩︎
2. DLR-PT: call administration/implementation at national level ↩︎
3. Decision pending ↩︎
4. Decision pending ↩︎