BE READY European Partnership for Pandemic Preparedness

Call topic

• Advancing knowledge of host and pathogen dynamics to better combat emerging diseases.

Research areas

• This call aims to support innovative, collaborative, interdisciplinary and transnational research projects aiming to:                    
  • Better understand the pandemic potential of emerging pathogens.
  • Elucidate the pathophysiology induced by these pathogens.
  • Develop knowledge enabling innovative medical countermeasures.

Research scope

• Pre-clinical research (up to 36 months), including pathogen‑specific molecular targets, zoonotic host–pathogen interactions, therapeutic and vaccine targets, and immunological assays and experimental models that link host genetics to disease outcomes.

Eligibility

• New Zealand applicants must join multinational consorita involving at least three countries.
• New Zealand universities, Public Research Organisations, public or community research institutions, independent researchers.

Pathogen families must focus on

• Arenaviridae, Coronaviridae, Filoviridae, Flaviviridae, Hantaviridae, Nairoviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Paramyxoviridae, Phenuiviridae, Poxviridae, Togaviridae or Pathogen X.

Funding available

• €500,000 to support up to two New Zealand research groups to be part of international consortia.

More detailed information at BE READY website 

The call is open and pre-proposal applications must be submitted to the Infectious Diseases Research Platform before 13 April 2026.   

Let the IDRP know you’re intending to submit a pre-proposal by 1 April 2026.

Email idrp@phfscience.nz your:

• Contact Name and contact details
• Project title
• Approximate requested funding
• Who your partners are
  
  

We will confirm you meet the national eligibility criteria and keep you informed as the call progresses.   

Check you have or will meet the following eligibility criteria for New Zealand applicants: 

• Funding is conditional on the Eligible Institution entering an agreement with PHF Science setting out what funding may be used for, reporting and performance management requirements, reviews and evaluations, IP management, data management, risk management, and management of human ethics approvals.
• Eligible Institutions may not be part of any other consortiums for the Call.
• Intellectual Property:
  • Best endeavours must be used to maximise benefits to New Zealand through the Eligible Institution's management intellectual property rights (IP).
  • Cultural, Treaty of Waitangi and Māori rights and interests must be properly understood and taken into consideration in management of IP.
  • The Eligible Institution should give preferential access to competent New Zealand-based firms to develop any project IP. Where the Eligible Institution believes that it is best to commercialise project IP outside of New Zealand, the Eligible Institution should seek to retain ongoing research, science, and technology in New Zealand and reinvest any net income derived from the commercialisation of the project IP in research, science, and technology in New Zealand.

• Eligible Costs: Funding may only be used for direct and reasonable costs relating to:
  • research, science technology and activities reasonably necessary to deliver the agreed research project;  
  • delivering the science consistent with the Frascati Definition of Research and Experimental Development, (including any activities that are reasonably ancillary to purposes that are consistent with the Frascati Definition of Research and Experimental Development);
  • meeting all performance management and reporting requirements required by the agreement with PHF Science;
  • providing access, information, and reports to PHF Science if PHF Science undertakes an audit, review or evaluation on the research project or the Eligible Institution's performance; and
  • carrying out any other activities directly relating to the research as agreed between the Eligible Institution and PHF Science.

• Institutions selected for funding must adhere to national regulations.
• Information may be subject to requests under the Official Information Act Information 1982 and may be shared with Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, and any other Minister if required by PHF Science. 

Detailed information at BE READY website  or email questions to IDRP@phfscience.nz with BE READY in the subject line.

Question: What costs will the Platform cover for this call?  Will it cover overheads?

Overheads cannot be included for this call.  As per the country guidelines direct costs will be eligible only.   This is in line with the Brain Health NZ Partnership, European partners in the partnership and with our NZ country guidelines in the Memorandum of Understanding as outlined below.

Eligible costs: Funding may only be used for direct and reasonable costs relating to:

• research, science technology and activities reasonably necessary to deliver the agreed research project;
• delivering the science consistent with the Frascati Definition of Research and Experimental Development, (including any activities that are reasonably ancillary to purposes that are consistent with the Frascati Definition of Research and Experimental Development);
• meeting all performance management and reporting requirements required by the agreement with PHF Science;
• providing access, information, and reports to PHF Science if PHF Science undertakes an audit, review or evaluation on the research project or the Eligible Institution's performance; 
  and
• carrying out any other activities directly relating to the research as agreed between the Eligible Institution and PHF Science.

Question: Are commercial entities ‘eligible institutions?

Yes, commercial entities are eligible institutions. (Under the New Zealand-specific guidelines, eligible institutions are listed as: universities, Public Research Organisations, public and community research institutions and independent researchers.)

Question: What are the rules around Intellectual Property Ownership?

• Best endeavours must be used to maximise benefits to New Zealand through the Eligible Institution's management of IP.
• Cultural, Treaty of Waitangi and Māori rights and interests must be properly understood and taken into consideration in management of IP.
• The Eligible Institution should give preferential access to competent New Zealand-based firms to develop any project IP.
• Where the Eligible Institution believes that it is best to commercialise project IP outside of New Zealand, the Eligible Institution should seek to retain ongoing research, science, and technology in New Zealand and reinvest any net income derived from the commercialisation of the project IP in research, science, and technology in New Zealand.

Question: Can an institution be part of more than one Be Ready pre-proposal application?

Eligible Institutions may not be part of any other consortiums for the Call.

The number of initial applications to one per institution. We anticipate future calls for the Be Ready Partnership and may revisit the national criteria if appropriate.

Any further questions, email idrp@phfscience.nz with BE READY in the subject line.