BU Research Blog

The Horizon Europe Cluster 3 (Civil Security for Society) call topics have now officially opened for applications.

Cluster 3 addresses a range of civil security challenges, including the fight against organised crime and terrorism, border management, disaster resilience, and the protection of critical infrastructure.

Several topics within this work programme have been specifically flagged for Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) integration. This means that researchers from SSH disciplines are expected to contribute alongside colleagues from more technical fields, ensuring that projects benefit from interdisciplinary perspectives and expertise.

While RIS can support applicants with the vast majority of Horizon Europe-related queries, applicants with highly specialised or technical questions may also wish to contact the UK National Contact Point (NCP). The UK NCP for Civil Security for Society is Melanie Maxwell and can be contacted at NCP-Security@iuk.ukri.org.

Further information on policy priorities and strategic objectives is available on the Cluster 3: Civil Security for Society webpage.

The European Commission also hosted Cluster 3 Information Days in March. Presentation slides and supporting materials from these events are available online and may be useful when developing proposals.

If you are considering applying to Cluster 3, or to any other Horizon Europe calls closing in autumn 2026, please contact the Strategic & International Research Facilitator as soon as your plans begin to take shape. Alternatively, please submit your ItB by the end of July at the latest so that we can plan workloads and provide the necessary support in a timely manner.

Please note that a separate internal timetable applies to the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships and Doctoral Networks calls. Further details are available here:

• BU Research Blog | MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026 Now Open – Key Dates and Support | Bournemouth University
• BU Research Blog | MSCA Doctoral Networks 2026 Call Information Webinar | Bournemouth University

If you have any questions about this call or Horizon Europe more generally, please get in touch with Ainars directly.