Leveraging functional genomics to reveal novel targets for cancer treatment
Forthcoming
Status as published by the data source.
Expected Outcome:
Proposals under this topic should aim to deliver results that are directed and tailored towards and contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
• Researchers and health professionals gain a deeper understanding of the functional effects of tumour heterogeneity during cancer initiation and progression, supporting the identification of more precise and novel therapeutic targets.
• Researchers, health professionals and innovators benefit from improved knowledge and tools to support the discovery and development of next generation genomically-informed cancer treatments.
• Researchers, innovators, and professionals across disciplines and sectors contribute to the UNCAN.eu research data platform by ensuring data interoperability, and enabling sustainable access to newly developed digital tools and models for the analysis and management of multimodal clinical data. Scope:
The proposed topic will contribute to the EU Cancer Mission objective of improving the understanding of cancer initiation and progression. Of particular interest for this topic are paediatric and adolescent cancers[1] , cancers with limited treatment options, refractory cancers, rare cancers or cancer types with low five-year survival rates. Proposals may include the design of exploratory mechanistic studies using longitudinal patient bio-samples, clinical proof-of-concept studies and/or observational and translational studies involving newly collected or existing data, as appropriate. Applicants are encouraged to leverage technological advances in functional genomics[2] and structural biology including but not limited to rapid gene sequencing, single-cell studies, spatial gene mapping, spatial transcriptomics, epigenetic profiling, liquid biopsies and functional precision oncology pipelines. The use of causal inference, computational modelling and/or artificial intelligence tools is encouraged for the collection, visualisation, analysis and management of large, complex, and heterogeneous data sets. Collaboration among different scientific disciplines, including healthcare professionals, is envisaged[3].
Applicants should address all of the following activities:
• To identify and validate new targets for innovative therapeutic approaches, by developing experimental models[4] and technologies to access the functional effects of tumour temporal heterogeneity on disease initiation, progression and relapse.
• To investigate the mechanisms underlying the interply between the tumor’s dynamic multi-omics characteristics, its microenvironment and patient specific factors[5] during disease initiation and progression. This includes elucidating the mechanisms of adaptive resistance to therapies, utilizing clinical data where appropriate[6].
• To apply state-of-the-art approaches, tools and models to integrate and analyse FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) multimodal longitudinal patient data. These digital assets should be made available through the UNCAN.eu research platform. All datasets produced should be described with metadata records in the EU dataset catalogue of the European Health Data Space. The involvement of existing ESFRI research infrastructures offering life science resources[7] including biobanking options should be appropriately reflected in the proposal workplan. Advantage should be taken to the extent possible of data and experience gained under current large-scale initiatives such as: the European 1M+ Genomes[8] and the European Cancer Imaging initiative[9] and others as appropriate. Successful proposals are expected to establish appropriate collaborations with the project UNCAN-CONNECT that is implementing the UNCAN.eu research platform[10].
Successful proposals will be asked to join the 'Understanding' project cluster of the Cancer Mission[11] and should include a budget for networking, attendance at meetings, and joint activities[12]. The Commission will facilitate coordination of these activities.
Applicants envisaging to include clinical studies should provide details in the dedicated annex using the template provided in the submission system.
[1] Age at first diagnosis 0-19 years
[2] The use of transcriptomics, proteomics, epigenomics, and metabolomics to understand gene function in a systems biology context
[3] Proposals should include an appropriate mix of stakeholders from various disciplines and sectors, including but not limited to medical doctors, health-IT experts, researchers, AI-experts, solution providers, academia and research institutes, EU research infrastructures and SMEs
[4] Any relevant preclinical or clinical model including but not limited to in silico, in vitro, in vivo or ex vivo models
[5] such as: genetic background, immune status, age, sex, and comorbidities
[6] applicants may build over existing clinically annotated patient cohorts and exploit current EU biobanks for sample access
[7] https://lifescience-ri.eu/home.html
[8] European '1+ Million Genomes' Initiative | Shaping Europe’s digital future
[9] European Cancer Imaging Initiative | Shaping Europe’s digital future
[10] https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101215206
[11] In order to address the objectives of the Cancer Mission, participants will collaborate in project clusters to leverage EU-funding, increase networking across sectors and disciplines, and establish a portfolio of Cancer Mission R&I and policy actions
[12] Examples of those activities are organising joint workshops, establishing best practices, joint communication or citizen engagement activities with projects funded under other clusters and pillars of Horizon Europe, or other EU programmes, as appropriate. Proposals are not required to include details of these activities, as they will be defined during the grant agreement preparation and during the life of the project
- Status
- Forthcoming
- Deadline
- (time not stated)
- Opens
- Published
- Total budget
- €32,323,812
- Grant range
- €7,000,000 – €8,000,000
- Country
- European Union (EU-wide)
- Programme
- Horizon Europe (HORIZON)
- Official page
- Open at the source portal
Other calls under Horizon Europe (HORIZON)
- PV based electrification of the economy: Designing & optimising PV systems supporting industrial electrification and promoting participation in electricity markets (EUPI-PV Partnership)
- Advanced TSO control rooms to enhance grid observability, stability and resilience
- Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADSM) for more efficient and flexible distribution grids
- Community of practice - Data-Driven Decision-Making in Energy
- Industrial processes and equipment for innovative, reliable and scalable tandem technologies (EUPI-PV Partnership)
- Integrated Approaches for Retrofitting Infrastructures with Innovative Energy Storage Technologies
- Demonstration of hydropower technologies for efficient and forward-looking refurbishment of existing hydropower plants
- Delivery of industrial CCUS clusters – Societal Readiness pilot
All calls under this programme
Similar opportunities
- Improving equitable health outcomes and added value for and with cancer patients through health-economics research, health systems research and outcomes research
- Microbiome for early cancer prediction before the onset of disease
- Improve the Quality of Life of older cancer patients
- Earlier and more precise palliative care
- Support a Young Cancer Survivor Quality of Life (QoL) research programme by cancer charities and funding agencies
- Towards Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) for healthcare
Where this came from
- Source document
- https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/data/topicDetails/horizon-miss-2027-02-cancer-01.json
- Document fingerprint
984643d33fe2f723(SHA-256, first 16 hex characters)- Retrieved
- First recorded here
What has changed
- url first recorded as https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/horizon-miss-2027-02-cancer-01 on
- currency first recorded as EUR on
- amount_max first recorded as 8000000.00 on
- amount_min first recorded as 7000000.00 on
- budget_total first recorded as 32323812.00 on
- deadline first recorded as 2027-09-21 on
- opens_on first recorded as 2027-02-10 on
- published_on first recorded as 2025-12-12 on
- status_basis first recorded as source_status on
- status first recorded as forthcoming on
- title first recorded as Leveraging functional genomics to reveal novel targets for cancer treatment on
Data source
© European Union, 2026. Source: EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Reused under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU — CC BY 4.0.
Retrieved from the source on .
The source last updated this document on Mon, 06 Jul 2026 14:29:32 GMT.
Personal data of natural persons has been dissociated by quiescence.eu.
This service is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by the data publishers.