The majority of funding in Horizon 2020 is reserved for prescribed research topics. These topics are grouped into two primary objectives, Societal Challenges and Industrial Leadership.
In addition, there are several competitive schemes, that do not prescribe the research topics, under the Excellent Science objective.
Within these broad objectives are a number of more specific area of focus, as listed below.
Excellent Science
- European Research Council (ERC) (frontier research of the highest quality)
erc.europa.eu - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (training and career development)
ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en/h2020-section/marie-sklodowska-curie-actions - Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) (collaborative research in new areas)
ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en/h2020-section/future-and-emerging-technologies - Research Infrastructures
ec.europa.eu/research/infrastructures
Societal Challenges
- Health, demographic change and well-being
- Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy
- Secure, clean and efficient energy
- Smart, green and integrated transport
- Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials
- Europe in a changing world — inclusive, innovative and reflective societies
- Secure societies — protecting freedom and security of Europe and its citizens
Industrial Leadership
- Enabling and industrial technologies
- ICT
- Nanotechnologies
- Advanced materials
- Biotechnology
- Advanced manufacturing and processing
- Space
