The EU and the US share research values of openness, transparency, fairness, inclusiveness, academic freedom and ethics, and are natural partners in science, technology and innovation.

Horizon Europe will tackle the major challenges of our time: the green and digital transitions and the successful exit from the pandemic. In this – the European priorities are well aligned with the priorities of the US Administration.

The US has had the highest level of participation in EU research and innovation programmes of all non-EU and non-Associated countries for many years and US researchers and innovators are welcome to team up with European counterparts in Horizon Europe.

Opportunities for EU-US cooperation are also offered by multilateral fora such as

• Mission Innovation to make clean energy affordable, attractive and accessible for all
• All Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance to advance the shared vision of an Atlantic Ocean that is healthy, resilient, clean, safe, transparent, predictable, productive, understood and treasured so as to promote the well-being, prosperity and security of present and future generations
• Global Alliance on Chronic Disease to coordinate and supports research activities that address the prevention and treatment of NCDs or chronic non-communicable diseases, on a global scale

At the June 2021 EU-US Summit, during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders underlined the commitment to continue to engage in health research initiatives, including to develop medical countermeasures in a much shorter period of time. Other research priorities are

• accelerate a climate neutral future and just transition, i.e. by promoting clean energy technologies through Mission Innovation and working towards a Transatlantic Green Tech Alliance that would foster cooperation in the development and deployment of green technologies as well as promoting the markets to scale such technologies
• working together to protect our oceans and ensure a sustainable blue economy, including by research through the All Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance 
• support collaborative research and exchanges and a staff exchange programme between research funding agencies.

US researchers and research entities are welcome to participate in Horizon Europe and there are possibilities for EU funding in some cases.

European Research Council: Offers grants to researchers in all research domains from the humanities to neuroscience, for frontier research. US researchers are welcome to apply and if selected are eligible for funding to establish a research group in Europe. Grants are available for early career researchers, consolidators and advanced. Also offers synergy grants where a US researcher may collaborate with at least 2 European researchers, with all funded. ERC also has an Implementing Arrangement with the National Science Foundation whereby NSF funds NSF funded researchers to spend some time in an ERC funded group in Europe.

Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions: Offer fellowships for post-doctoral researchers from US (and other countries) to spend up to 2 years in a European group – or for European researchers to spend up to 2 years in a US lab. Also offers opportunities for US institutions to participate in Innovative Training Networks and Research and Innovation Staff Exchange consortia (US institutions are self-funded in ITNs and RISE).

For collaborative research projects, US researchers bring their own funding to the project. In exceptional cases US entities may be entitled to funding when this possibility is mentioned in the relevant calls for proposals or in cases where the US partner is essential to the project. This is typically the case in calls related to health research.

• Agreement for Scientific and Technological Cooperation: governs EU-US research and innovation cooperation. It was first signed in 1998 and is renewed every 5 years | 2009 extension and amendment: Council decision
• Implementing Agreement signed in 2016 to simplify cooperation modalities.
• Bilateral cooperation agreement on fusion energy research: signed in 2001 between the US and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom). Both the US and Euratom are members of the ITER project.
• Fission energy research: the US and Euratom signed two Technical Exchange and Cooperation Arrangements, one on nuclear-related technology research and one on nuclear safety research. Both Euratom and the US are members of the Generation IV International Forum

Research project database

EU-funded research projects involving the United States

For previous framework programmes, please contact the Research enquiry service.

Examples of research cooperation projects

• BILAT USA 4.0 (2016-2019) set strategic priorities, optimal framework conditions, enhanced policy coordination and synergies for EU-US cooperation.
• ENRICH in USA established three centres in the USA to help EU research and innovation actors to immerse themselves in the top US ecosystems

More stories of particularly successful EU-funded research projects involving the United States.

• ENRICH in the USA : acts as a central contact point for European research and innovation actors seeking to grow, reinforce collaboration, and find commercialization paths across the Atlantic.
• Euraxess North America: links researchers in North America with the European Research Area. Provides free information and events on research funding, research careers, and collaboration opportunities with Europe.
• National Contact Points (NCPs) in EU Member States and in countries associated to Horizon Europe provide guidance, practical information and assistance on all aspects of participation in Horizon Europe. The US does not have any dedicated NCP for Horizon Europe, but Member State NCPs will be able to help.

You can contact the research enquiry service to find out more about research in Europe, the EU's research and innovation funding programmes as well as calls for proposals and project funding.