Funding for innovative AI projects - Helmholtz AI Projects 2025 Call
The Helmholtz AI Project Call funds collaborative, high-risk applied AI and machine learning research projects across Helmholtz centers to develop innovative methods and tools.
Funder: Helmholtz Association
Due Dates (Anticipated): November 2026 (Full application deadline, projected)
Funding Amounts: Up to €250,000 from INF per project (max); requires at least €250,000 matching/in-kind from Helmholtz centers; max project duration 3 years.
Summary: Supports innovative, collaborative, high-risk/high-gain applied AI and machine learning projects across Helmholtz centers.
Key Information: Only Helmholtz centers receive funding; at least two centers must apply jointly; external partners can participate but not receive INF funds.
Description
The Helmholtz Association, through its annual Helmholtz AI Project Call, provides seed funding for explorative and innovative projects in applied Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. The program is designed to foster creativity, interdisciplinary collaboration, and cross-center partnerships within the Helmholtz community, aiming to address challenging problems and develop new AI methods and tools. Projects should be high-risk, high-gain, and collaborative, with a preference for initiatives that can generate rapid, scalable impact and lay the groundwork for larger follow-on efforts. External partners from academia, industry, or non-profit organizations are encouraged as collaborators, but only Helmholtz centers are eligible to receive funding.
