Resilient Cultural Heritage Partnership

The Resilient Cultural Heritage (RCH) Partnership (2026–2035) is a Horizon Europe European Partnership co-funded by the European Union. Ireland’s participation in the Call is jointly supported by Research Ireland and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (National Monuments Service and the National Built Heritage Service). 

Through this Joint Transnational Call (JTC), participating funding organisations aim to promote innovative, interdisciplinary research and strengthen transnational collaboration to address the growing impacts of climate and environmental change on cultural heritage. The partnership seeks to support efforts to safeguard cultural heritage and harness its potential as a resource for societal resilience, while also informing policy development and implementation through sustainable, innovative, and interdisciplinary approaches. 

The call focuses on two research strands as defined by the partnership’s joint Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda: 

1. Understanding the impacts of climate and environmental change on cultural heritage and developing adaptation strategies;
2. Informing policies and implementation measures for more resilient cultural heritage and climate-resilient societies, including the role of traditional and local knowledge and skills. 

In total, 34 funding organisations across 30 EU Member States and Associated Countries are participating in this call with an available budget of €36M (approximately).  

The call will be implemented in two stages, i.e. a pre- and a full-proposal phase.  

For further information on the Resilient Cultural Heritage Call, including the Call Document, participating countries, and general eligibility requirements, please visit the website: European Partnership for Resilient Cultural Heritage | Heritage Research Hub 

This first RCH Joint Transnational Call (JTC) invites proposals addressing the risks, damage, impacts and losses to cultural heritage arising from climate and environmental change. Proposals should build on existing research and stakeholder experience, with particular encouragement for scientific, technological and community-based approaches. Research should contribute to integrated risk assessment methodologies that support long-term planning for the resilience, management and governance of cultural heritage, as well as cultural heritage-informed climate action. 

Research proposals are invited to address aspects from at least one of the four complementary and strongly connected sub-themes, and should address at least one of the sub-themes: (1) Risk and impact assessment and cultural heritage risk preparedness and management; (2) Managing loss and damage of cultural heritage impacted by climate change-induced natural hazards; (3) Traditional, local and Indigenous knowledge systems and practices as resources and frameworks for societal resilience in the context of climate change; (4) Sustainable governance of the cultural heritage sector.  

Awarded projects will have a duration of 24 to 36 months.  

For applicants based in Ireland, Research Ireland will provide the following funding for projects:  

• Up to a maximum of €260,000 total award (including overhead contribution) per award for Irish applicants as Partner on transnational proposals.  

• Up to a maximum of €300,000 total award (including overhead contribution) per award for Irish applicants as Coordinator on transnational proposals.  

Only an academic partner or coordinator based in an eligible Research Body in Ireland may apply for Research Ireland funding.  

The Irish-based applicant must:  

• hold a PhD or equivalent qualification for at least 3 years by the pre-proposal deadline. The official date is defined as the day, month and year that the degree was conferred i.e., the month and year printed on the official PhD certificate.  

AND  

• be a member of the academic staff of an eligible Research Body (permanent or with an active contract that covers the period of the grant)  

OR  

• be a contract researcher with a contract that covers the period of the grant, who is recognised by the eligible Research Body as an independent investigator and will have an independent office and research space for which he/she will be fully responsible for at least the duration of the Research Ireland grant  

OR  

• be an individual who will be recognised by the eligible Research Body upon receipt of the grant as an academic staff or as a contract researcher as defined above. The applicant does not necessarily need to be employed by the Research Body at the time of the application submission.  

AND  

• be an author on at least three international peer-reviewed articles. Only original research publications, and not review articles or other secondary research literature, are acceptable.  

Applicants must also meet all general eligibility and consortium requirements as outlined in the Call Text procedures.

In addition:  

• Research Ireland will only accept one application per applicant.  

Salary-related costs for research personnel. Please use current Research Ireland Team Member Salary Scales. The Irish partner cannot request their own salary.  

• Equipment costs up to a maximum value of €30K  

• Travel costs  

• Direct running costs (materials and consumables)  

• Dissemination and knowledge exchange costs  

• Subcontracting costs are considered an eligible budget category however strong justification for subcontracting must be provided and pre-approved directly with Research Ireland in advance of proposal submission.  

• Overheads should be calculated at 30% of the direct costs, but excluding the cost of all equipment identified in the application.  

Unless otherwise stated, all rules regarding listed eligible costs apply as defined within Research Ireland’s grant budget policy.  

Please use the budget template provided when preparing your budget submission.  

Applicants are advised to prepare budgets in consultation with the Research Office at the Host Institution.  

Ineligible costs  

Research Ireland will not provide a contribution towards the salary of the applicant, international co-applicants or collaborators. All additional ineligible costs apply as described in Research Ireland’s grant budget policy.  

Please give a brief notification of your intent to submit a pre-proposal through email to eu-cofund@researchireland.ie before the submission deadline. Within the notification, please include the following information:  

• List of project partners  

• Irish Host institution*  

• Total budget request to Research Ireland**  

• Whether you intend to apply as a coordinating or non-coordinating partner  

 *Please note it is also the responsibility of the applicant to notify the Research Office of their Host Institution of their intention to submit a pre-proposal.   

**Applicants are advised to submit a completed budget template to Research Ireland together with their notification of intent to submit a pre-proposal.  

 The completed pre-proposal must be submitted by the Lead PI directly on the RCH electronic submission platform.  

For programme related queries, please contact eu-cofund@researchireland.ie  

An online information webinar for potential applicants will be held to answer any questions about the call.   

Date: 17 November 2026 13:00-15:00 (Irish time)  

Link to registerLink to register

The Call Secretariat (rch@anr.fr) is the contact point for all applicants throughout the process.  

RCH website: European Partnership for Resilient Cultural Heritage | Heritage Research Hub 

Joint Call 2027 Website: The RCH 2027 Joint Transnational Call