The Department of Health has announced a call for grants for healthy ageing research.

The Department of Health has approved the bases for grants for research projects on healthy ageing and has opened the call, with funds raised in EITB Marathon 2025. The Order of the Minister for Health of 21 July 2026 designates the Bioef foundation as the managing body for the grants. The Order has been published in issue 152 of the Boletín Oficial del País Vasco, on 12 August 2026 (official reference: 2026/3578).

The purpose of the call is to increase knowledge about healthy ageing and to promote research, through grants to be awarded on a competitive basis. The funds originate from the collaboration agreement signed by Euskal Irrati Telebista – Radio Televisión Vasca and Bioef on 18 September 2025, according to which the money raised in the marathon is allocated to health research. Bioef is a public-sector foundation created by the Department of Health, an instrument for promoting research and innovation in the Basque health system, and is attached to the department under Decree 319/2024.

The call has a total budget of €425,362.69, divided over three years: €170,145.07 for 2026, €127,608.81 for 2027 and €127,608.81 for 2028. Up to €200,000 can be financed per project, and the research projects will have a duration of two or three years. The grants are aimed at accredited agents of the Basque Science, Technology and Innovation Network (RVCTI), and it is mandatory for at least one agent accredited as a health research centre to participate.

Research areas

The call covers six research lines, all related to healthy ageing:

• Promotion, prevention and early detection of physical, mental and social deterioration.
• Technology applied to health, including tele-monitoring, applications and wearable devices.
• Studies in public health and epidemiology.
• Improvement of psychosocial support for people.
• Research based on lifestyle habits, exposures and genetics, with an impact on quality of life.
• Socio-health and organisational research to improve the quality of life of people, relatives and caregivers.

Projects led by emerging researchers will be particularly valued: that is, those who have not yet led projects funded under the competitive regime as principal investigator, and who have had their first stabilisation link with a research centre in the last ten years.

Evaluation and deadlines

Applications must be submitted within a period of one month, counted from the day following publication of the order in the BOPV, and the deadline is extended until 14:00 on the day following the end of the period. All procedures must be carried out electronically, through the electronic headquarters of the administration of the Basque Autonomous Community (euskadi.eus).

Ebaluazioa Balorazio Batzordeak egingo du, kanpoko ebaluatzaile independenteen laguntzarekin. Kalitate zientifiko-teknikoa 60 punturaino baloratzen da, eta proposamenak Euskadiko Osasun Sisteman duen interesa 40 punturaino; kontuan hartzen dira, besteak beste, osasun-profesionalak ikertzaile nagusi izatea, izaera multizentrikoa, genero-ikuspegia eta ikertzaile emergenteen lidergoa. Ebazpena gehienez sei hilabeteko epean argitaratuko da BOPVn.

Finantzaketaren baldintzak

Gastu finantzagarrien artean daude langileen gastuak, ondasunen erosketa eta zerbitzuen kontratazioa, bidaia-gastuak eta zuzeneko kostuaren % 10eko gastu indirektuak. Ez da finantzatuko jarduera ekonomikoa: ez I+G zerbitzuak, ez azpiegituren alokairua, ez enpresentzako I+G. Hartzaileek EITB Maratoia aipatu beharko dute finantzaketa-iturri gisa argitalpen, tesi eta kongresu-komunikazio guztietan.

Deialdi honek aukera berria zabaltzen die Euskadiko ikertzaileei, unibertsitateei eta osasun-sistemako eragileei, eta Euskadi 2030 Osasun Planaren eta Euskadiko Osasun Itunaren ildoekin bat egiten du. EITB Maratoiak gizarteak osasun-ikerketarekiko erakutsitako elkartasunari esker, zahartze osasuntsuaren arloko proiektuak babesteko bide berria ireki da Euskadin.

Source: Boletín Oficial del País Vasco, No. 152, 12 August 2026, OTHER PROVISIONS – DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, pp. 1-35 (official reference: 2026/3578).