SIGMA: Support for projects involving social sciences, humanities, and arts

We bring you information about the SIGMA programme, which aims to strengthen the social sciences and humanities and the arts in research, development and innovation activities and will help cover labour costs, subcontracting, materials, depreciation, travel costs, as well as overheads associated with the project.

Among the disciplines that may be supported by the programme are: psychology and cognitive science, economics and business, education, sociology, law, political science, social and economic geography, media and communication, history and archaeology, linguistics and literature, philosophy, ethics and religion, arts, and other disciplines in the social sciences and humanities.

Who can apply for funding

  • enterprises – legal entities that are working on a project alone or in cooperation with other participants
  • research organisations – working on a project alone or in collaboration with other participants
  • from all over the Czech Republic, including the Capital City of Prague

How much can be obtained

The maximum aid intensity for the whole project is set at 80%. The maximum amount of support per project is EUR 12 million CZK

What you can finance with the grant:

  • Personnel costs including scholarships
  • costs or expenditure on tools, apparatus and equipment (excluding the acquisition of tangible and intangible assets, i.e. only in the form of depreciation)
  • costs or expenses for services and subcontracts (up to 20 % of eligible expenditure)
  • indirect costs

This call for proposals is thematic and applicants must choose one main theme and one sub-theme, which must be clearly addressed by the core of the project:

Societal resilience

  • Information and data literacy, the social context of the introduction of new technologies
  • Resistance of society to disinformation, mechanisms for increasing citizens’ trust in a democratic society
  • Preconditions and instruments for increasing the resilience of the Czech economy
  • Tools to identify and prevent future societal threats
  • Circular economy – context in society

Education and employment

  • Digital education
  • Opening up IT fields to women
  • New methods of STEM education at all school levels
  • Prerequisites for entrepreneurship – at any age, at any time

Sustainability

  • Innovative solutions according to the Smart Cities Concept
  • Bioeconomy
  • Progressive design
  • Environmental footprint – new communication and awareness tools
  • Environmental and economic sustainability of households, energy poverty
  • Adaptation to climate change in a societal context

Are you planning a project that fits thematically into this programme?