ErasmusMundus Action2 Strand1 Lot15

What is ErasmusMundus Action2?

ErasmusMundus is the European Unions flagship programme for highereducation cooperation and mobility. Action2 focuses on the development, promotion and delivery of highquality joint programmes that bring together universities, research centres and other stakeholders from Europe and beyond.

Action2 is split into three strands:

• Strand1 Joint Master Degrees (JMD)
• Strand2 Joint Doctoral Programs
• Strand3 Partnerships and CapacityBuilding

Each strand contains several lots that represent specific calls for proposals. The page you are reading deals with Lot15 of Strand1.

Lot15 Scope and Objectives

Lot15 supports the design and implementation of Joint Master Degrees that address emerging societal challenges and foster interdisciplinary learning. The main objectives are:

• Develop curricula that combine at least two highereducation institutions from different Programme Countries (PCs) and/or partner countries.
• Promote mobility of students and staff across the consortium, ensuring a minimum of three mobility periods during the masters cycle.
• Integrate a strong European added valuefor example, joint teaching, shared research projects, and cosupervision of theses.
• Include a component that enhances employability and aligns with the Europe 2030 agenda (green transition, digital transformation, health, etc.).

Projects funded under Lot15 must demonstrate sustainability beyond the grant period, typically through tuition fees, scholarships, or partnerships with industry.

Eligibility Criteria

Only organisations that meet the following conditions may apply:

• At least two highereducation institutions from different EU Member States or associated countries, with a clear lead applicant.
• All partners must be recognised as highereducation institutions in their respective countries.
• The consortium may also include nonhighereducation entities (e.g., research institutes, NGOs, private companies) if they contribute to the programmes objectives.
• Each partner must allocate sufficient staff time (minimum 0.1 FTE per partner) to manage mobility, curriculum development and quality assurance.

Funding Rules

Action2 uses a grantbased model. For Lot15 the typical funding rates are:

• 70% of eligible direct costs for the lead university.
• 50% of eligible direct costs for each partner university.
• Additional travel and subsistence allowances for students (up to 3,000 per mobility period) and staff (up to 2,500 per visit).
• Maximum grant period: 36 months from the date of signature of the grant agreement.

All costs must be justified and comply with the EU Financial Regulation. Indirect costs are capped at 25% of total eligible direct costs.

Application Process

1. Preparation

Consortia should start by:

• Identifying a clear thematic focus that matches EU policy priorities.
• Drafting a joint curriculum, including learning outcomes, assessment methods and mobility schedule.
• Preparing a detailed budget and a sustainability plan.

2. Submission

Proposals are submitted through the Funding & Tenders Portal. The key steps are:

• Register the lead institution and obtain a Participant Identification Code (PIC).
• Complete the online application form (sectionA administrative data, sectionB project description, sectionC budget).
• Upload supporting documents (consortium agreement, letters of commitment, CVs of key staff, draft studyplan).
• Submit before the deadline (typically early March for the 20242027 cycle).

3. Evaluation

The European Commission assesses proposals on three criteria:

• Excellence relevance, innovation, quality of the academic content.
• Impact contribution to European priorities, employability, sustainability.
• Quality and Efficiency of Implementation governance, riskmanagement, budget coherence.

Scores are calculated using a weighted formula (Excellence30%, Impact30%, Implementation40%).

Successful Examples from Previous Calls

Although Lot15 is a new call for the 20242027 round, similar programmes have been funded under earlier lots. Two illustrative cases:

1. Master in Sustainable Urban Development

A consortium of four universities (Spain, Germany, Portugal and Turkey) created a twoyear joint degree focusing on climateresilient cities. The programme includes three student mobility phases, a collaborative research project with local municipalities, and internships with European engineering firms.

2. Master of Data Science for Health Analytics

Partners from France, Poland and Kenya combined expertise in bioinformatics, AI and public health. The curriculum integrates a capstone project performed in a partners research centre, resulting in two peerreviewed publications and a startup incubated by the consortium.

Both examples emphasise:

• Clear European added value.
• Strong mobility and joint supervision mechanisms.
• Longterm sustainability through tuition models and industry partnerships.

Key Success Factors for Applicants

• Strategic Alignment tie the programme to EU policies (Green Deal, Digital Europe, Horizon Europe).
• Balanced Consortium ensure each partner brings complementary expertise and a realistic workload.
• Robust Mobility Plan define clear timelines, creditrecognition procedures and support services for students.
• Quality Assurance embed external evaluation, regular peerreview and a transparent grading system.
• Communication & Dissemination plan for multilingual outreach, webinars, and a dedicated website.
• Financial Transparency use the EU costeligibility guide, keep detailed records, and allocate a contingency line (max5%).

Resources and Support

Prospective applicants can consult the following tools:

• Official Call Document (PDF) full eligibility rules and budget tables.
• HowtoParticipate Guide stepbystep instructions for the Funding & Tenders Portal.
• National Contact Points (NCPs) contact your countrys NCP for advice on partnership building and application preparation.
• Webinars organized by the European Commission (recordings available on the Education Events page).

Contact Information

For further queries, please reach out to the ErasmusMundus Programme Office: