National Research Excellence Programme (NKKP)

NKKP HIGHLIGHT_26 — Highlight Research Projects

Supports high-impact Hungarian research through flagship-scale fundamental science investment and leadership.

⚠ This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.

HIGHLIGHT_26 is the flagship, large-scale track of Hungary's National Research Excellence Programme (NKKP), carrying the highest award ceiling of any sub-programme in the suite. It is administered by Hungary's National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NKFIH), the country's primary strategic and RDI funding agency, which launched NKKP as the renewed successor to OTKA under the John von Neumann Programme objective of placing Hungary among the top 25 most innovative countries globally by 2030. The HUF 40 billion combined NKKP budget for 2026–2030 spans six sub-programmes, with HIGHLIGHT_26 reserved for projects that combine scientific excellence with high societal or scientific impact potential.

HIGHLIGHT_26 awards up to HUF 320 million per project — more than double the EXCELLENCE_26 ceiling of HUF 160 million — over a fixed 48-month project duration, with a start date of 1 January 2027. Experimental research projects qualify for an optional 25% supplement for material costs above the base award. Eligible applicants must be researchers affiliated with Hungarian universities or recognized research institutions; for-profit organizations are not eligible. The 2026 submission deadline was 24 February 2026 at 16:00, so this cycle is closed; future cycles are expected annually through the NKKP programme horizon of 2030.

Given its flagship status and scale, HIGHLIGHT_26 is expected to be the most competitive NKKP track. Applicants typically require a compelling case not only for scientific quality but for why the scale of ambition warrants an award substantially larger than an EXCELLENCE_26 or ADVANCED_26 project. The application platform is palyazat.gov.hu, Hungary's unified government grant portal. Researchers targeting the next cycle should begin scoping consortium composition, budget justification for large material or personnel costs, and alignment with at least one John von Neumann Programme priority domain.