GRC Seeking Hosts for 2026 Regional Meetings
The Global Research Council invites GRC participating organisations to host the 2026 Regional Meetings.
GRC participant organisations are invited to submit bids to host Regional Meetings of the Global Research Council in 2026. The GRC Regional Meetings are expected to take place between the end of October and December 2026 in all five GRC regions:
- Americas
- Asia-Pacific
- Europe
- Middle East/North Africa
- Sub-Saharan Africa
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 05 February 2026
Interested organisations should submit their bid to grc@ukri.org. The bid should include the following information:
- A completed Application Form
- A short (maximum 5 pages) narrative in support of the application
Background
Regional Meetings play a crucial role in the GRC’s yearly cycle (as shown in the diagram below). The discussions will in particular inform the establishment of the Annual Meeting’s Statements of Principles (SoPs) and provide an opportunity to reflect on the implementation of the previous year’s SoPs. The 2026 Regional Meetings will therefore be an important step towards the 2027 Annual Meeting in Cape Town on the topic of ‘Curiosity-driven Research: The role of public funders’.
The yearly GRC cycle
Eligibility
Organisations submitting bids should have participated in previous Global Research Council meetings. Each Regional Meeting is encouraged to have a host and a co-hosting organisation. Co-hosting has been proved to be a valuable instrument towards the GRC’s purpose to improve communication and cooperation, as well as to promote knowledge sharing between national research funding organisations.
Requirements
Regional Meeting hosts will be supported by the Executive Secretariat, who will share the guidelines and any additional information to confirmed hosts, and the Executive Support Group for the organisation and hosting of the event.
Selection process
Timeline to select 2026 Regional Meeting hosts:
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| 09 October 2025 | Call for applications to host the 2026 Regional Meetings opens |
| 05 February 2026 | Deadline for applications to host the 2026 Regional Meetings |
| March 2026 | Governing Board will select Regional Meeting hosts; bidders will be informed about Governing Board decision |
| 18–22 May 2026 | The 2026 Regional Meeting hosts and locations will be announced at the 14th Annual Meeting |
Further information
For further information, please also see the GRC Foundational Document and the rest of this website.
Questions regarding the call and the selection process may be sent to the Executive Secretariat Management Team at grc@ukri.org.