Objective
Childhood sexual abuse is a major global societal challenge, affecting one in five girls worldwide and resulting in severe lifelong health, social, and economic consequences. Despite decades of research, no prevention intervention has previously demonstrated both effectiveness and feasibility for delivery at population scale in low-resource settings.
ERC-funded frontier research has generated a breakthrough solution: ParentApp, a low-cost, digitally delivered parenting intervention shown to substantially reduce childhood sexual abuse. While ERC and related funding have established the scientific validity, content, and technical functionality of ParentApp, its large-scale societal impact now depends on assessing and demonstrating real-world delivery, institutional adoption, and knowledge transfer.
This Proof of Concept is necessary to validate whether this ERC-derived innovation can be embedded within government systems and translated into sustained population-level impact. Government partners in South Africa and other countries are actively seeking scalable digital solutions, international agencies are prepared to support dissemination, and the innovation itself has reached technical maturity. By acting now, this Proof of Concept leverages a unique window in which evidence, technology, and policy readiness align - enabling a decisive transition from groundbreaking research to sustained population-level societal benefit. This grant will allow validation of real-world delivery, institutional integration, and knowledge-transfer pathways.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2026-POC
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
OX1 2JD Oxford
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.