Harvard University's administrative entity for EU research partnerships, contributing specialist faculty expertise across cancer biology, physics, and humanities.
Harvard Global Research and Support Services is Harvard University's administrative and grants management entity for international research collaborations, including EU-funded projects. It enables Harvard faculty and research groups across multiple disciplines — from cancer biology and particle physics to archaeology — to participate in European consortium projects. The organization does not conduct research itself but provides the institutional framework for Harvard researchers to engage as partners in H2020 projects spanning life sciences, fundamental physics, nanomaterial safety, and humanities.
B-CAST focused on breast cancer molecular subtypes and risk stratification; KILL-OR-DIFFERENTIAT investigates neural crest tumors including neuroblastoma and pheochromocytoma; COSMIC studied malaria parasite biology.
BOLD project develops barium tagging sensors using supramolecular chemistry and lasers for neutrinoless double beta decay detection.
PATROLS project developed physiologically anchored tools for realistic nanomaterial hazard assessment.
COMMIOS project uses ancient DNA and isotope analysis to study Iron Age communities and migration patterns.
BILAT USA 4.0 supported bilateral STI partnership development between the EU and the United States.
Early participation (2015–2018) centred on biomedical research — malaria parasite biology, breast cancer risk stratification and molecular subtyping, and nanomaterial safety. From 2019 onward, Harvard's EU portfolio diversified significantly into humanities (Iron Age archaeology and ancient DNA), developmental cancer biology (neural crest tumors, single-cell transcriptomics), and fundamental physics (neutrino mass experiments, barium tagging). This broadening reflects the university's deep bench across disciplines rather than a strategic pivot in any single direction.
Harvard's EU engagement is expanding beyond biomedicine into fundamental physics and humanities, suggesting growing appetite for transatlantic research partnerships across all faculties.
Harvard Global has never coordinated an H2020 project — it consistently joins as a participant or international third party, contributing specialist expertise from its faculty to consortia led by European institutions. With 66 unique partners across 22 countries, it operates as a wide-reaching but non-leading contributor. This pattern is typical for a prestigious US institution whose researchers are invited into European consortia for their domain expertise rather than seeking to manage EU grants directly.
Harvard Global has collaborated with 66 unique partners across 22 countries, reflecting an exceptionally broad but shallow European network — many connections but rarely repeated, consistent with being invited into diverse consortia for specific faculty expertise.
As Harvard University's gateway into EU research funding, this entity offers consortium builders access to one of the world's most resource-rich and prestigious research ecosystems. Its value lies not in any single research focus but in the ability to bring world-class expertise from virtually any scientific discipline. For EU coordinators, adding Harvard to a consortium brings credibility, access to top-tier facilities and faculty, and a strong transatlantic dimension that many calls reward.
