THE GOVERNING COUNCIL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

Their core work

The University of Toronto is one of Canada's leading research universities, serving primarily as a non-EU host institution for European researchers through Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowships. Its H2020 involvement spans an exceptionally wide range of disciplines — from environmental chemistry and biomedical sciences to medieval humanities and quantum computing — reflecting the breadth of a large, multi-faculty research university. UofT provides world-class lab infrastructure, supervision, and interdisciplinary research environments for visiting European fellows, rather than leading EU-funded consortia directly.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2015–2018), UofT's H2020 involvement was dominated by MSCA fellowships in humanities (Renaissance studies, women's writing, political concepts) alongside scattered engineering and environmental projects. From 2019 onward, a clear shift toward health and data-intensive sciences emerged — immune repertoire databases, cancer biomarkers, quantum computing, and hybrid electric propulsion. The humanities stream continued but was increasingly complemented by computationally intensive and translational research.

UofT is moving toward data-driven biomedical research and advanced computing, making it an increasingly relevant partner for health informatics and deep-tech consortia seeking a strong North American node.

How they like to work

UofT never coordinates H2020 projects — it participates exclusively as a third-party host (32 of 39 projects) or minor participant, which is typical for non-EU institutions in MSCA actions. With 289 unique partners across 46 countries, it functions as a global hub that connects European researchers to Canadian research infrastructure. Its wide partner base means it rarely repeats collaborations, acting more as an open-door host than a recurring consortium member.

UofT has collaborated with 289 distinct partners across 46 countries, making it one of the most broadly networked non-EU institutions in H2020. Its connections span virtually all of Europe plus global partners, reflecting its role as a top destination for MSCA Global Fellowships.

What sets them apart

As a top-3 Canadian university, UofT offers European consortia something few partners can: a globally ranked, multidisciplinary research environment outside the EU, which is specifically valuable for MSCA Global Fellowships requiring a non-EU outgoing phase. Its extraordinary disciplinary breadth — hosting fellows in everything from medieval Florentine literature to silicon quantum computing — means it can absorb researchers from virtually any field. For consortium builders, UofT adds genuine transatlantic reach and access to North American research networks and industry ecosystems.

Highlights from their portfolio

• iReceptor Plus
  Major health informatics project building federated infrastructure for immune repertoire data across multiple global repositories — UofT's most substantial scientific contribution in H2020.
• IMOTHEP
  Large-scale RIA on hybrid electric aircraft propulsion (2020–2024), representing UofT's entry into green aviation — a high-priority EU sector.
• INTERWASTE
  Five-year international research network on toxic pollutants and wastewater epidemiology, showcasing UofT's environmental chemistry capacity across a long collaboration window (2017–2022).