Closing the learning gap: uncovering causes and effective policy interventions for declining youth skills in mathematics, reading, and science

The Horizon Europe grant opportunity HORIZON-CL2-2027-01-TRANSFO-06 focuses on "Closing the learning gap: uncovering causes and effective policy interventions for declining youth skills in mathematics, reading, and science." With a total budget of €12 million, this initiative aims to fund three projects, each receiving between €3 million and €4 million through HORIZON Lump Sum Grants, which streamline financial management by providing predetermined funding instead of reimbursing actual costs.

The call is set to open on May 13, 2027, and applications must be submitted by September 23, 2027. It seeks proposals from a consortium of various eligible applicant types, including universities, research organizations, SMEs, large enterprises, non-profit organizations, and public bodies, particularly those with expertise in education policy and data on educational assessments. The necessity of forming a consortium highlights the project's multidisciplinary focus, inviting combined expertise across education, social sciences, and other related fields.

The geographic eligibility primarily includes EU member states and associated countries, along with certain non-EU nations that meet specific provisions. The initiative is designed to explore research questions concerning the decline in youth skills as recognized by the OECD's PISA assessments while aiming to understand the structural causes and ascertain effective educational practices and policy measures.

Projects will be evaluated based on their capacity for rigorous research methodologies, including experimental and qualitative approaches, to assess the interplay between educational practices and various socio-economic factors affecting youth performance. Interdisciplinary strategies are encouraged, integrating insights from economics, sociology, and psychology, among others, to thoroughly investigate the complexities surrounding educational decline.

The research objectives include understanding how various educational methods and backgrounds contribute to youth performance, identifying factors influencing engagement in learning, and providing actionable policy recommendations. Proposals are expected to actively involve young people and stakeholders during the research process, enhancing the relevance and applicability of the findings.

The application process is characterized by a single-stage submission where complete proposals are needed, and while co-funding is not formally required, strong partnerships with relevant stakeholders are emphasized. The call aims to generate evidence that informs future policies and strategies aimed at reversing the current trends in educational decline across Europe, directly aligning with the EU’s educational and social equity objectives.

This EU grant opportunity, part of the Horizon Europe program, focuses on "Closing the learning gap: uncovering causes and effective policy interventions for declining youth skills in mathematics, reading, and science." It falls under the Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society call for 2027 (HORIZON-CL2-2027-01-TRANSFO-06). The action type is a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA), utilizing a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] model grant agreement.

The call adopts a single-stage deadline model with a planned opening date of May 13, 2027, and a deadline of September 23, 2027, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The primary goal is to address the decline in young people's mathematics, reading, and science skills across Europe, as evidenced by international assessments like the OECD's PISA. The grant aims to:

1. Provide policymakers with a solid understanding of the structural causes for the decline in young people’s skills levels in mathematics, reading and science, including low and top levels of achievement, observed in the EU over the past 15 years.
2. Generate rigorous, policy-relevant evidence about which teaching practices, programmes and policy actions can be effective to reverse that decline, including the role of curricula, structural aspects of education and training systems, physical and digital learning environments, and innovative teaching and learning methods (including their accessibility).
3. Develop actionable advice to inform policy measures, programmes, future evaluations and actions for education and training systems in the field of basic skills.

The scope of the research includes investigating the structural causes behind this decline, which are currently not well understood despite existing literature analyzing the short-term impacts of events like the COVID-19 crisis. The research should utilize various data sources at national and international levels. Key research questions to be addressed include:

* How have changes in teaching methods, curriculum design, and assessment practices influenced the decline in mathematics, reading and science skills over time?
* What role do digital distractions and shifts in reading habits from paper to digital devices play?
* What is the role handwriting and drawing for cognitive development?
* What is the link between acquisition of cognitive skills in maths, science and reading on the one hand and the socio-emotional skills, learning skills, self-regulation, school climate on the other.
* To what extent does the increasing (also migration-related) heterogeneity of the students make it more difficult to organise learning at school?
* How does parental involvement affect educational performance?
* Do different levels of parental involvement affect educational performance?
* What is the role of cultural institutions such as museums and libraries?
* What is the combined impact of socio-economic background and gender on gaps in educational performance?
* How do different levels of investment in public education, and teacher shortages and working conditions affect the educational performance of children?

The proposals should consider the perspectives of young people and relevant stakeholders during data collection, ensuring close cooperation with authorities and institutions that own the data.

The research methodology should employ experimental and/or quasi-experimental methods, complemented by qualitative research methods where appropriate. Cost evaluations of policy measures and programs are also required. Interdisciplinary approaches are highly encouraged, drawing from fields such as economics, sociology, psychology, neurosciences, education sciences, and the social sciences and humanities (SSH). Clustering and cooperation among selected projects under this call topic and other relevant projects are strongly encouraged.

General conditions for admissibility include adhering to proposal page limits and layout guidelines as detailed in Annex A and E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and Part B of the Application Form. Eligible countries are defined in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes, with specific provisions for non-EU/non-Associated Countries outlined in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide. Other eligibility conditions, financial and operational capacity, and exclusion criteria are detailed in Annex B and C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Evaluation and award processes, including criteria, scoring, thresholds, submission, evaluation, and indicative timelines, are described in Annex D and F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. Legal and financial aspects of the grants are governed by Annex F, with the granting authority retaining the right to object to ownership transfers or exclusive licensing of results for up to four years post-action, as specified in Annex 5. Eligible costs will be reimbursed as a lump sum, as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021.

Specific conditions are outlined in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

Application and evaluation forms, along with the model grant agreement (MGA), are accessible via the Submission System. The standard application form for HE RIA and IA actions will be used, along with standard evaluation forms adapted as necessary. Guidance is available through the HE Programme Guide and the Lump Sum MGA. Call-specific instructions, a detailed budget table (HE LS), and guidance on lump sums are also provided.

Additional documents include:

* HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction
* HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 5. Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society
* HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 15. General Annexes
* HE Programme Guide
* HE Framework Programme 2021/695
* HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
* EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509
* Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme
* Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
* EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement
* Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual
* Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions
* Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement

The budget overview indicates that the HORIZON-CL2-2027-01-TRANSFO-06 topic has a budget of 12,000,000 EUR for the year 2027. It is a single-stage application process with the opening date on 2027-05-13 and the deadline on 2027-09-23. The expected contribution per project is between 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 EUR, and the indicative number of grants to be awarded is 3.

Partner search announcements can be viewed and edited by LEARs, Account Administrators, or self-registrants after logging into the portal. The submission system will open on the date stated in the topic header.

This opportunity seeks to fund research that will help understand and reverse the decline in essential skills among European youth. It encourages interdisciplinary approaches and collaboration to develop effective, evidence-based policies and practices. The funding is provided as a lump sum, and the call is a single-stage process with a deadline in September 2027. The research should be policy-relevant and provide actionable advice for improving education and training systems.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given the nature of Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), eligible applicants typically include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant. There are also Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA)

Consortium Requirement: The text does not explicitly state whether a single applicant or a consortium is required. However, Horizon Europe RIAs and CSAs often involve consortia to bring together diverse expertise and resources.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The text mentions that a number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The program targets the education sector, specifically focusing on mathematics, reading, and science skills among young people. It also touches upon culture, creativity, and inclusive society.

Mentioned Countries: The text refers to EU member states and non-EU/non-Associated Countries.

Project Stage: The project stage is research and innovation actions.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call, ranging from €3,000,000 to €5,000,000.

Application Type: The application type is a single-stage call.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant.

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned in the text.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, part of the Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society pillar for 2027, focuses on "Closing the learning gap: uncovering causes and effective policy interventions for declining youth skills in mathematics, reading, and science." The call aims to address the decline in mathematics, reading, and science skills among young people in Europe, as measured by international assessments like PISA. The program seeks to identify the structural causes behind this decline, evaluate the effectiveness of various teaching practices and policy actions, and provide actionable advice for improving education and training systems.

The call includes various topics, each with its own budget and indicative number of grants. The funding instruments are primarily Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), with eligible costs taking the form of lump sums. The application process is a single-stage submission, with a planned opening date of May 13, 2027, and a deadline of September 23, 2027.

Eligible applicants are expected to form consortia and employ interdisciplinary approaches, combining insights from economics, sociology, psychology, neurosciences, education sciences, and the social sciences and humanities (SSH). The projects should contribute to a solid understanding of the causes for the skills decline, generate policy-relevant evidence, and develop actionable advice for education and training systems in Europe.