Detection, monitoring, modelling, and attribution capabilities for Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) activities and assessing their impacts on Earth'...

Call type and reference:Horizon Europe Bridging actions 2027 — HORIZON-BRIDGING (HORIZON-RIA). Single-stage submission. Funding & Tenders Portal

Call title:Bridging actions 2027. Topic title: Detection, monitoring, modelling, and attribution capabilities for Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) activities and assessing their impacts on Earth's climate and ecosystems. Single-stage submission. Planned opening 2026-10-06. Deadline 2027-02-16. Type of action indicated: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions (RIA). Estimated topic budget in Bridging mapping: €10 000 000 (min and max contribution shown in source budget map for HORIZON-BRIDGING). Full topic description requires strict non-support clauses for SRM deployment and field experiments, emphasis on detection, monitoring and attribution, open science and high transparency, and high standards for conflict-of-interest management. EU representatives will participate in the evaluation committee and specific governance and advisory bodies are required.

Eligibility and Applicants:Eligible applicant types: research organisations, universities, research institutes, public authorities, international organisations, NGOs and civil society organisations, non-profit organisations, SMEs and enterprises for relevant technical modelling and data work, and multi-disciplinary consortia. The call emphasises avoidance of participants with known commercial interests in SRM deployment; such potential conflicts must be declared and managed. Participation by legal entities from non-EU/non-Associated countries is possible but funding eligibility depends on Horizon Europe rules and exceptional funding conditions. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) participation is possible under standard rules. Proposals must follow Horizon Europe participation rules as described in the Programme Guide and General Annexes.

Funding type and Amount:Primary funding mechanism: Horizon Europe grant (HORIZON Research and Innovation Action - RIA). Topic-level planned contribution indicated in budget mapping: €10 000 000 for this RIA. The action type and budget mapping show expected single grant with max contribution around €10 million in 2026 mapping. Exact project award amounts will depend on proposals and evaluation but grant contribution will follow Horizon RIA rules and funding rates applicable to eligible costs.

Consortium requirement:Consortium: topic mapped as HORIZON-RIA. The Funding & Tenders portal actions mapping lists HORIZON-RIA single-stage. Horizon RIAs normally require a consortium of independent legal entities from at least three different Member States or Associated Countries unless otherwise specified in the Work Programme or topic. Applicants must check the specific topic in the Submission System; the call metadata indicates 'single-stage' submission and 'Types Of Action: HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions'.

Geographic eligibility (Beneficiary Scope):Eligible geography: entities established in EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries are automatically eligible for funding. Participation of entities from non-associated third countries is possible but funding eligibility requires compliance with the relevant Horizon Europe rules and exceptional funding conditions. The topic text specifically names EU, Member States and Associated Countries as primary policy users and beneficiaries. International engagement is expected for global governance and monitoring aspects, but funding eligibility is governed by Horizon Europe rules.

Target sectors and disciplines:Primary target sectors: climate and atmosphere sciences, earth observation and remote sensing (space-borne, air-borne, ground-based, in-situ), environmental and ecosystem sciences (oceanography, terrestrial ecology), atmospheric chemistry and aerosol-cloud modelling, data science, artificial intelligence for modelling and detection, social sciences and humanities for governance, ethics and public engagement, law and policy analysis for governance frameworks, biodiversity and conservation science. Cross-cutting: space/EO, modelling, monitoring networks, open science and data management, risk assessment, research security and conflict-of-interest management.

Mentioned countries and regions:Explicitly mentioned regions/entities: European Union, EU Member States, Horizon Europe Associated Countries, global (international) dimension, reference to IPCC and Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). No single third countries are mandated; international engagement and global governance are emphasised. The topic references EU-level bodies and international processes (IPCC, CBD, Group of Chief Scientific Advisors).

Project maturity and stage:Expected project stage: research and development at advanced TRLs for modelling and detection capability, demonstration and validation in natural environments (note: SRM field deployments are out of scope), high-fidelity modelling, integration and validation of multi-modal Earth observation data, development of detection, monitoring and attribution systems and ecological early-warning systems. Projects should focus on modelling, observational validation, data integration, risk governance and socio-ecological impact assessment rather than technology deployment.

Application type and submission:Submission method: open call (Horizon Europe Funding & Tenders Portal) using the application form available in the Submission System. The topic is single-stage (deadline 2027-02-16). Applicants must use the online Submission System templates and Part B proposal templates. Proposals will be evaluated by an evaluation committee which includes EU representatives.

Nature of support:Financial support: grant funding (Horizon action grant). Projects may include funding of eligible participants and may include financial support to third parties only if explicitly allowed in the Work Programme topic; in this topic there is no explicit mention of financial support to third parties as a primary mechanism. Non-monetary support expected: access to Copernicus and other EO data, standards and training, open science requirements and dissemination, policy advice to EU bodies.

Application stages and evaluation:Number of stages: single-stage call (one step - submit full proposal by the indicated deadline). Evaluation: standard Horizon Europe evaluation using excellence, impact and quality and efficiency of implementation criteria; the evaluation committee will include representatives of EU institutions. Templates and evaluation forms listed in the work programme general annexes apply. Thresholds will follow Horizon rules; consult the Submission System for topic-specific thresholds.

Success rates:Historical success rates for Horizon RIA topics vary; the topic is listed under Bridging actions with an indicated single expected grant. Given a single expected grant and the typical competitive pressure for Horizon topics, success rates can be low (<10%) from initial submissions to funding; actual success rates depend on the number and quality of proposals received and available budget. No specific success rate is published for this topic.

Co-funding requirement:Horizon RIA: beneficiaries must co-finance eligible project costs at the rate defined by the RIA funding model (usually up to 100% of eligible costs for research and innovation actions, with specific rules applied per action and organisation type). Specific co-funding and eligibility rules follow the Horizon Europe Model Grant Agreement and Work Programme General Annexes. In-kind contributions and affiliated entities rules apply per Article 6 of the MGA; exceptional funding rules for non-associated third countries are defined in the Programme Guide.

Application templates and forms:Applicants must use the application form in the Horizon Submission System (Part A and Part B templates). Standard annex templates are provided in the Reference Documents (e.g. information on financial support to third parties; clinical study template if applicable; ethics self-assessment; Data Management Plan template). Use the Online Manual and Horizon Europe Programme Guide for step-by-step submission instructions. Evaluation forms are the standard Horizon evaluation templates (RIA/CSA) described in the work programme annexes. See the Funding & Tenders Portal for the specific application form for this topic.

Technology and data requirements:Key technology areas sought: aerosol and cloud modelling for Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI), Marine Cloud Brightening (MCB), Cirrus Cloud Thinning (CCT)/Mixed Phase Cloud Thinning (MCT); atmospheric chemistry and dynamics modelling; Earth Observation (space-borne, ground-based, airborne and in-situ) data integration (Copernicus advised); ecological modelling and early-warning system development integrating hydrological, terrestrial and marine ecosystem models; digital tools and AI for detection/attribution; secure data management and FAIR data practices; tools for socio-economic impact assessment; methodologies for deterrence and governance. All proposals must commit to FAIR data, open science and Creative Commons licensing for outputs (except security-relevant information).

Applicant requirements and consortium composition guidance:Recommended consortium composition: multidisciplinary consortium including atmospheric scientists, modelers (global & regional), aerosol-cloud interaction experts, Earth Observation specialists, ecologists, oceanographers, data scientists and AI experts, social scientists, humanities scholars (ethics, governance), legal experts, policy analysts, civil society organisations and public authorities responsible for environmental monitoring and policy. Avoid partners with clear commercial interest in SRM deployment; declare and manage conflicts of interest. Establish a steering/advisory board with global engagement and civil society representation, and a risk assessment mechanism for possible misuse of project outputs. Encourage global representation when relevant.

Security, ethics and governance:Security and ethics: the topic requires a precautionary approach in line with EU advisory bodies (Group of Chief Scientific Advisors, European Group on Ethics) and CBD recommendations. Projects must implement strict transparency, open science, ethics assessment, and safeguards against misuse. Security relevant outputs must be managed and restricted where necessary, with documented justification and data handling measures. The evaluation committee will include EU representatives and conflict-of-interest controls will be applied. Projects must avoid conducting SRM deployment or field trials; such activities are explicitly out of scope.

Data and open science requirements:The project must comply with FAIR principles. Open and early sharing of research (preregistration, registered reports, preprints) is strongly encouraged. Use of Creative Commons licenses for outputs (except scientific publications where journal policies apply) is recommended. Projects must demonstrate management of security-relevant outputs and justify any restrictions. Copernicus and Galileo/EGNOS usage is recommended for satellite-based EO data as applicable.

Key risks and restrictions:Major restrictions: No SRM field deployment or operational SRM research is allowed. No advocacy, promotion or support for SRM development or deployment. Avoid partners with commercial deployment interest in SRM technologies; declare conflicts of interest and implement risk management. Projects must include governance for 'stop-mark' or exit ramps if generated knowledge risks misuse in the absence of restricting governance. Security-relevant information must be handled through stringent management and justifications for restricted access.

Recommended workplan elements:Typical work packages applicants should include: 1) Governance, ethics, risk-management and stakeholder engagement; 2) Observational data collection, integration and standardisation (space-borne, ground-based, airborne, in-situ); 3) High-fidelity aerosol-cloud-atmosphere modelling (global and regional) for SAI, MCB, CCT/MCT scenarios and their chemical-dynamical effects; 4) Model-data fusion and attribution methods for detection and monitoring; 5) Ecological impact modelling and development of an ecological early-warning system for biodiversity impacts; 6) Societal and socio-economic impact assessments and governance frameworks; 7) Data management, FAIR implementation, open science and dissemination; 8) Validation, intercomparison, uncertainty quantification and documented stop-mark procedures.

Further practical support and submission guidance:Use the Funding & Tenders Portal Submission System application form. Consult the Horizon Europe Programme Guide, Online Manual, National Contact Points and Research Enquiry Service. Partner search and Enterprise Europe Network services are available to help assemble suitable consortia. The topic will be evaluated using standard Horizon evaluation forms adapted for RIA; the evaluation committee includes EU representatives. For detailed legal and financial rules consult the Horizon Model Grant Agreement and Work Programme General Annexes. 1