Integrating climate-related exposures into the human exposome and characterising its changes in response to climate change

The grant opportunity HORIZON-HLTH-2027-01-ENVHLTH-02, titled "Integrating Climate-Related Exposures into the Human Exposome and Characterising Its Changes in Response to Climate Change," is part of Horizon Europe's Health Cluster. It targets participants from EU Member States, Associated Countries, and international partners, particularly in the health sector with a focus on climate-related impacts on health.

Eligible applicants include research organizations, universities, SMEs, large enterprises, and entities from the USA, provided they meet the required criteria. The funding mechanism is a grant under the HORIZON-RIA (Research and Innovation Actions), ensuring 100% reimbursement of eligible costs. The program encourages multidisciplinary collaboration, forming consortia for proposals.

The total budget for this call is €45 million, with approximately 4 projects expected to receive funding amounts ranging from €10 million to €11 million each. The application process is single-stage, opening on February 10, 2027, and closing on April 13, 2027, at 17:00 Brussels time.

Research must integrate climate factors into studies of the human exposome, aiming to enhance understanding of how various exposures across an individual's life impact health, particularly from a climate perspective. Projects should address climate-driven health risks, employ advanced data analytics across multiple disciplines, and promote international cooperation.

Successful proposals are expected to participate in shared activities and collective data management, contributing outputs to platforms like the European Climate and Health Observatory. Evaluation will consider criteria such as excellence, impact, and implementation, with a cumulative threshold set at 12 out of 15.

No co-funding is required, making this a fully funded opportunity aimed at generating actionable insights for policymakers, healthcare practitioners, and the public regarding environmental health impacts. This initiative aligns with the EU's priorities on climate resilience, public health, and health equity.

The EU Funding Opportunity is HORIZON HLTH 2027 01 ENVHLTH 02, titled "Integrating climate-related exposures into the human exposome and characterising its changes in response to climate change." This is a HORIZON RIA (Research and Innovation Actions) grant, with a single stage submission process. The planned opening date is February 10, 2027, and the deadline for submission is April 13, 2027, at 17:00:00 Brussels time. The total budget for this topic is 45,000,000 EUR, and the indicative contribution per grant ranges from 10,000,000 to 11,000,000 EUR, with an expected 4 grants to be awarded.

The funding opportunity aims to support activities that contribute to the expected impacts of "Living and working in a health-promoting environment." The desired outcomes include:

A more comprehensive understanding of the human exposome and the interactions between climatic, environmental, and socio-behavioral factors, supported by FAIR data linking these exposures to disease and health outcomes for researchers, policymakers, healthcare practitioners, and the public.
Improved knowledge on the links between climatic, social, lifestyle, and environmental factors of the exposome and global health burden for researchers, governments, policymakers, social care services, and healthcare practitioners, supporting their efforts to adopt the exposome approach to identify and address relevant health impacts.
Public access to the latest information on the influence of global environmental exposures on health, enabling the adoption of health-promoting, climate-resilient, and nature-positive behaviors.

The scope of the research should focus on integrating climate-related factors into exposome research and understanding how the exposome changes in response to direct and indirect climate exposures. Research activities should be multiscale and multidisciplinary, accounting for the complexity and multifactorial nature of health determinants and the most pressing unmet medical needs in relation to environmental degradation and disrupted ecosystems. Proposals should include climate-relevant social determinants of health as part of their proposed activities.

Specific research activities include:

Incorporating multiple climate exposures into exposomics studies and providing insights on their influence on disease burden, through interactions with other exposome factors.
Predicting, identifying, and monitoring changes in the exposome (including environmental, social, and occupational exposures) resulting from climate-related pressures and studying their health implications to identify emerging health risks and potential benefits of climate change.
Advancing data generation, analysis, integration, and interpretation in human exposomics, developing methodologies and integrating novel approaches (e.g., AI technologies and machine learning) for advanced data analytics, including for Real-World Data (RWD).

Targeted activities should also include several of the following:

Establishing and investigating the biological pathways and mechanisms by which the exposome drives health impacts, jointly considering climate-related and other exposures. Building upon (when relevant) and studying existing and/or newly generated longitudinal cohorts that combine individual exposome data with the corresponding medical, omics, and biological data.
Identifying exposome-relevant indicators and biomarkers for exposome-related health risks and potential benefits using comprehensive exposome studies that combine climate, environmental, behavioral, and social exposures. Accounting for disparities in individual trajectories and exposure patterns where relevant.
Reporting on health-relevant exposome findings using, where possible, standardized metrics to ensure harmonized reporting of exposome-driven disease burden across regions and sectors. Building on existing exposome toolboxes and increasing their robustness and coverage by integrating climate related exposures.
Studying the role of socioeconomic (e.g., income, energy poverty, occupation), demographic (e.g., gender, racial or ethnic origin, age), and behavioral (e.g., public trust, risk perception) factors in determining patterns of exposure, using the exposome approach to generate knowledge on intersectional vulnerability and resilience to exposome-driven (including climate-driven) health impacts. Identifying disproportionately affected populations and developing interventions to reduce disparities.

When handling vulnerability data and indicators, sex-, gender-, racial or ethnic origin-disaggregated data should be collected and analyzed, incorporating intersectional factors where feasible and relevant.

International cooperation is encouraged, in particular with regions that are under-represented in human exposome research.

Projects should leverage the knowledge, data, and tools already generated under past initiatives such as EHEN and ongoing initiatives such as IHEN, ICOS ERIC and EIRENE RI.

Proposals are encouraged to consider, where relevant, the data, expertise, and services offered by European research infrastructures in the environment, climate, and health domain. Projects should make the tools developed as part of their research available on the IHEN Exposome Toolbox and upload their data sets in the IHEN Data Catalogue.

To maximize synergies and increase the impact of the projects, all proposals selected for funding from this topic will form a cluster and be required to participate in common networking and joint activities. Proposals should ensure that relevant activities, outcomes, and outputs are shared with the European Climate and Health Observatory through the cluster that will be formed after the approval of the proposals.

This topic requires the effective contribution of social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts, institutions as well as the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise, in order to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities.

Applicants envisaging to include clinical studies should provide details of their clinical studies in the dedicated annex using the template provided in the submission system.

Admissibility conditions are described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes. Proposal page limits and layout are described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System. Eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. 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. In recognition of the opening of the US National Institutes of Health’s programmes to European researchers, any legal entity established in the United States of America is eligible to receive Union funding. If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used). The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as member of the consortium selected for funding as a beneficiary with zero funding, or as an associated partner. The JRC will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal - see General Annex B. Other eligibility conditions are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Financial and operational capacity and exclusion are described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes. The thresholds for each criterion will be 4 (Excellence), 4 (Impact) and 4 (Implementation). The cumulative threshold will be 12.

Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual.

Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes.

Beneficiaries will be subject to the following additional dissemination obligations: Proposals should ensure that chemical monitoring and human biomonitoring data are shared in the Common Data Platform for Chemicals and its services such as the Information Platform for Chemical Monitoring - IPCHEM and the environmental sustainability database.

In order to maximise synergies and increase the impact of the projects, all proposals selected for funding from this topic will form a cluster and be required to participate in common networking and joint activities (and in determining modalities for their implementation and the specific responsibilities of projects). These activities will be included in a dedicated work package, having sufficient budget allocated to it (around 2% of the total requested budget). Depending on the scope of proposals selected for funding, these activities may include: Attendance of regular joint meetings (e.g. common kick-off meeting and annual meetings). Periodic report of joint activities (delivered at each reporting period). Common dissemination and communication activities (which may include, for example: a common dissemination and communication strategy, web portal and visual identity, brochure, newsletters). Common Data Management Strategy and Common Policy Strategy (including joint policy briefs). Thematic workshops/trainings on issues of common interest. Working groups on topics of common interest (e.g. data management and exchange, communication and dissemination, science-policy link, scientific synergies). The granting authority may, up to 4 years after the end of the action, object to a transfer of ownership or to the exclusive licensing of results, as set out in the specific provision of Annex 5.

Legal and financial set-up of the grants are described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes. Specific conditions are described in the specific topic of the Work Programme.

The application and evaluation forms are available in the Submission System. Guidance documents include the HE Programme Guide and the Model Grant Agreement (MGA). Call-specific instructions and information on clinical studies are also provided. Additional documents include the HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 (General Introduction, Health, and General Annexes), the HE Framework Programme 2021/695, the HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764, the EU Financial Regulation 2024/2509, the Decision authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme, Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment, the EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement, the Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual, and the Funding & Tenders Portal Terms and Conditions and Privacy Statement.

This funding opportunity seeks to enhance our understanding of how climate change and environmental factors impact human health by studying the exposome, which is the sum of all exposures an individual experiences throughout their life. The goal is to integrate climate-related factors into exposome research, use advanced data analysis techniques like AI and machine learning, and promote international collaboration to address health disparities and develop effective interventions. The research should also contribute to the European Climate and Health Observatory.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are broad, encompassing any legal entity. This includes, but is not limited to, universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) can participate as a member of the consortium or as an associated partner. Additionally, any legal entity established in the United States of America is eligible to receive Union funding.

Funding Type: The primary funding type is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA). There is also a HORIZON Pre-commercial Procurement (HORIZON-PCP) action mentioned in the budget overview. The grants are budget-based.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity appears to require a consortium of multiple applicants. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as member of the consortium selected for funding as a beneficiary with zero funding, or as an associated partner. Partner Search tools are mentioned.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Eligible countries are described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes. 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. In recognition of the opening of the US National Institutes of Health’s programmes to European researchers, any legal entity established in the United States of America is eligible to receive Union funding. International cooperation is encouraged, in particular with regions that are under-represented in human exposome research.

Target Sector: The program targets the health sector, with a focus on environment, climate, and health. It specifically addresses the integration of climate-related factors into human exposome research. The program also involves social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines.

Mentioned Countries: United States of America. The opportunity is primarily focused on European researchers and research infrastructures, but encourages international cooperation, especially with regions under-represented in human exposome research.

Project Stage: The project stage is research and innovation actions. The activities are aimed at strengthening the use of the exposome approach, generating evidence, and developing methodologies. The projects should leverage existing knowledge, data, and tools.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call, ranging from €3,000,000 to €11,000,000. The budget overview provides a detailed breakdown for each topic.
HORIZON-HLTH-2027-01-CARE-02: €8,000,000 to €10,000,000
HORIZON-HLTH-2027-01-DISEASE-05: €9,000,000 to €11,000,000
HORIZON-HLTH-2027-01-DISEASE-06: €9,000,000 to €10,000,000
HORIZON-HLTH-2027-01-DISEASE-07: €9,000,000 to €10,000,000
HORIZON-HLTH-2027-01-DISEASE-08: €8,000,000 to €10,000,000
HORIZON-HLTH-2027-01-DISEASE-10: €3,000,000 to €4,000,000
HORIZON-HLTH-2027-01-ENVHLTH-02: €10,000,000 to €11,000,000
HORIZON-HLTH-2027-01-ENVHLTH-MISSCLIMA-03: €4,000,000 to €5,000,000
HORIZON-HLTH-2027-01-IND-01: €6,000,000 to €8,000,000
HORIZON-HLTH-2027-01-STAYHLTH-01: €6,000,000 to €8,000,000

Application Type: The application type is an open call, with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a grant to support their research and innovation activities.

Application Stages: The application process consists of a single stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants for each topic is provided, allowing for an estimation based on the number of expected applications.

Co-funding Requirement: The need for co-funding is not explicitly stated, but it is typical for Horizon Europe projects to require some level of co-funding, which can be confirmed in the General Annexes.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call, part of Cluster 1 Health, focuses on "Integrating climate-related exposures into the human exposome and characterising its changes in response to climate change." It aims to fund research and innovation actions that enhance the understanding of how climate, environmental, and socio-behavioral factors interact to affect human health. The call encourages multidisciplinary approaches, international cooperation, and the use of existing research infrastructures and data platforms. Projects should contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the human exposome, improved knowledge of the links between exposome factors and global health burden, and public access to information on environmental exposures and health. Funding ranges from €3,000,000 to €11,000,000 per project, and the call is open to a wide range of legal entities, including research organizations, universities, SMEs, and large enterprises. The application process is a single-stage submission, with a deadline of April 13, 2027.