Participatory research on the health of communities in contact with polluted soils

The HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-SOIL-04-two-stage grant opportunity is aimed at facilitating participatory research on community health related to polluted soils within the European context. Specifically suited for the Horizon Europe framework, it seeks to address the significant public health issues stemming from soil pollution, which affects approximately 2.8 million potentially contaminated sites across the EU.

Eligible applicants include a diverse range of entities such as universities, research institutions, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), large enterprises, non-profits, and public authorities. A multi-partner consortium approach is necessary to foster interdisciplinary collaboration among experts in fields such as epidemiology, social sciences, and soil science. The research and innovation actions funded aim to engage communities affected by soil pollution directly, with a focus on mapping health outcomes and developing actionable interventions.

The funding provided is a lump sum grant, with a total budget of €11 million available for the topic, which is aimed at supporting two projects, each receiving €5.5 million. This structure simplifies the financial reporting process for beneficiaries. Applications will be processed in two stages, with the first stage requiring outline proposals due on April 8, 2027, and successful candidates invited to submit full proposals by September 14, 2027.

The project stages will involve a research phase concentrating on participatory methodologies to get community insights, a validation phase to test interventions, and a final implementation phase aimed at piloting identified strategies.

While specific success rates for this opportunity are not disclosed, historical data suggests competitive funding odds within Horizon Europe, with overall rates ranging from 10% to 15%. Co-funding is generally not required, although applicants might opt to include it.

Successful projects are expected to heighten citizen awareness of the health risks associated with soil pollution, enhance public access to knowledge, and generate policy recommendations for sustainable solutions to soil health and public health protection.

In summary, this grant opportunity is a strategic initiative aimed at understanding and mitigating the adverse health impacts of polluted soils through community-informed research, with an emphasis on sustainability, interdisciplinary collaboration, and accountability for environmental remediation. It operates within a clear framework supporting European soil health as integral to public health and environmental justice initiatives.

This is a Horizon Europe call for proposals supporting the implementation of the Soil Deal for Europe Mission, specifically focusing on participatory research on the health of communities in contact with polluted soils. The call, identified as HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-SOIL-04-two-stage, aims to improve citizen awareness of the connection between soil pollution and human health, increase public access to data and knowledge on soil pollution, and encourage policymakers to implement sustainable solutions for soil health and public health protection.

The call is a HORIZON Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-RIA) and utilizes the HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] model grant agreement. It employs a two-stage submission process with a planned opening date of 04 February 2027. The deadline for the first stage is 08 April 2027, 17:00:00 Brussels time, and the deadline for the second stage is 14 September 2027, 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The scope of the call addresses the estimated 2.8 million potentially contaminated land sites across the European Union and the associated health risks, which contribute to approximately 500,000 premature deaths worldwide each year. It emphasizes community-based participatory research involving populations living or working near polluted sites to identify and map human diseases and health outcomes, thereby increasing public awareness of the environmental and health risks of soil pollution.

Proposals should implement community-based participatory research activities to engage with populations living or working in close contact with polluted sites to identify and map human diseases and other health outcomes and their incidence in these areas. They should consider direct (e.g., skin contact with soils) and indirect (e.g., consumption of contaminated food, psychological impact of living near contaminated sites) soil-related drivers of human disease and ill-health as relevant. Proposals should engage private entities with industrial operations in polluted sites and which work with potential pollutants (including substances of concern), involving them as stakeholders in the research to jointly devise mitigation and remediation strategies and demonstrate corporate responsibility. They should propose locally relevant interventions that foster community resilience against soil pollution, encourage polluters due diligence, and deliver recommendations to policymakers at relevant level of governance to regulate decontamination, promote reuse of land when possible, and protect public health.

The call requires an interdisciplinary approach involving experts on land and soil contamination, epidemiology, and social-science and humanities (SSH) disciplines, particularly sociology and anthropology. Proposals should include dedicated tasks and appropriate resources for coordination measures and joint activities with other relevant Horizon Europe projects and initiatives funded under the Mission Soil.

Proposals should demonstrate a route towards open access, longevity, sustainability and interoperability of knowledge and outputs through close collaboration with the European Union Soil Observatory and SoilWise. Concrete efforts should prioritise making data from funded projects FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable). This includes exploring 'FAIR-by-design' workflows for data generation.

The general conditions for this call include: Admissibility Conditions as described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes, with proposal page limits and layout described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System; Eligible Countries as described 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 Eligible Conditions as described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes; Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria as described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes; Evaluation and award criteria, scoring, and thresholds as described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes; Submission and evaluation processes as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual; Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement as described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes; and Legal and financial set-up of the grants, with eligible costs taking the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021.

Application and evaluation forms and model grant agreements (MGA) are available in the Submission System, including the Standard application form (HE RIA, IA) and Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA). Additional guidance is provided in the HE Programme Guide, Lump Sum MGA, Detailed budget table (HE LS), and Guidance: "Lump sums - what do I need to know?".

Additional documents include: HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 1. General Introduction, HE Main Work Programme 2026-2027 – 12. Missions, 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, and Funding & Tenders Portal Privacy Statement.

The budget overview indicates that the HORIZON-MISS-2027-05-SOIL-04-two-stage topic has a budget of 11,000,000 EUR for the year 2027, with an indicative number of 2 grants to be awarded.

This funding opportunity is designed to support research and innovation actions that address the critical issue of soil pollution and its impact on human health. It encourages community involvement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the development of sustainable solutions to protect both the environment and public well-being. The emphasis on FAIR data principles and collaboration with existing EU initiatives underscores the commitment to creating lasting and accessible knowledge resources.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call seeks to fund projects that actively engage communities in researching and addressing the health impacts of soil pollution, promoting awareness, and informing policy to create healthier and more sustainable environments.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated, but based on the nature of Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Innovation Actions (IA), eligible applicants can include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation activities. Public and private entities are likely eligible, and participation of non-EU/non-Associated Countries is possible under specific provisions.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant.

Consortium Requirement: While not explicitly stated, the call encourages interdisciplinary approaches and collaboration, suggesting that a consortium is preferred, if not required. Partner search tools are mentioned, implying that consortia are common.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The primary geographic eligibility is for EU member states and associated countries. However, the documentation 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.

Target Sector: The program targets the following sectors: environment, health, research, innovation, social science, and humanities. Specifically, it focuses on soil pollution, epidemiology, sociology, and anthropology.

Mentioned Countries: The opportunity explicitly mentions the European Union and non-EU/non-Associated Countries.

Project Stage: The project stage is primarily research and innovation actions, which can range from development to demonstration, but with a strong emphasis on community-based participatory research. The presence of Innovation Actions also suggests a focus on validation and demonstration.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call, ranging from €7,000,000 to €24,000,000. The indicative number of grants for each topic is also specified, ranging from 1 to 2.

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

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

Application Stages: The application process is two-stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants suggests that the competition is high.

Co-funding Requirement: The need for co-funding is not explicitly stated, but Horizon Europe projects generally do not require co-funding.

Summary:

This Horizon Europe call, "Supporting the implementation of the Soil Deal for Europe Mission," aims to address soil pollution and its impact on human health through community-based participatory research. The call seeks proposals that implement research activities to engage with populations living or working in close contact with polluted sites to identify and map human diseases and other health outcomes. It encourages interdisciplinary approaches, involving experts in land and soil contamination, epidemiology, social sciences, and humanities. The projects should engage private entities and propose locally relevant interventions to foster community resilience and inform policymakers. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and the application process is two-staged. The call is open to EU member states, associated countries, and potentially non-EU/non-associated countries with specific provisions. The indicative budget for each topic ranges from 7 million to 24 million euros, with an indicative number of grants ranging from 1 to 2 per topic. The call aims to improve citizen awareness, increase public access to data, and enforce sustainable solutions for soil health and public health protection.