Safe Human-Technology Interaction (HTI) in the vehicle systems of the coming decade – Societal Readiness Pilot

The grant opportunity titled "Safe Human-Technology Interaction (HTI) in the vehicle systems of the coming decade – Societal Readiness Pilot" is part of the Horizon Europe Programme, specifically under Cluster 5, which relates to Climate, Energy, and Mobility. This call focuses on enhancing the safety and societal readiness of human-technology interfaces in vehicles, targeting the challenges posed by increasing automation in road transport.

Eligible applicants include consortia that must consist of various organizations such as universities, research institutes, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), large companies, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). It is mandatory for these consortia to include experts from social sciences and humanities (SSH) to effectively address societal issues.

The funding type is a lump-sum grant, categorized as a Horizon Innovation Action, which allows for a single-stage application process. The call is currently open with a deadline for submissions set for September 4, 2025. The expected funding amounts typically range from €1 million to €5 million, but exact amounts depend on the specific project details.

The project stage outlined in the grant focuses on research and development, emphasizing the need for components that contribute to the validation and demonstration of HTI systems in real-world scenarios. The call aims to foster projects that improve road safety and enhance interaction between drivers and automated systems, particularly for vehicles with automation levels 3 and below.

Success rates for grants under Horizon Europe are generally competitive and are estimated to be between 10 to 39%. There is no explicit requirement for co-funding, as lump-sum grants usually cover predefined costs.

Overall, this call is designed to advance the development of tailored, adaptive, and socially acceptable human-technology interaction systems for next-generation vehicles. It emphasizes the importance of creating interfaces that account for various user needs and behavioral patterns, while also fostering trust and societal acceptance of these technologies. Projects should align with objectives related to the green and digital transitions, ensuring scalability across different modes of transport.

Furthermore, various specified areas of focus include in-cabin monitoring systems, multi-modal sensing technologies, and strategies to prevent cognitive overload. Applicants are encouraged to make use of innovative training methods and to participate in discussions around standardizing human-machine interfaces.

To ensure compliance with submission guidelines and eligibility, applicants have access to detailed documentation and resources available through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, which outlines all conditions necessary for successful application and project execution.

The EU Funding and Tenders Portal presents a call for proposals under the Horizon Europe Programme, specifically focusing on Safe Human-Technology Interaction (HTI) in vehicle systems for the coming decade, designated as a Societal Readiness Pilot. The call, identified as HORIZON-CL5-2025-04-D6-12, falls under Cluster 5 and is categorized as a HORIZON Innovation Action (HORIZON-IA) utilizing a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] Model Grant Agreement.

The call is currently open for submission with a single-stage deadline. The opening date for submissions was May 6, 2025, and the deadline for submissions is September 4, 2025, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of the projects should contribute to: Increased understanding of the synergies between driver and driving assistance systems capabilities and implementation of tailored, “self-learning” Human-Technology Interaction (HTI) strategies in order to improve road safety; Avoidance of crashes related to mode confusion during the use of driver’s assist, the hand-over and take-over phase; Advanced standardisable assessment tools and methods for improved HTI; Development of training methods for new and experienced drivers with respect to the evolving technologies; Responsiveness to a deeper understanding of the needs and concerns of diverse social groups involved in or potentially affected by the research and innovation (R&I) development, thereby increasing the potential for beneficial societal uptake, and building trust in results and outcomes.

The scope of this call addresses the challenges arising from increasing automation in road transport, particularly in vehicles with automation levels 3 and below, where control transitions between the driver and the vehicle. It emphasizes the importance of maintaining driver vigilance and avoiding cognitive distraction. HTI systems, built on the foundation of human behavior, need to be individually adaptive, moving beyond the concept of average human behavior. The call aims to develop reliable and seamless interfaces between drivers and vehicles, especially in situations that could lead to high cognitive load, diverted attention, inattention, or impaired driving.

Key areas of focus include: In-cabin monitoring systems for understanding driver state using contextual data; Multi-modal sensing technologies and robust detection/prediction of driver cognitive status; Enhancing driver understanding of assisted and automated driving systems to prevent mode confusion; Investigating the implications of automation on driver training and licensing; Developing innovative training methods, including virtual and mixed reality approaches, for mode transitions and safety-critical scenarios; Standardizing requirements for human-machine interfaces, including during system failures; Strategies to prevent driver disengagement and minimize cognitive load; Behavioral models to identify and block distracting activities within the vehicle; Addressing use cases for specific populations like elderly, young, inexperienced, and professional drivers, considering the gender dimension; Ensuring trust in HTI systems through precision, reliability, and transparency; Developing multi-modal and multi-sensorial vehicle warning and response strategies; Ensuring HTI systems are upgradable in both software and hardware.

This call is designated as a Societal-Readiness pilot, requiring an interdisciplinary approach and the involvement of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) expertise to ensure the research and innovation activities are responsive to societal needs and concerns.

The call encourages further research and data collection to understand synergies between drivers and assistance systems, enabling tailored and self-learning strategies. Proposals should address all mentioned aspects and issues to achieve the expected outcomes and should align with previous related projects.

The general conditions for this call include: Admissibility conditions related to proposal page limits and layout as described in the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and the Application Form. Eligibility criteria for countries as described in the Work Programme General Annexes and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide, with certain restrictions applying to the protection of European communication networks. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion criteria as detailed in the Work Programme General Annexes. Evaluation and award criteria, submission and evaluation processes, and indicative timelines for evaluation and grant agreements as described in the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual. Legal and financial setup of the grants, with eligible costs taking the form of a lump sum as defined in the relevant EU decision.

Specific conditions for this call are not applicable.

Applicants are directed to the Funding & Tenders Portal for application forms, evaluation form templates, the HE Programme Guide, Model Grant Agreements, call-specific instructions, and additional documents such as the HE Main Work Programme, EU Financial Regulation, and guidelines on legal entity validation and financial capacity assessment.

The budget overview for this call includes various topics with their respective budget allocations, action types, opening and deadline dates, contribution amounts, and the indicative number of grants.

The EU Funding & Tenders Portal is managed by the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation. Resources for partners, contact information, and links to relevant documents and support services are provided.

In summary, this Horizon Europe call focuses on enhancing the safety and societal readiness of Human-Technology Interaction in vehicles by addressing challenges related to automation, driver vigilance, cognitive load, and the needs of diverse user groups. It seeks to develop innovative HTI systems, training methods, and assessment tools while ensuring trust, reliability, and ethical considerations are integrated into the design and implementation of these technologies. The call encourages interdisciplinary collaboration and the involvement of SSH expertise to maximize the societal impact and uptake of the research outcomes.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, based on the nature of Horizon Europe calls, eligible applicants typically include universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other legal entities capable of conducting research and innovation activities. The call encourages interdisciplinary approaches, suggesting that consortia should include experts from social sciences and humanities (SSH).

Funding Type: The funding type is primarily a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, as indicated by the type of action HORIZON-IA (HORIZON Innovation Actions) and the type of MGA (HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]).

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity requires a consortium, as it emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches and the involvement of SSH experts, implying the need for multiple organizations with diverse expertise to form a consortium.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is not explicitly mentioned, but as part of the Horizon Europe program, it is generally open to entities from EU member states, associated countries, and potentially some third countries, as detailed in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Target Sector: The program targets the transport sector, specifically focusing on road transport and the interaction between humans and technology in automated vehicles. It also touches on areas like artificial intelligence, in-cabin monitoring systems, multi-modal sensing technologies, virtual reality, and training methods.

Mentioned Countries: No specific countries are mentioned, but the opportunity is part of the Horizon Europe program, which generally includes EU member states and associated countries.

Project Stage: The expected maturity of the project is at the innovation action stage, which implies a focus on demonstrating and scaling up existing technologies and solutions. The call also mentions societal readiness, suggesting projects should be close to deployment and societal uptake.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call, ranging from €1.6 million to €22.5 million. The indicative number of grants per topic also varies, typically between 1 and 2.

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 lump sum grant to cover eligible costs.

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

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned, but the indicative number of grants per topic suggests a competitive selection process.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement. However, Horizon Europe Innovation Actions often require some level of co-funding, which would be detailed in the specific call documents.

Summary: This Horizon Europe call focuses on Safe Human-Technology Interaction (HTI) in the vehicle systems of the coming decade, specifically addressing the challenges arising from increasing automation in road transport. The goal is to improve road safety and enhance the interaction between drivers and automated driving systems. The call seeks projects that can develop tailored, self-learning HTI strategies, prevent mode confusion, create advanced assessment tools, and develop training methods for drivers. It emphasizes the importance of considering diverse social groups and incorporating social sciences and humanities expertise to ensure societal readiness and build trust in the developed technologies. The funding is provided as a lump sum grant, and the call is open to entities from EU member states, associated countries, and potentially some third countries. The projects should be at the innovation action stage, focusing on demonstrating and scaling up existing technologies. The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call, ranging from €1.6 million to €22.5 million, with a single-stage submission process.