The effective use of artificial intelligence in learning environments in pre-primary and primary education

The Horizon Europe grant opportunity titled "The effective use of artificial intelligence in learning environments in pre-primary and primary education" (identifier HORIZON-CL2-2027-01-TRANSFO-05) is designed to investigate the integration of AI tools within educational systems for young learners. It is categorized as a Research and Innovation Action (RIA) with a significant focus on producing robust, policy-relevant evidence regarding the effectiveness and impact of AI in education.

This funding opportunity is scheduled to open on May 13, 2027, with a submission deadline of September 23, 2027. A total budget of €12 million is allocated, expecting to fund three projects, each receiving between €3 million to €4 million.

Eligible applicants include universities, research institutes, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), large enterprises, and public organizations capable of conducting research. Although consortium participation is encouraged to enhance collaboration and interdisciplinary approaches, individual applicants are also welcome.

The primary funding mechanism is a grant model, specifically a Horizon Lump Sum Grant, which simplifies financial management by providing predetermined amounts rather than reimbursing actual costs. The projects should focus on generating substantial insights into how AI can personalize learning, enhance pedagogical strategies, and address ethical considerations around its deployment in education.

The geographic eligibility primarily covers EU member states, EEA countries, and associated nations, with some provisions for non-EU participation. The overarching goal is to provide insight into how AI influences learning and educational outcomes, thereby equipping policymakers, educators, and parents with important evidence on its benefits and challenges.

The call emphasizes a rigorous methodological approach, advocating for longitudinal and qualitative research to understand the long-term impacts of AI in educational contexts and to identify the ethical dimensions associated with its use. Proposals are expected to explore questions related to how AI can be effectively utilized in curricula, the developmental appropriateness for children, the role of AI in promoting educational equity, and the integration of these tools in teaching practices.

Overall, this grant aims to address critical gaps in existing research and generate actionable guidance for integrating AI into learning environments, ensuring that it contributes positively to educational systems and the well-being of children.

This EU funding opportunity, under the Horizon Europe program, specifically targets the effective use of artificial intelligence (AI) in learning environments within pre-primary and primary education. The call, identified as HORIZON-CL2-2027-01-TRANSFO-05, falls under the "Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society" theme for the year 2027. It aims to address the growing use of AI in education and the limited evidence regarding its impact on learning outcomes, teaching techniques, and support for educators.

The program type is HORIZON-RIA, which stands for Horizon Research and Innovation Actions. The Model Grant Agreement (MGA) type is HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]. This is a forthcoming opportunity with a single-stage deadline model.

The planned opening date for submissions is May 13, 2027, and the deadline for submissions is September 23, 2027, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of projects funded under this topic include:

Providing policymakers, educators, and parents with a solid understanding of the potential benefits, opportunities, and challenges associated with using AI tools in pre-primary and primary education, including ethical considerations.

Generating rigorous, policy-relevant evidence on the impact of AI tools in learning environments on educational performance and youth well-being.

Developing actionable advice for educators on effectively using AI tools in their work, including for assessing learning outcomes.

The scope of this funding opportunity focuses on addressing the lack of evidence regarding the impact of AI in education. It acknowledges that most existing research comes from outside the EU, limiting the transferability of findings. The call emphasizes the need to investigate the challenges AI poses to teaching, learning, and pupils’ well-being, especially considering the unique risks associated with applying AI to child audiences.

Research areas that projects could explore include:

How AI can enhance curricula, improve teaching methods, and personalize learning through adaptive technologies.

The developmental appropriateness of AI tools for young learners, focusing on cognitive, emotional, and social growth.

AI’s impact on early childhood education and its role in supporting foundational skills.

Ways AI can assist with lesson planning, assessment, and feedback.

Training programs to help educators use AI effectively.

Ensuring AI tools are suitable for all students, including those with disabilities or from diverse backgrounds, and promoting multilingual and multicultural education.

The importance of longitudinal studies to understand the long-term cognitive, social, and emotional impacts of AI in education.

The role of media and digital tools (robots, tablets, smartphones, etc.) in shaping children's interactions with AI and their learning outcomes.

Relevant research questions that proposals could address include:

How can AI-powered tools personalize learning experiences safely and effectively and support teachers in addressing diverse student needs?

What are the potential benefits and challenges of integrating AI into initial teacher education and continuous professional development programmes?

How can AI assist teachers in automating administrative tasks, allowing them to focus more on pedagogy and student engagement?

What ethical considerations and potential risks, including in relation to wellbeing, should be taken into account when using AI in education to support teachers and students?

What is the typical profile of teachers who are currently using AI-powered tools and which uses and perceived gratifications motivate using AI-powered tool?

How can AI tools motivate children to learn?

How can AI-based interventions address learning gaps based on individual students’ needs (including disabilities) and learning styles?

What changes do educational programmes need to perform on a pedagogical level for the successful integration of AI?

What do teachers need to implement the use of AI safely and effectively?

Proposals can utilize various research methods, including experimental, quasi-experimental, experience sampling, and survey methods. They should evaluate the costs associated with policy measures and programs and consider different forms of AI tools, such as Generative AI and Intelligent Tutoring Systems. Qualitative research methods should be applied to cover ethical dimensions. Interdisciplinary approaches and close cooperation with educational institutions and media literacy organizations are strongly encouraged.

Particular attention should be paid to identifying and mitigating biases in AI systems to ensure equity and inclusion in education systems.

General conditions for admissibility, eligibility, financial and operational capacity, exclusion, evaluation, award, and legal/financial setup are outlined with references to the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes and other relevant documents. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum.

Application and evaluation forms, model grant agreements, and guidance documents are available through the Submission System and the Funding and Tenders Portal.

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

There are partner search announcements available for those seeking collaborators.

This funding opportunity aims to foster research and innovation in the area of AI in pre-primary and primary education. It seeks to provide evidence-based guidance for policymakers, educators, and parents on how to effectively and ethically integrate AI tools into learning environments to improve educational outcomes and promote youth well-being. The emphasis is on addressing the unique challenges and opportunities presented by AI in education, particularly for young learners, and ensuring that AI tools are used in a way that promotes inclusivity, accessibility, and equity. The call encourages interdisciplinary approaches and collaboration with educational institutions and media literacy organizations to achieve these goals.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly defined 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. Cooperation with media literacy organizations is encouraged.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically through Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA). Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme.

Consortium Requirement: The text encourages clustering and cooperation among selected projects under this call topic and other relevant projects are strongly encouraged, suggesting that a consortium is preferred, although not explicitly required.

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. This suggests that while the primary focus is on EU and associated countries, there is some flexibility for non-EU participation.

Target Sector: The program targets the education sector, specifically pre-primary and primary education, with a focus on the integration and impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools. It also involves aspects of culture, creativity, and inclusive society, as the call falls under that category of Horizon Europe.

Mentioned Countries: The text refers to EU member states, non-EU associated countries, and non-EU/non-associated countries that have made specific provisions for funding participants in Horizon Europe projects.

Project Stage: The project stage is primarily focused on research and innovation actions, suggesting projects should be in the research, development, validation, or demonstration phases. The call also includes innovation actions, which suggests projects could be in the demonstration, commercialization, or scale-up phases.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call, ranging from €3,000,000 to €5,000,000 for Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) and €2,500,000 to €4,800,000 for Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and €3,000,000 to €3,750,000 for Innovation Actions (IA).

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.

Application Stages: The application process involves 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 proposals.

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

Summary: This Horizon Europe call focuses on the effective use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in pre-primary and primary education. The call aims to fund projects that can provide policymakers, educators, and parents with a solid understanding of the benefits, opportunities, and challenges of using AI tools in learning environments. The scope includes research on how AI can enhance curricula, improve teaching methods, and personalize learning, while also addressing ethical considerations and potential risks. The call is structured around Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA), with funding ranging from approximately 3 million to 5 million EUR per project. Eligible applicants include universities, research institutes, SMEs, and other organizations capable of conducting research and innovation. The application process is a single-stage open call, and while a consortium is not explicitly required, cooperation and clustering among projects are strongly encouraged. The call seeks to generate policy-relevant evidence and actionable advice for educators, ultimately aiming to promote the inclusive and effective integration of AI in education systems across Europe.