Improved quality assurance / quality control of data used in decision-making related to risk management of natural hazards, accidents and CBRN events
Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
Risk management of natural hazards and CBRN-E events closely rely on available data, taking into account uncertainties brought on by climate change and Earth dynamics. The soundness of decisions is based on quality data, which justifies that continuous efforts are made to improve their quality assurance / quality control, in particular in the natural hazards area as well as in the CBRN-E area. In many instances, measurement data used in decision-making are rarely challenged in the areas of crisis management and/or mechanisms are still underdeveloped to systematically demonstrate their quality (e.g. in the case of substances of criminal nature such as biological toxins).
Detailed Call Description
Quality assurance / Quality control (QA/QC) are prone to standardised procedures such as the EN 45000 Series, which includes requirements related to laboratory settings, analytical techniques, criteria for analytical performances (e.g. accuracy, repeatability, limits of detection etc.) that are well implemented in sectors such as the environment (including water), food and health. In other areas requiring monitoring data of physical, chemical or biological nature related to risk assessment of natural hazards such as climate threats and pandemics, man-made (accidental) risks (e.g. chemical substances in Seveso-type environments) or terrorism threats (e.g. chemical or biological toxins used for criminal purposes), the QA/QC rules are much less known and followed. In particular, the systematic comparison of measurement techniques related to risk assessment of natural hazards (including health) and CBRN-E data is not wide-spread and references data or materials are often lacking. Recent developments have led to the testing of proficiency testing schemes for biological toxins of potential bioterrorism risk, but a general framework for checking data quality and controlling laboratory and analytical technique performances (including from measurement data directly gathered in the field) does not yet exist at European level.
There is a need to evaluate the needs for QA/QC developments in relevant areas for which physical, chemical and biological measurement data are insufficiently checked for quality, and to develop an appropriate EU-wide approach to improve and demonstrate this quality, thus ensuring a traceability and comparability of data used throughout Europe for sound risk- and evidence-based decision-making.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
70%
Expected EU contribution: €5 million
Thematic Categories
- Environment and Climate Change
- Justice - Security
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
Eligibility for Participation
- Central Government
- Local Authorities
- Other Beneficiaries
- Private Bodies
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- State-owned Enterprises
Eligibility For Participation Notes
This topic requires the active involvement, as beneficiaries, of at least 5 accredited measurement institutes / laboratories in charge of delivering data to risk management decision-making authorities. These participants
must come from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated countries. For all the participants above, applicants must fill in the table “Eligibility information about practitioners” in the application form with all the requested information, following the template provided in the submission IT tool.
If projects use satellite-based, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used). The use of Copernicus for earth observation is encouraged.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Research and Innovation Foundation
29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia
P.O.Box 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Phone Number: +357 22205000
Email Address: support@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/en/
Contact Persons:
Dr. Ioannis Theodorou
Scientific Officer
Contact Phone: +357 22 20 50 38
Contact Email: itheodorou@research.org.cy
Christakis Theocharous
Scientific Officer A’
Contact Phone: +357 22 20 50 29
Contact Email: ctheocharous@research.org.cy
EU Contact Point
European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
https://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/research-and-innovation_en#contact