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
The results of the project to contribute to a harmonized and economic framework for measuring soil health and for the development of a soil health index, based on a widely accepted definition of soil health. In the long run, the results may support harmonized soil monitoring and reporting in Europe, as targeted by the new EU soil strategy. We also need to significantly improve soil health monitoring capabilities and evaluate the results of management practices and measures based on a set of robust soil health indicators (status and change) and receptors for different uses land. It should also focus on supporting policy development and creating incentives for sustainable soil management through increased data on the links between soil health, soil functions and ecosystem services.
Detailed Call Description
The selected project will help develop and implement a harmonised reporting structure at EU, national and local levels for soil health. More specifically, activities will
- test the eight indicators proposed in the mission implementation plan against their suitability to measure in a reliable way the status and changes in soil health, in particular in relation to progress towards the mission’s specific objectives;
- identify alternative indicators where the ones proposed in the implementation plan of the Soil Mission do not prove to be appropriate (e.g. sensitivity to change, critical thresholds, response time, feasibility of pan-EU operation). The indicators recommended (be it the ones indicated in the implementation plan or alternative ones) should be measurable, realistic (e.g. easy to use in particular for farmers and foresters, urban planners), unambiguous and scalable;
- develop a methodology to combine proposed indicators into a coherent soil health index;
- identify proxies for soil health, which are “easier” to monitor or more reactive to change. These “next generation indicators” could be based for example on observable land use and soil management or on data on the uptake of practices rather than direct measurements of soil properties;
- demonstrate the link between the proposed soil indicators, soil functions and ecosystems services supported by soils (taking into account the various types of soils and land uses);
- harmonize and benchmark the proposed indicators for a range of soil types, land uses and climate zones in the EU and Associated Countries and define the acceptable limits or thresholds;
- update indicators as a result of feedback following monitoring campaigns or data inputs;
- support the development of a Soil Health Dashboard under the EU Soil Observatory.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
100%
EU contribution per project: €12,00 million
Thematic Categories
- Environment and Climate Change
- Land Development
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
Eligibility for Participation
- Central Government
- Farmers, Agriculturalists
- State-owned Enterprises
Eligibility For Participation Notes
- The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as member of the consortium selected for 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 (taking into account possible limitations on their use by international partners). Other data and services may additionally be used.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Research and Innovation Foundation
29a Andrea Michalakopoulou Street, 1075 Nicosia
T.Th. 23422, 1683 Nicosia
+357 22205000
Email: support@research.org.cy
Dr Angelos Ntantos
Scientific Officer
Telephone: 35722205033
Email: antantos@research.org.cy
Dr Ioannis Theodorou
Scientific Officer
Telephone: 35722205038
Email: itheodorou@research.org.cy
(Publish Date: 04/01/2022-for internal use only)
EU Contact Point
European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
https://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/research-and-innovation_en#contact