Data stewards, skills and training for Open Science and FAIR practices

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Code: 37817 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-EOSC-04 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Research Infrastructures (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 18/09/2025

The uptake of Open Science practices and of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) requires dedicated, professional profiles for data curation and data management, as well as equipping researchers with adequate skills and supporting them for the sharing and re-use of FAIR research digital objects.

However, at present, data stewards and related profiles lack well-defined career paths, and data sharing and other open science practices are not fully mainstreamed within the research community and are often not recognised in research assessment practices.

Advancing AI-readiness and Machine-Actionability in the EOSC Ecosystem

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Code: 37814 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-EOSC-03 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Research Infrastructures (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 18/09/2025

Today, the sustainable FAIRification of data can be a bottleneck towards the goal of a European web of FAIR data and services.

The use of AI/ML can significantly help in the process of FAIRification, data curation and data quality assurance, close to the source of the data. EOSC shall promote actions that give incentives to further advance AI-readiness and Machine-Actionability in the EOSC federation for FAIRification and to support their application.

FAIR Integration for Enhanced Research Data in the EOSC ecosystem and beyond

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Code: 37811 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-EOSC-02 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Research Infrastructures (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 18/09/2025

The scope of this call topic is centred on advancing the interoperability and integration of research data within the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), in alignment with the broader context of the Common European Data Spaces and cross-sector collaboration.

EOSC Nodes with federating capabilities for the EOSC Federation

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Code: 37808 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-EOSC-01 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Research Infrastructures (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 18/09/2025

The call aims to further develop the cross-domain EOSC system of systems, building upon the results of the previous INFRAEOSC calls. The focus is on developing and expanding the EOSC federation through a network of nodes as baseline elements of the federation model.

These EOSC nodes will establish a set of essential federating capabilities, compatible with the EOSC EU Node reference architecture, following the EOSC Federation Handbook and EOSC interoperability framework.

They should have a clearly described identity and offer unique value to EOSC users, for example representing a specific thematic domain (e.g. data or computing) or geographical area amongst the Horizon Europe participating and associated countries.

Preparatory actions exploring future frameworks for research infrastructures investment plans and funding streams, for integrated and sustained scheme for access and for joint technology development.

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Code: 37806 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-05 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Research Infrastructures (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 18/09/2025

Proposals should address only one of the following areas and should explicitly state which area they address:

1. Area 1: Strengthening research infrastructures investment plans and diversifying funding streams
2. Area 2: Preparatory action to explore a more integrated and sustainable scheme for access to research infrastructures
3. Area 3: Framework for joint research infrastructure technology developments

Support to the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures

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Code: 37803 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-04 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Research Infrastructures (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 18/09/2025

The European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) brings together policy makers, funding bodies, and the scientific community to identify joint investment priorities for pan-European research infrastructures as well as to foster their implementation, sustainability and impact.

A comprehensive and efficient support structure is essential for the effective execution of ESFRI’s tasks and activities.

Consolidation of the Research Infrastructure landscape – Individual support for evolution, long term sustainability and emerging needs of pan-European research infrastructures

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Code: 37800 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-03 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Research Infrastructures (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 18/09/2025

This topic targets the consolidation of the EU research infrastructures landscape through the support, together with the countries, that are members of the research infrastructures, to the strengthening, long-term sustainability, reorientation or evolution of ESFRI Landmarks or European Research Infrastructure Consortia (ERICs).

Early phase implementation of ESFRI Projects that entered the ESFRI Roadmap in 2021

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Code: 37797 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-02 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Research Infrastructures (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 18/09/2025

This topic targets the research infrastructure projects that entered the ESFRI Roadmap in 2021^[1], due to their scientific excellence and organisational maturity as well as to their strategic importance for the European Research Area and the structuring of the European research infrastructure ecosystem.

Proposals must explicitly state which ESFRI Project they target.

Training and up-skilling of research infrastructures technical staff

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Code: 37794 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-INFRA-2025-01-DEV-01 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Research Infrastructures (2021-2027) | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 18/09/2025

In research infrastructures there is the need for staff with an extraordinary blend of scientific, technical and managerial expertise.

Considering that highly skilled personnel play a vital role in constructing, operating and implementing research infrastructures and serving users, research infrastructures must be able to attract, up-skill, and valorise specialised staff to exploit their full potential.

Soil Salinity in Europe: Drivers, indicators, current levels and temporal changes

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Code: 37790 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-11 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 30/09/2025

Excessive soil salinity is a significant environmental issue in Europe, negatively impacting soil fertility, plant growth, soil biodiversity, the soil microbiome, and overall ecosystem functioning.

Climate change, coupled with increased evaporation and irrigation, is likely to exacerbate salinization, potentially leading to uncertain consequences for carbon storage and water cycling because of soil degradation induced by salinity.

Salinity is one of the descriptors in the proposal for a Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience and is recognized as one of the major drivers of soil degradation. The extent of soil salinization in Europe remains uncertain.

Currently, there is no quantitative model capable of predicting future soil salinization in Europe under changing climate conditions at the resolution necessary for local management action and policy development.

Network on carbon farming and emissions reductions for agricultural and forest lands

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Code: 37787 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-10 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 30/09/2025

The success of carbon farming in Europe will be judged on the quantity and quality of the sequestration of carbon in plants and soils and the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agricultural soils, as well as on the benefits for sustainability objectives (notably biodiversity) of the activities leading to such carbon sequestration or emission reductions, in a context of increasing impacts from climate change.

To upscale carbon farming successfully and to establish long-term business perspectives, it is essential to standardise the methodologies and rules for monitoring, reporting and verifying (MRV) the gains or losses in carbon sequestered.

Currently, private schemes apply very different benchmarks and rules to the carbon credits placed on the voluntary markets. With a high degree of transparency, environmental integrity, and methodology standardisation, buyers should have more trust in the quality of the offered carbon farming credits, land managers should also be able to more easily estimate their potential revenues, and policy makers should be keener to allow the use of such credits to warrant compliance with the EU climate regulatory framework, including currently existing 2030 targets (Effort-Sharing Regulation, Regulation on land use, land use change and forestry – LULUCF) and the 2050 climate neutrality goal. Therefore, such a regulated framework should contribute to develop a successful market for carbon farming.

Citizen engagement for sustainable land management through local and regional authorities

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Code: 37784 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-09 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 30/09/2025

Citizen engagement is one of the building blocks of the Mission Soil but despite the advances in recognising the importance of soil health and the momentum for soil in the political agenda, active participation in soil protection and restoration and understanding of soil health importance often remain limited among non-experts.

Activities under this topic should involve local and regional authorities in the protection and restoration of soil health and establish participatory processes that take into account citizens’ priorities.

Local and regional participatory processes should result in Territorial Management Agreements aimed at the protection and restoration of soil health for the provision of ecosystem services, including biodiversity, and climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Support to the operation and further development of soil-health science-policy interfaces and national soil-health hubs

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Code: 37781 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-08 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 30/09/2025

A range of programmes, projects and initiatives have been working at international, EU, and national level to increase and systematise available scientific knowledge on soil health and drivers of soil degradation, and to facilitate the uptake of this knowledge in policies for more sustainable soil management practices.

This includes efforts, including under the Mission Soil, to create dedicated structures at national level to facilitate the sharing and transfer of knowledge between science on the one hand, and the designing and implementation of policies on the other.

However, linkages between different science-policy interfaces in the European and international landscape remain relatively weak, and their effectiveness is subject to debate, while some do not appear to be fully operational.

Improved land suitability for soil health and sustainable biomass production

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Code: 37778 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-07 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 30/09/2025

Soil, as a fundamental component of terrestrial ecosystems, is crucial for biomass production and its capabilities and limitations.

Hence, effective land use planning must consider the requirements and constraints associated with different soil properties.

For instance, excessive nutrient export due to biomass removal can negatively impact soil health and the overall ecosystem functioning.

Consequently, prioritizing land suitability, alongside other key biophysical aspects such as climate, is essential for maintaining soil health while ensuring sustainable biomass production.

When stakeholders and land managers take land suitability and soil properties into account, they can make more informed decisions about e.g., land use, land management practices, and environmental protection.

This approach ultimately promotes sustainable and efficient land management strategies for biomass production.

Quantifying the impact of farming practices on soil health in arable lands

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Code: 37775 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-06 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 30/09/2025

Agricultural land covers nearly half of the EU, with two-thirds dedicated to arable crops. Farming practices, especially in combination, are critical for maintaining soil functions such as structure, nutrient cycling, and water retention — key to food production and ecosystem resilience.

There is a need to better understand how different farming practices impact the composition and functions of soil biodiversity, carbon capture and storage, GHG emissions, water infiltration and retention.

Additionally, more knowledge is needed to understand how multiple threats and farming practices simultaneously interact and affect soil health (e.g. the interplay between various farming practices and climate change).

EU global footprint on soils

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Code: 37772 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-05 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 30/09/2025

The use of bio-based products (e.g. food, feed, fibre, wood and biomass) by businesses and consumers in the EU has an impact on soil health globally.

However, this impact has been poorly studied and understood. The European Commission has developed a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)-based framework to monitor the evolution of the overall environmental footprint of EU production and consumption and to compare it against planetary boundaries, the “EU Consumption Footprint Platform”.

However, this framework does not sufficiently consider the specific impact on soil health and there is a need to enrich the existing indicators in terms of physical, chemical and biological soil properties.

Developing transfer functions for the Soil Monitoring Law

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Code: 37769 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-04 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 30/09/2025

The proposed Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience (Soil Monitoring Law – SML) aims to put in place a coherent and integrated soil monitoring framework for all soils across the EU.

However, currently there are many different methods in the EU to monitor and assess soil health, from sampling to laboratorial procedures, and some Member States have long-standing soil monitoring systems and procedures which they prefer to keep for economic reasons and to safeguard long-term datasets.

Validated transfer functions are therefore needed to reliably convert soil measurements to a common reference method and to facilitate a smooth and cost-effective transition to a harmonized soil health assessment across the EU.

Some knowledge on transfer functions is already established for certain soil physical and hydraulic properties, but existing knowledge does not cover the entire combination of laboratorial and field methods available across the EU for all the soil descriptors present in the SML proposal.

Increasing environmental resilience through a better knowledge and management of the soil-water nexus

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Code: 37766 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-03 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 30/09/2025

The world is facing an increasing trend in the frequency and virulence of extreme events like droughts, wildfires, and floods, with soil, and more precisely soil-water interactions, playing a key role in their occurrence and impact.

A holistic response is necessary to face these events and better manage the risks and impacts they create onto the environment, food security, the economy and human security.

Social, economic and cultural drivers, and costs of land degradation

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Code: 37763 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-02 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 30/09/2025

The social, economic, cultural, political, and regulatory factors that drive land management and land degradation and the interaction among these factors has been insufficiently explored.

Moreover, there is a knowledge gap in estimating the costs that land degradation generates on-site, directly affecting land users and managers, and offsite, borne by society.

Currently, the lack of knowledge on the costs of land degradation hampers the development of cost-benefit scenarios for the adoption and implementation of soil conservation and restoration actions across the EU and Associated Countries.

An improved understanding of the social, economic, political, regulatory, and cultural factors, together with quantification of the costs of land degradation, should lead to evidence-based strategies, policies and integrated approaches that support land managers in rural, intermediate, and urban areas to adopt and implement sustainable land management practices that reduce and eventually stop land degradation and enhance soil health.

Living Labs for soil remediation and green redevelopment of brownfields

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Code: 37760 | Identifier Code: HORIZON-MISS-2025-05-SOIL-01 | Programme name: 2939 | Sub-program: Missions | Start submission calls: 06/05/2025 | End submission calls: 30/09/2025

De-industrialisation and abandonment of areas previously developed for industrial or commercial purposes have produced many brownfields all over Europe, representing a major concern at different levels with adverse effects on the economy the environment, human health, social well-being and quality of life in their surroundings.

However, many brownfields are located within urban boundaries and as such represent an opportunity for sustainable urban regeneration initiatives and offer competitive alternatives to greenfield developments (in line with the New European Bauhaus initiative).