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

Closed

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

Closed

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

Closed

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

Closed

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.

Closed

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

Closed

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

Closed

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

Closed

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

Closed

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

Closed

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

Closed

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

Closed

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.