Innovations to prevent and combat desertification
Call text (as on F&T portal)
View on F&T portalExpected Outcome:
Activities under this topic will help to progress towards the objectives of the Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’, in particular its specific objective 1, “Reduce land degradation relating to desertification”.
Project results should contribute to all of the following outcomes:
- The socio-economic and climatic drivers, the extent and the impacts of different types of land degradation (incl. water scarcity, vegetation loss, soil erosion) in (semi-)natural and agricultural systems of arid areas and areas becoming increasingly arid are clearly understood, accurately and reliably measured at the most relevant scale and in connection with specific land uses. This knowledge is widely shared among relevant actors from various sectors.
- The economic viability and environmental effectiveness of solutions for the prevention of desertification and for the restoration of degraded land (such as soil protection measures that help retain water and reduce water needs, improve management of soil organic matter, avoid salinization, protect biodiversity, minimise soil sealing and increase land resilience to droughts) is demonstrated in the different local or regional contexts.
- Enhanced access for land managers in desertification-prone areas to effective, context-specific restoration and prevention solutions and to information about the conditions under which they are effective.
- The number and size of areas under sustainable soil and water management are expanded, and the retention of moisture in the landscape and the management of soil organic matter are improved across different land-use types and local-regional conditions. In consequence, dryland soils become more resilient and less vulnerable to drought and desertification.
Scope:
In 2017, 25% of land in Southern, Central and Eastern Europe was estimated to be at high or very high risk of desertification[1]. The risk is likely to have further increased since then, and to continue increasing because of accelerating climate change and continued pressures from land use and land-use change. Desertification leads to loss of biodiversity, of organic carbon and of other land-based ecosystem services, including reduced agricultural and forest productivity. Desertification further amplifies global warming through the release of CO2 and other greenhouse gases linked with the decrease in vegetation cover. Thus, it has severe environmental, social and economic consequences which need to be urgently tackled.
Proposed activities should:
- Synthesise and gather evidence on the drivers and impacts of land degradation at all relevant scales, using diverse data flows and where relevant models, with a view to supporting alternative land management actions (scenarios) that alleviate the pressures from land uses and land-use changes leading to desertification.
- Identify, demonstrate the effectiveness, and promote the scale-up of measures for reducing and reversing desertification and increasing soil’s water-retention capacity, taking into account (actual and projected) changes in climatic conditions. Work should be carried out at different scales and address various types of land use (agriculture, forestry and natural land) and land use changes. Due attention should be given to the role of plant and microbial diversity in increasing the resilience of land vis-a-vis desertification processes.
- Specifically for agricultural land including both conventional and organic farming, identify and demonstrate farming or other land-use practices which are more resilient and are suitable for combatting desertification while sustaining ecosystem services and preventing land abandonment.
- Facilitate learning and exchange among all relevant actors, including across sectors, by promoting in the scope of activities various types of innovations (nature-based, technological, socio-economic, cultural and institutional) and/or various types of land use (natural and semi-natural as well as agricultural, agroforestry and forest areas).
- Develop policy recommendations for creating incentives and overcoming obstacles for the widespread uptake of measures that have demonstrated to be effective for the prevention of desertification and restoration and are suitable for scaling-up.
- Carry-out activities for awareness-raising on desertification and for the demonstration and dissemination of solutions, also as part of the UN Day to combat desertification and drought.
Proposals should demonstrate a route towards open access, longevity, sustainability and interoperability of knowledge and outputs through close collaboration with the Joint Research Centre’s EU Soil Observatory (EUSO) and with other projects to be funded under the Soil Mission. Proposals should also include a dedicated task, appropriate resources and a plan on how they will collaborate with other projects funded under this topic, and ensure synergies with projects funded as part of the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA)[2] and with the EU LIFE project NewLIFE4Drylands[3]. In order to achieve the expected outcomes, international cooperation is encouraged, in particular with third countries in the Mediterranean region.
Potentially, the projects funded under this topic could cooperate with living labs and lighthouses that will be created in this call and future calls under the Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’.
null
Activities are expected to achieve TRL 5-7 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.
[1] Prăvălie, R., Patriche, C., Bandoca, G., “Quantification of land degradation sensitivity areas in Southern and Central Southeastern Europe. New results based on improving DISMED methodology with new climate data”, Catena – An Interdisciplinary Journal of Soil Science – Hydrology – Geomorphology focusing on Geoecology and Landscape Evolution, No 158, 2017; pp. 309-320. The concept of desertification does not refer to the physical expansion of existing deserts but rather to the various processes – natural and human-induced – that threaten all dryland ecosystems and their biological productivity.
[2] https://prima-med.org/
[3] https://www.newlife4drylands.eu/
News flashes
EVALUATION results
Published: 06/12/2022
Deadline: 20/09/2023
Available budget: EUR 126.00 million
Budget per topic with separate ‘call-budget-split’:
Topic code
Type of action
Budget (EUR million)
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-01
RIA
12.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-02
RIA
14.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-03
IA
12.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-04
IA
14.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-05
IA
13.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-06
RIA
7.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-07
CSA
6.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-08
RIA
36.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-09
RIA
12.00
The results of the evaluation for each topic are as follows:
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-01
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-02
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-03
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-04
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-05
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-06
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-07
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-08
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-09
Number of proposals submitted (including proposals transferred from or to other calls)
8
6
12
15
17
6
15
37
7
Number of inadmissible proposals
0
0
0
3
2
1
1
0
0
Number of ineligible proposals
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Number of above-threshold proposals
4
3
9
5
11
4
7
19
3
Total budget requested for above-threshold proposals (EUR million)
24.5
19.9
52.0
35.0
70.0
26.4
41.2
220.4
35.6
Number of proposals retained for funding
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
4
1
Number of proposals in the reserve list
1
1
3
1
2
1
2
1
2
Funding threshold
14.5
12
12.5
13
14
13
15
12.5
14
We recently informed the applicants about the evaluation results for their proposals.
For questions, please contact the Research Enquiry Service.
EVALUATION results
Published: 06/12/2022
Deadline: 20/09/2023
Available budget: EUR 126.00 million
Budget per topic with separate ‘call-budget-split’:
Topic code
Type of action
Budget (EUR million)
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-01
RIA
12.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-02
RIA
14.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-03
IA
12.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-04
IA
14.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-05
IA
13.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-06
RIA
7.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-07
CSA
6.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-08
RIA
36.00
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-09
RIA
12.00
The results of the evaluation for each topic are as follows:
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-01
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-02
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-03
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-04
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-05
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-06
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-07
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-08
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-09
Number of proposals submitted (including proposals transferred from or to other calls)
8
6
12
15
17
6
15
37
7
Number of inadmissible proposals
0
0
0
3
2
1
1
0
0
Number of ineligible proposals
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Number of above-threshold proposals
4
3
9
5
11
4
7
19
3
Total budget requested for above-threshold proposals (EUR million)
24.5
19.9
52.0
35.0
70.0
26.4
41.2
220.4
35.6
Number of proposals retained for funding
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
4
1
Number of proposals in the reserve list
1
1
3
1
2
1
2
1
2
Funding threshold
14.5
12
12.5
13
14
13
15
12.5
14
We recently informed the applicants about the evaluation results for their proposals.
For questions, please contact the Research Enquiry Service.
Flash information on the CALL results
(flash call info)
The HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01 call was closed on 20th September 2023. 123 proposals were submitted in response to this call. The breakdown per topic is indicated below:
Topic code
Topic name
Budget (in million €)
Number of submitted proposals
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-01
Discovering the subsoil
12.00
8
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-02
Soil pollution processes – modelling and inclusion in advanced digital decision-support tools
14.00
6
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-03
Onsite digital technologies to monitor nutrients and chemical or biological stressors in soil and plants with relevance for food safety and nutrition
12.00
12
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-04
Innovations to prevent and combat desertification
14.00
15
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-05
Soil-friendly practices in horticulture, including alternative growing media
13.00
17
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-06
Soils in spatial planning
7.00
6
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-07
Back to earth: bringing communities and citizens closer to soil
6.00
15
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-08
Co-creating solutions for soil health in Living Labs
36.00
37
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-09
Carbon farming in living labs
12.00
7
TOTAL
126.00
123
The evaluation results are expected to be communicated between December 2023 - January 2024.
Flash information on the CALL results
(flash call info)
The HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01 call was closed on 20th September 2023. 123 proposals were submitted in response to this call. The breakdown per topic is indicated below:
Topic code
Topic name
Budget (in million €)
Number of submitted proposals
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-01
Discovering the subsoil
12.00
8
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-02
Soil pollution processes – modelling and inclusion in advanced digital decision-support tools
14.00
6
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-03
Onsite digital technologies to monitor nutrients and chemical or biological stressors in soil and plants with relevance for food safety and nutrition
12.00
12
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-04
Innovations to prevent and combat desertification
14.00
15
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-05
Soil-friendly practices in horticulture, including alternative growing media
13.00
17
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-06
Soils in spatial planning
7.00
6
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-07
Back to earth: bringing communities and citizens closer to soil
6.00
15
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-08
Co-creating solutions for soil health in Living Labs
36.00
37
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-09
Carbon farming in living labs
12.00
7
TOTAL
126.00
123
The evaluation results are expected to be communicated between December 2023 - January 2024.
Opening date: 2023-01-17 (3 years ago)
Closing date: 2023-09-20 (3 years ago)
Procedure: single-stage
Budget: 14,000,000
Expected grants: 2
Contribution: 7,000,000 - 7,000,000
This call topic has been appended 6 times by the EC with news.
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2024-03-28
call update: flash evaluation results&#x... -
2024-03-28
call update: flash evaluation results&#x... -
2023-09-22
 flash information on the call resu... -
2023-09-22
 flash information on the call resu... -
2023-01-17
the submission session is now available... -
2023-01-17
the submission session is now available...
HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01
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Timeline
Call published · 30 Sep 2024 (2 years ago)
All expected milestones for this call have passed.
Work programme published
07 Oct 2022 · est.
Call opens
17 Jan 2023
Call closes
20 Sep 2023
Outcome expected
20 Feb 2024 · est.
Grant agreement signed
20 May 2024 · est.
Call published
30 Sep 2024
-
Work programme published Estimated
07 Oct 2022 · 4 years ago
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Call opens
17 Jan 2023 · 3 years ago
Submissions can be made from this date.
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Call closes
20 Sep 2023 · 3 years ago
Deadline to submit a proposal.
-
Outcome expected Estimated
20 Feb 2024 · 2 years ago
The maximum time to inform applicants of the evaluation outcome is five months after the call closes.
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Grant agreement signed Estimated
20 May 2024 · 2 years ago
The maximum time to sign the grant agreement is three months after applicants are informed of the outcome.
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Call published
30 Sep 2024 · 2 years ago
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