Harmonised / Standard protocols for the implementation of alert and impact forecasting systems as well as transnational emergency management in the areas of high-impact weather / climatic and geological disasters (HORIZON-CL3-2024-DRS-01-03)

Descriptions

Opportunity link:

Opportunity type:

Grant

Sponsor:

Horizon Europe Framework Programme (HORIZON)

Award amount and duration:

2 grants up to 3,000,000 each, project duration variable

Eligibility

Type:

Faculty

Applications from Canadian researchers and innovators will be reviewed as fully-fledged members of consortia in Horizon Europe Pillar 2 calls. While Canadians can participate in all Horizon Europe calls that are open to international partners, as an associated country, Canadians can access a broader range of research opportunities in Pillar 2.

1. Admissibility conditions: described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes

Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System

2. Eligible countries: described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes

A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide.

Summary

Expected Outcome:

Projects’ results are expected to contribute to some or all of the following outcomes:

Enhanced links between scientific community and first and second responders promoting user-targeted research and faster transfer of science results into best practices;
Enhanced adoption of novel technologies such as advanced Earth Observation capabilities and capabilities such as those from Earth Observation space technologies into prevention and management practices and tools;
Improvement of meteorological input (wind, temperature, precipitation, soil humidity) for extremes related to heat and drought (forest fires, heatwave, agricultural damage, low water for hydro power), especially concerning the support of counter activities;
Improved methods for cross-border and cross-sectoral knowledge transfer about risk, vulnerability, exposure, and monitoring methods;
Development of common technical standards of alert and impact forecasting systems that cope more efficiently with transboundary emergencies and for GIS-based information systems dealing with high-impact weather / climatic and geological disasters management during emergencies;
Identification of needs and opportunities for transferring advanced scientific results into enhancement in disaster logistics and responses, including tailor-made education and training programmes for emergency management teams.

Scope:

Europe is confronted with increasingly intense and sometimes unexpected consequences of natural disasters ranging from floods and heavy rain events to droughts and large-scale forest fires even in hitherto not affected regions, as well as other geohazards such as volcanic eruptions and landslides. To respond to these emerging challenges an integrated transnational emergency management is needed efficiently linking systems available at the European level such as, for example, the Copernicus Emergency Management Service, with national, regional or local systems. Furthermore, an evaluation of applied disaster risk reduction methods is required, in particular alert and impact forecasting systems, to identify potential for improvement and constant innovation.

Knowledge transfer (cross-border and cross-sectoral) about natural hazards-related risks and emergency management is essential to increase the resilience of societies. A vital dialogue and exchange of good practice examples among scientific and technical communities, stakeholders, policymakers and local communities is needed. In particular, the level of awareness of EU citizens for local risks can be increased by new approaches to visualise risks, vulnerability and exposure through e.g. impact forecasting data and mapping including satellite data and information. Emergency management plays a crucial role in this regard, taking into account the ongoing urbanization and economic growth, which put a lot of pressure on areas such as floodplains and their ability to absorb and store water.

Currently, there are no harmonised / standardised European methods for identifying vulnerability and exposure on the basis of which alert and impact forecasting systems are established, allowing this information to be used by civil protection authorities in a timely manner to improve disaster preparedness, communication to local authorities and population, evaluation logistics etc. Recent flash floods in Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg in July 2021 have shown that this lack of protocols hampered the efficient implementation of early warning and preparedness actions prior to the disaster event.

This topic is part of a coordination initiative between ESA and the EC on Earth System Science. Under the EC-ESA Earth System Science Initiative both institutions aim at coordinating efforts to support complementary collaborative projects, funded on the EC side through Horizon Europe and on the ESA side through the ESA FutureEO programme. Proposals should include a work package, means and resources for coordination with complementary projects funded under the Science for Society element of the ESA FutureEO programme. The projects(s) should establish a close coordination and collaboration with the relevant ESA relevant actions and projects (https://eo4society.esa.int).

In this context it is important to remind that standardisation should support operations and policymaking to supplement it but should by no means substitute it. While standardisation of technology may be more straightforward, the right balance does especially have to be sought for processes. The action should ensure close synergies with standardisation activities on European and international level.

This topic requires the effective contribution of SSH disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts, institutions as well as the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise, in order to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research/innovation activities.

In order to achieve the expected outcomes, international cooperation is also encouraged.

Topic destination:

Disaster-Resilient Society for Europe (2023/24)

Proposals involving earth observation are encouraged to primarily make use of Copernicus data, services and technologies.

Proposals are encouraged also to coordinate with ESA relevant activities, especially those undertaken under the Science for Society element of the FutureEO programme (https://eo4society.esa.int). Proposals for topics under this Destination should set out a credible pathway to contributing to the following expected impact of the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2021-2024:

“Losses from natural, accidental and human-made disasters are reduced through enhanced disaster risk reduction based on preventive actions, better societal preparedness and resilience and improved disaster risk management in a systemic way.”

More specifically, proposals should contribute to the achievement of one or more of the following impacts:

Enhanced exploitation of the latest scientific results (e.g., from research programmes and institutions) and integrated technologies (e.g. Earth observation, in situ data collection, advanced modelling, AI) into enhanced understanding of high-impact hazards and complex compound and cascade events and improved prevention, preparedness to mitigation, response, and recovery tools;
Enhanced understanding and improved knowledge and situational awareness of disaster-related risks by citizens, empowered to act and consider innovative solutions, thus raising the resilience of European society;
More efficient cross-sectoral, cross-disciplines (including SSH), cross-border coordination of the disaster risk management cycle and governance (from scientific research to prevention, preparedness to mitigation, response, and recovery, including knowledge transfer and awareness of innovative solutions) from international to local levels;
Enhanced collaboration, interactions and cross-discipline dialogue and networking between the scientific community, research institutions and programmes (e.g., HE, ESA scientific activities, national science programmes, FutureEarth RIS-KAN) and first and second responders through dedicated networking and collaboration actions fostering a faster transfer of results from science into practice;
Support of harmonised and/or standardised and interoperability of guidelines / protocols / tools / technologies in the area of crisis management, natural disasters and CBRN-E;
Strengthened capacities of first responders in all operational phases related to any kind of natural and human-made disasters so that they can better prepare their operations, have access to enhanced situational awareness, have means to respond to events in a faster, safer and more efficient way, and may more effectively proceed with victim identification, triage and care;
Improved impact forecasting capability and scenario building for enhanced stress testing of critical entities and adaption of protection and resilience-enhancing activity accordingly;
Improved ability to rescue and manage the first phases of emergencies that take into account extreme climatic events and/or geological hazards that may threaten urban areas (e.g. interface fires, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruption etc.).

All proposals of projects under this Destination should be complementary and not overlap with relevant actions funded by other EU instruments, including the European Defence Fund and its precursors (the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP) and the Preparatory Action on Defence research (PADR)), while maintaining a focus on civilian applications only.

Where possible and relevant, synergy-building and clustering initiatives with successful proposals in the same area should be considered, including the organisation of international conferences in close coordination with the Community for European Research and Innovation for Security (CERIS) activities and/or other international events.

Overhead

The budget categories and cost eligibility rules are fixed in the grant agreement, including indirect costs at a 25% flat-rate of the total eligible direct costs (excluding eligible direct costs for subcontracting, financial support to third parties and any unit costs or lump sums which include indirect costs).

Deadlines

Application deadlines

RSO detailed review deadline

Date:

November 6, 2024 - 12:00 PM

RSO final internal review deadline

Date:

November 15, 2024 - 12:00 PM

Program application deadline

Date:

November 20, 2024 - 9:00 AM

Approvals

NOTE: Consult your Faculty Associate Dean (Research) (ADR) regarding Faculty-specific deadlines and submission processes.

Principal Investigators: Complete a Research Management System (RMS) record, including a copy of your complete application, and submit this for approvals in RMS.

Postdocs, students, and trainees: For fellowships and externally-sponsored research training awards or opportunities, you must complete the Research Funding Application Approval (RFAA) Trainee PDF form, and submit it, along with a complete copy of the application, to Research Services at rsotrainee@ucalgary.ca. Trainees should not use RMS at this time.

Approvals: The University of Calgary requires that all funding applications be approved prior to submission. Approval requires signatures via either RMS or the RFAA Trainee form, in the following order:

Principal Investigator
Department Head
Faculty ADR/Dean
Research Services (on behalf of the Vice-President Research)

Read the Meaning of Grant Signatures policy to understand what your approval means. Please see the agency guidelines for details about which signatures are required on your application, as it may differ from internal requirements.

Late submissions: Late submissions will only be accepted in cases of medical or family emergencies, or other exceptional circumstances. If you submit your RMS record to Research Services after the internal deadline has passed, you must secure additional approvals. Please read: Late Applications Process.