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Breeding for resilience: enhancing multi-stress tolerance in crops

European Commission

Expected Outcome:

In line with the objectives of the European Green Deal, the common agricultural policy, the EU climate policy and the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, a successful proposal will contribute to the expected impact of this destination by supporting the adaptation of agricultural production to the effects of climate change, increasing biodiversity in agroecosystems, and promoting low-input practices, thereby enhancing the resilience of agricultural systems and safeguarding food security.

Projects are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

deeper knowledge and characterisation of relevant traits for tolerance and resistance to multiple stresses, whether occurring simultaneously or sequentially, are more accessible to researchers and breeders;
the identification of local varieties with high plasticity to cope with multi-stress conditions is enhanced, along with the development of agro-ecological practices that improve stress tolerance while supporting biodiversity-friendly cropping systems;
the capacities to evaluate the effects of multiple stresses in crops by researchers and breeders are strengthened;
information and recommendations on variety performance and practices to cope with multi-stress are available to advisors and farmers.

Scope:

Crop production faces significant challenges due to climate change and the need to adopt low-input practices, including efficient water use, to reduce the environmental impact while ensuring food security. Issues such as salinity, extreme weather conditions like droughts, waterlogging, high temperatures, and emerging patterns of pests and diseases severely impact crops, resulting in reduced productivity and yield losses. Crop responses to multiple stresses differ from their responses to single stresses. Therefore, attention should be given to enhancing crop tolerance to combinations of multiple abiotic and biotic stresses, thus better reflecting real-life agricultural conditions.

To address these challenges, it is crucial to evaluate local crop varieties, which are often better adapted to specific environmental conditions and stresses. Identifying local varieties with high plasticity enhances crop resilience and agro-biodiversity. Developing agro-ecological practices to improve stress tolerance will further support these efforts, promoting low-input practices and enhancing the overall adaptability of agricultural systems. Additionally, broad-spectrum strategies for improving stress tolerance in crops should be developed. Smart and future-proof breeding programmes need to systematically consider characteristics that enhance crop resilience and adaptation to these demands.

Proposals should:

provide insight into the range of mechanisms and traits that underpin crop responses to multiple stresses, whether occurring simultaneously or sequentially, guiding the development of varieties and a crop system better equipped to withstand abiotic and biotic stresses, including reduced agricultural inputs;
increase understanding of the causality between abiotic and biotic stress factors and propose strategies to improve multi-stress tolerance;
integrate advanced technologies to assist in evaluating GxExM (Genotype x Environment x Management) interactions in the context of multi-stress, combining multiple "omics" data sources, high-throughput phenotyping, computational modelling and artificial intelligence, to evaluate at different levels (e.g. greenhouses, experimental fields, production fields). This integration should assist breeders in developing local varieties optimised for sustainability and climate change adaptation;
develop location-specific breeding strategies and agroecological practices, incorporating models and artificial intelligence approaches for prediction of cropping systems output, under multiple stress conditions considering climate change scenarios and climate analogues. These strategies should promote agrobiodiversity, soil health, and ecosystem services;
deliver robust methodologies for benchmarking and communicating the performance of crop varieties when they are challenged by multiple stresses.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1️⃣ Strong, Mission-Aligned Impact (Most Important Across EC Calls)

The EC is impact-driven: proposals must show how the project will:

Solve a major European or global societal challenge

Deliver measurable, lasting benefits for EU citizens

Produce outputs that can be used by policymakers, industry, or society

Align with Horizon Europe missions, priorities, and strategic agendas

Predictor: Clear, quantifiable, EU-level impact → strongest scoring factor.

2️⃣ Clear, Ambitious, but Achievable Objectives

Successful proposals show:

2–4 well-defined objectives linked to the Work Programme call text

Clearly articulated research questions or innovation goals

Logical, realistic expected outcomes and deliverables

Feasible scientific and technical approaches

Predictor: Balanced ambition + feasibility.

3️⃣ Excellent, Cutting-Edge Science or Innovation

For RIA/IA/CSA or ERC-level grants, reviewers expect:

High novelty and innovation

Strong grounding in current state-of-the-art

Clear advancement beyond existing approaches

Solid theoretical or experimental foundations

Robust methodological design

Predictor: Scientific excellence is essential for competitive scoring.

4️⃣ Strong Consortium with Complementary Expertise

EC proposals are consortium-driven (except ERC/EIC Accelerator).

High-scoring consortia:

Cover all needed competencies (science, industry, policy, ethics, dissemination)

Include SMEs, industry partners, NGOs, and public bodies when relevant

Are geographically diverse across EU Member States and Associated Countries

Demonstrate strong leadership and communication structures

Predictor: Well-constructed consortium with clear roles.

5️⃣ Clear Pathway From Outputs → Outcomes → Impact

Evaluators look for a credible trajectory showing:

How research leads to specific outputs (data, tools, prototypes)

How outputs lead to uptake or use

How use produces societal, economic, scientific, or policy impact

Strong Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and impact metrics

Predictor: Clearly mapped impact pathway.

6️⃣ Strong Implementation Plan (Work Packages, Deliverables, Gantt Chart)

Winning proposals have:

Well-designed Work Packages (WPs) with clear scope and responsibilities

Interdependencies identified and risk-mitigation strategies

Detailed milestones and deliverables

Feasible budget aligned with tasks

Strong project management plan

Predictor: High implementation quality boosts the “Excellence” and “Implementation” scores.

7️⃣ Policy Relevance and Contribution to EU Strategies

Especially critical for health, climate, digital, and social calls.

Proposals score higher when they link to:

EU Cancer Mission

EU Green Deal

Digital Europe strategy

EU Biodiversity Strategy

EU Health Union & One Health

Open Science & FAIR data mandates

Predictor: Clear alignment with EU policies.

8️⃣ Strong Stakeholder & Citizen Engagement (Especially in Social & Health Missions)

EC values inclusivity:

Patient groups

Civil society organizations

Public sector bodies

Regulatory agencies

Citizen science components

Stakeholder letters of intent or commitment strengthen credibility.

Predictor: Engagement adds impact and relevance.

9️⃣ Robust Data Management, Open Science, and Ethics

Mandatory components include:

FAIR Data Management Plan

Open access publications

Ethics self-assessment

GDPR compliance

Data security, governance, and ethical approvals

Animal-use reduction and justification (if applicable)

Predictor: Clear compliance with ethical and data obligations.

10️⃣ Well-Justified Budget and Resource Allocation

Budget must be:

Proportional to tasks

Transparent and reasonable

Efficiently distributed among partners

Free from padding or unjustified costs

Predictor: Realistic budgets improve Implementation scores.

🚫 COMMON PITFALLS THAT LEAD TO EC GRANT REJECTION

Pitfall	Why It Fails
Weak connection to Work Programme text	Immediate score reduction
Vague or generic impact statements	Poor Impact score
Overly ambitious, unrealistic scope	Feasibility concerns
Poorly structured consortium	Low Implementation score
No policy relevance	Weak strategic alignment
Lack of concrete KPIs or outcomes	Impact unclear
Weak data or ethics plan	Eligibility/score penalties
No exploitation or dissemination plan	Insufficient impact credibility
Budget misalignment	Reviewer distrust

Specialties

Environmental Health

Eligibility Requirements

General conditions

1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout

Applicants submitting a proposal under the blind evaluation pilot (see General Annex F) must not disclose their organisation names, acronyms, logos nor names of personnel in the proposal abstract and Part B of their first-stage application (see General Annex E).

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

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: European Commission

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: Rue de la Loi 200 / Wetstraat 200, 1049 Brussels

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