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Developing methods to assess the presence, functions and sensitivity of groundwater ecosystems

European Commission

Expected Outcome:

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

the knowledge of existing groundwater ecosystems[1] is improved, supporting policymakers and technical experts in assessments of their presence, functions and condition or status, and their role for climate change mitigation;
society benefits from enhanced knowledge and awareness of pollution and overexploitation risks to groundwater ecosystems and the ecosystem services provided by them, including of possible implications for other related ecosystems (associated aquatic and dependent terrestrial ecosystems) and for human health as well as for food and water security, disaster risk reduction and resilience building;
the EU water polices are supported with new scientific evidence and public authorities are better equipped for setting effective measures for the protection of groundwater biodiversity and their possible links to groundwater-dependent ecosystems.

Scope:

The European Environment Agency (EEA)’s report on Europe's state of water (2024)[2] highlighted that 77% of groundwater, which supplies two thirds of the EU's drinking water, is in good chemical status. For groundwater not reaching good chemical status, the report identified nitrates, pesticides and pharmaceuticals among main issues. However, less is known about contaminants of emerging concern, such as perfluorinated substances (e.g. PFAS), microplastics and antimicrobial resistance. The Commission proposal[3] to revise the lists of surface- and groundwater pollutants and their standards in the Water Framework Directive, in the Groundwater Directive and in the Environmental Quality Standards Directive aims to address these concerns. Although freshwater standards can serve as a benchmark, standards that are protective for freshwater ecosystems may not be sufficiently protective for groundwater ecosystems.[4] Much stronger evidence on presence, functions and sensitivity of groundwater ecosystems is required for a reliable hazard assessment.

Significant knowledge gaps exist regarding groundwater ecosystems and their biodiversity in Europe, making it challenging to establish their effective protection. Proposals should address such gaps, which would ultimately lead to better protection of our precious drinking water resources, as well as groundwater biodiversity and geodiversity, but also groundwater (aquatic and terrestrial)-dependent ecosystems and biodiversity.

More specifically proposals under this topic should include all of the following activities:

improve and develop innovative methods, including by utilising sensors (e.g. biosensors, remote sensors), for assessing and characterising groundwater ecosystems and their sensitivity, and identifying the presence and functions of different taxonomic groups and organisms;
establish harmonised, validated, and ultimately standardised, methods and generate reliable experimental data on acute and chronic effects for assessing ecotoxicity of pollutants as regards groundwater ecosystems and in particular sensitive/ vulnerable ecosystems, with the aim to prioritize substances and deriving groundwater standards to protect them;
identify a suite of biological and physico-chemical quality elements in view of a possible future assessment and classification of groundwater ecological status for inclusion in EU water legislation. This should include developing criteria and targets related to the temporary or long-term impacts on groundwater ecosystems.

Where relevant, activities should build and expand on the results of past and ongoing EU-funded projects and initiatives, for example projects funded by the co-funded partnership “Water4All”, with focus on groundwaters, to share experiences, reach synergies and avoid duplication.

Proposals are encouraged to combine inter-disciplinary expertise and integrate perspectives from different governance levels.

Concrete efforts should be made to ensure that the data produced in the context of the funded project is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable), exploring workflows that can provide “FAIR-by-design” data, i.e., data that is FAIR from its generation. Possibilities offered by the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) and by relevant European research infrastructures including the Catalogue of Life (COL), DiSSCo, LifeWatch ERIC, eLTER and MIRRI-ERIC (and any other relevant research infrastructure prioritised by the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI)[5]) to store and give access to research data could be considered where relevant.

Proposals should foresee appropriate resources to ensure close cooperation with the EC Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (KCBD) and its Science Service. The research actions are expected to yield valuable new insights and data, supporting and informing future assessments by IPBES.

The JRC can provide estimates of groundwater recharge and contribution of groundwater to streamflow, based on continental scale hydrological modelling, and consider testing the methods developed in the project, for the purposes of continental scale assessment of groundwater-dependent ecosystems.

International cooperation with Mediterranean countries is encouraged.

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

Others

Eligibility Requirements

General conditions

1. Admissibility Conditions: Proposal page limit and layout

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.

3. Other Eligible Conditions

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as member of the consortium selected for funding as a beneficiary with zero funding, or as an associated partner. The JRC will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: European Commission

Sponsor Type: Government/Federal

Address: Berlaymont Building, Rue de la Loi 200, 1040 Brussels

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