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Microbiome for early cancer prediction before the onset of disease

European Commission

Expected Outcome:

Proposals under this topic should aim to deliver results that are directed and tailored towards and contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

Healthy people and in particular people at risk will benefit from microbiome tests and programmes that can discover and predict their transition to cancer before the onset of disease.
People will have a better understanding of risks and will be enabled to address risks early by following treatments or adapting their lifestyles, including nutrition and other interventions.
Physicians will be able to start cancer treatments earlier with a higher success rate.
Policy makers and authorities will be enabled to develop and implement advanced and strategic programmes addressing cancer prevention.

Scope:

This topic will contribute to the achievement of the EU Cancer Mission’s objective to achieve better cancer prevention and early detection. The focus is on the development of validated microbiome tools, an assessment of predispositions, the comparison with other predictive tools and risk modelling approaches.

Cancer often develops over several years and progresses silently before symptoms appear. Some cancers are diagnosed at a very late stage, when the disease is nearly incurable. Early and sensitive biomarkers are beneficial for preventive strategies and the survival of patients especially when tests are minimally invasive and simple to perform. The human microbiome is correlated with this process of oncogenesis and tumour progression. The deterioration of the human microbiome towards dysbiosis should be monitored and used as an early predictive biomarker. The potential of the microbiome should be exploited to deliver important contributions to cancer prevention and early detection strategies before the onset of disease especially for high-risk patients.

Prevention of cancer through early detection is most efficient in fighting cancer and saving lives. Large microbiome biobanks and registries exist at national and international levels to collect and store microbial samples with the intention to analyse and share microbiome data for research and healthcare. The One Million Microbiomes from Human Project has been launched by several countries to build the largest human microbiome high quality database and to provide advanced life science tools for future healthcare.

The intention is to accelerate the translation of microbiome knowledge to predict and prevent cancer earlier, before the onset of disease, through the development of personalised approaches and tools. The promise of these tools is evident because people could anticipate cancer while they would still have time to act before the onset of the disease. In case of certain types of cancer, earlier treatment could improve lives or even cure patients in line with the goal of the EU Cancer Mission.

The tools should be based on the collection of a high number of longitudinal samples over several years, they should be validated and their prediction power compared with other minimally invasive (liquid biopsy) tests. To use the resources most efficiently, the tools should be supported by risk modelling approaches and AI technologies.

Proposals should address all of the following:

Development of microbiome tools for earlier, better and personalised prediction and prevention of cancer before the onset of the disease; if possible 2 years before the onset of the disease. Proposals should deal with several types of cancer if possible.
Assessments of predispositions, AI risk modelling approaches and organ/body simulations.
Collaboration with large cohorts/registries from different communities, usage of existing microbiome and clinical data in combination with and generation of new data. These data could include other predictive signs such as sensations of fatigue, unusual pain, weight loss or other body changes.
Citizen engagement could be included with data and sample collections as well as educational programmes.
Comparison with other minimally invasive liquid biopsy and other tests concerning their predictive power, simplicity, cost-benefits and potential for commercialisation.
Validation of the tests in an independent cohort. Development of guidelines that help to manage risk factors such as lifestyle or diet. The outcome and expertise of ongoing EU and International initatives and the International Cancer Microbiome Consortium could be considered for the reliability of the tests and guidelines to be developed. Age, sex and gender differences should be duly considered.

The successful proposal is expected to build on resources made available by the Knowledge Centre on Cancer (KCC)[1] to foster EU alignment and coordination.

The successful proposal will be asked to join the 'Prevention and Early Detection' project cluster of the EU Cancer Mission[2] and should include a budget for networking, attendance at meetings and joint activities[3]. The Commission will facilitate coordination of these activities.

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

Microbiology

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.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: European Commission

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: Berlaymont Building, Rue de la Loi 200, 1049 Brussels

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