Expected Outcome:

This topic aims at supporting activities that are enabling or contributing to one or several expected impacts of destination “Living and working in a health-promoting environment”. To that end, proposals under this topic should aim to deliver results that are directed at, tailored towards and contributing to most of the following expected outcomes:

• The healthcare sector is supported with new technological developments and frameworks for greening, decarbonising and adapting to climate change, thus also contributing to protect biodiversity and ecosystem services.
• Governments, public health authorities, healthcare providers and practitioners, social care services and civil society have access to the best available evidence on the health costs and benefits (including co-benefits) of climate adaptation and mitigation actions and interventions.
• Policymakers and public authorities develop environment, climate change and health policies and interventions based on robust frameworks and incorporating innovative, inclusive and accessible solutions and technologies.
• Governments and public health authorities are supported in their adoption of robust frameworks and interventions to tackle societal challenges linked to the health impacts of climatic and environmental factors.
• Populations are empowered and equipped with knowledge, tools and resources to adopt health-protective behaviours and adapt to health-related climate risks.

Scope:

The health sector accounts for nearly 5% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and generates significant demands for energy and materials, as well as dangerous polluting streams. Proactive mitigation efforts in the health sector can significantly reduce GHG emissions and pollution, saving many lives and contributing to relieve pressures on biodiversity and ecosystem services. However, specific mechanisms for emission reductions in the health sector remain less defined compared to those in other sectors.

At the same time, the climate crisis subjects healthcare systems to unprecedented pressures (e.g. on infrastructure, workforce, overall systems) while simultaneously having to respond to increasing healthcare needs. To reduce pressure in healthcare systems and generally improve public health, it is crucial to design inclusive and accessible interventions that prevent the health impacts of climate change and related environmental degradation, increase resilience and preparedness of individuals and communities and foster the adoption of health-protective behaviours.

Research activities under this topic should generate evidence on the opportunities and health co-benefits of mitigation in the health sector as well as foster the development of low-carbon medical technologies and digital solutions for the sector. Proposals should also support the design of effective, scalable, cost-effective and transferable interventions and frameworks that can be applied across a wide range of healthcare settings and/or in population, community and societal contexts and involving, when relevant, public and patient engagement. Proposals can consider both living and working environments.

More specifically research actions under this topic should include some of the following activities:

• Develop and/or pilot effective, inclusive, accessible and impactful interventions to address the impact of climate change in healthcare systems and/or in health outcomes across populations, sectors and regions. These interventions should aim at reducing health vulnerability and building health resilience. Consider where relevant the involvement of local communities and/or end users in the development of these interventions.
• Develop methodologies and analytical tools to assess the effectiveness and cost-benefit of health-related climate change adaptation interventions.
• Generate evidence on the health co-benefits of climate change mitigation and propose frameworks to quantify the magnitude of their impacts.
• Develop harmonised frameworks, assessment metrics and reporting methods to evaluate alternative mitigation strategies and interventions, as well as harmonised methodologies to assess the cost-benefit of different mitigation measures.
• Explore and estimate the impact of preventive healthcare and lifestyle practices for mitigating the impacts of climate change in the health sector and increasing the resilience and preparedness of communities.
• Propose best practices to enhance the climate resilience of healthcare infrastructures, healthcare professionals and relevant supply chains and logistics.
• Explore and assess the role of primary care in increasing the preparedness of communities and reduce the health impacts of climate change.
• Develop low-carbon medical technologies (including medical devices) and digital solutions to reduce the emissions of GHG and pollutants (to air, water and soil) of healthcare practices and their supply chains. Health technology assessment activities to evaluate new or alternative low carbon medical solutions may be included where appropriate.

Funded projects under this topic should consider the scalability and transferability of the developed solutions to ensure that any knowledge, frameworks, methodologies, pilots, etc., developed are actionable and applicable across different healthcare settings and community contexts. Proposals should also consider the use of implementation science approaches to support the relevance and broad applicability of the research outcomes. Proposals should take into consideration the broader socio-economic challenges faced by healthcare systems (e.g. funding challenges, workforce shortages, population ageing and increase of chronic diseases). Additionally, solutions and interventions proposed under this topic should consider the Do No Significant Harm principle.

In order to maximise synergies and increase the impact of the projects, all proposals selected for funding from this topic will form a cluster and be required to participate in common networking and joint activities. Guidance on the potential activities to be developed can be obtained by consulting the clusters of projects ongoing under the Environment, Climate and Health research portfolio[1].

International cooperation is encouraged.

Proposals should make sure that relevant activities, outcomes and outputs are shared with the European Climate and Health Observatory[2] through the cluster that will be formed after the approval of the proposals. When relevant proposals should build on the outcomes of the projects that are part of the European Climate-Health Cluster[3].

Proposals are encouraged to consider, where relevant, the data, expertise and services offered by European research infrastructures[4] in the environment and health domain.

This topic requires the effective contribution of social sciences and humanities (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 activities.

Applicants envisaging to include clinical studies[5] should provide details of their clinical studies in the dedicated annex using the template provided in the submission system.

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