ATM application-oriented Research for Artificial Intelligence (AI) for aviation
HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Actions
Basic Information
- Identifier
- HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-ER-01-WA2-8
- Programme
- Digital European Sky Exploratory Research 01
- Programme Period
- 2021 - 2027
- Status
- Closed (31094503)
- Opening Date
- April 7, 2022
- Deadline
- October 13, 2022
- Deadline Model
- single-stage
- Budget
- €3,750,000
- Min Grant Amount
- €3,750,000
- Max Grant Amount
- €3,750,000
- Expected Number of Grants
- 1
Description
Project results are expected to contribute to the following expected outcomes.
- Environment. Project results are expected to demonstrate the positive impact of AI-based solutions on operational mitigation of aviation’s environmental impact.
- Capacity. Project results are expected to contribute to capacity by addressing AI-based human operator support tools to ensure the integration of new entrant aircraft types.
- Operational efficiency. Project results are expected to improve the operational efficiency by enabling better traffic predictions and forecasts, thus contributing to punctuality.
- Safety. Project results are expected to maintain at least the same level of safety as the current ATM system.
- Security. Project results are expected to maintain at least the same level of security as the current ATM system.
The SESAR 3 JU has identified the following innovative research elements that could be used to achieve the expected outcomes. The list is not intended to be prescriptive; proposals for work on areas other than those listed below are welcome, provided they include adequate background and justification to ensure clear traceability with the R&I needs set out in the SRIA for the AI for aviation flagship.
- Aviation/ATM AI infrastructure. AI is largely dependent on data, which is required to develop AI algorithms and to validate them. Thus, the challenge is to develop an appropriate aviation/ATM AI infrastructure and/or exploit existing ones that can capture the current and future information required to support AI-enabled applications, with the required software development processes, using robust architectures for ATC systems to provide ATCOs and pilots with a good level of confidence in automated decision-aiding tools. This includes capability development, trustworthiness, safety and airworthiness. Furthermore, there is a need to foster access to and sharing of data while looking at aspects related to data quality, data integrity, data ownership, data security, the trust framework and data governance. This element also includes the creation of an exploitation plan detailing future steps after the end of the project (R&I need: trustworthy AI powered ATM environment).
- AI-powered human–machine interactions. Moving beyond the state of the art, this element covers research on how human–machine interactions can be boosted to the highest level of automation, including through branches of AI such as reinforcement learning, explainable AI and natural language processing. The research results should demonstrate how the technology can support ATCOs in carrying out their tasks, not redefine the role of the human (e.g. demonstrate an increase in human capabilities during the execution of complex scenarios or a reduction in human workload in the execution of standard tasks (R&I need: human–AI collaboration: digital assistants).
- AI-powered co-piloting. Similarly to the research described in the previous bullet point, this element aims to investigate how AI can support pilots and reduce their workload. Research should focus, for example, on how to exploit high levels of automation to perform non-critical tasks and how the HMI should work during such operations (R&I need: human–AI collaboration: digital assistants).
- AI for complex operations. This research is about the development of AI-based human operator support tools to ensure the safe integration of new entrant aircraft types into an increasingly busy, heterogeneous and complex traffic mix (i.e. UAVs, supersonic aircraft, hybrid and fully electric aircraft) This should also cover the wider implications for other organisations and the impact on the network (R&I need: human–AI collaboration: digital assistants).
- Sustainable trajectory. This element will involve developing AI-based solutions for operational mitigation of aviation’s environmental impact, such as near-real-time network optimisation (airspace/route availability) and use (on-the-fly flight planning), in conjunction with meteorological data now-casting, which could be made possible through AI (R&I need: AI Improved datasets for better airborne operations).
Eligibility & Conditions
General conditions
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.
3. Other eligibility conditions: described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes
4. Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes
5. Evaluation and award:
- Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in subsection 2.1.3 of the BAWP 2022-2023.
- Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual
The following exception applies:
To ensure a balanced portfolio, grants will be awarded to applications not only in order of ranking but at least also to those that are the highest ranked within set topics, provided that the applications attain all thresholds.
- Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement: described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants: described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes
The following exceptions apply:
Grants awarded under this work area will have to submit the following deliverables:
- Exploratory research report (ERP)
- Exploratory research report (ERR)
- Functional requirements document (FRD)
- Operational services and environment description (OSED)
- Economic evaluation (ECO-EVAL)
- Data Management Plan (DMP) (to be submitted at the beginning, at mid-term and towards the end of the project)
- plan for dissemination and exploitation including communication activities - CDE (to be submitted within 6 months after signature date and periodically updated)
Beneficiaries will be subject to the following additional dissemination obligations:
- Beneficiaries must make proactive efforts to share on a royalty free basis, in a timely manner and as appropriate, all relevant results with the other grants awarded under the same call.
- Beneficiaries must acknowledge and incorporate these obligations in the proposal, outlining the efforts they will make towards meeting them and in Annex I to the Grant Agreement.
Beneficiaries will be subject to the additional exploitation obligations:
For the purpose of complying with the objectives set in the Regulation 2021/2085, the SRIA and the European ATM Master plan, beneficiaries must:
- make available for re-use under fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory conditions all relevant results generated in the action, through a well-defined mechanism, in trusted repositories;
- in case the purpose of the specific identified measures to exploit the results of the action is related to standardisation, grant the non-exclusive licence to the results royalty-free;
- in case on linked actions, ensure mutual access to the background and to the results of on-going and closed linked actions, should this be needed for implementing tasks under the linked action(s) or for exploiting results generated by the linked action(s) as defined in the conditions laid down by this (bi)annual work programme and by the call for proposals.
Beneficiaries must acknowledge and incorporate these obligations in the proposal, outlining the efforts they will make towards meeting them and in Annex I to the Grant Agreement.
Specific conditions
7. Specific conditions: described in the specific conditions and topics description per Work Area:
- The maximum project duration is 30 months including a 6-month period at the end of the project life cycle to undertake Communications, Dissemination and exploitation activities on the research results.
- The integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in R&I content is not a mandatory requirement.
Documents
Call documents:
Standard HE RIA/IA templates - Available directly in the Submission system. Please note that only Part A of this template is applicable for this call. For Part B, see below.
SESAR 3 application form (RIA/IA) - Part B — this call-specific application form is also available in the Submission System
Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA) – it will be used with the necessary adaptations based on the specific award criteria (see BAWP, Annex II, section 2.1.3 - Award criteria).
MGA
Additional documents:
SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking Bi-Annual Work Programme (BAWP) 2022-2023
SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking Multi-Annual Work Programme (MAWP) 2022-2031
HE Main Work Programme 2021–2022 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2021–2022 – 8. Climate, Energy and Mobility
HE Main Work Programme 2021–2022 – 12. Missions
HE Main Work Programme 2021–2022 – 13. General Annexes
HE Framework Programme and Rules for Participation Regulation 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual
Support & Resources
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Please note that the deadline for addressing queries related to SESAR 3 DES Call for proposals to the Q&A functional mailbox ([email protected]) is Friday 23 September 2022 (eob).
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Latest Updates
Call HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-ER-01 has closed on the 13-10-2022.
72 proposals have been submitted.
The breakdown per topic is:
- HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-ER-01-WA1-1 8
- HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-ER-01-WA1-2 5
- HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-ER-01-WA1-3 3
- HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-ER-01-WA1-4 4
- HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-ER-01-WA1-5 9
- HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-ER-01-WA1-6 7
- HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-ER-01-WA1-7 3
- HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-ER-01-WA2-1 4
- HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-ER-01-WA2-3 6
- HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-ER-01-WA2-4 8
- HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-ER-01-WA2-5 1
- HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-ER-01-WA2-6 2
- HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-ER-01-WA2-7 3
- HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-ER-01-WA2-8 7
- HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-ER-01-WA3-1 2
Evaluation results are expected to be communicated in February 2022.