Fast Track Innovation and Uptake Artificial Intelligence for Aviation
HORIZON JU Innovation Actions
Basic Information
- Identifier
- HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01-WA5-4
- Programme
- Digital European Sky Industrial Research 01
- Programme Period
- 2021 - 2027
- Status
- Closed (31094503)
- Opening Date
- April 6, 2022
- Deadline
- October 12, 2022
- Deadline Model
- single-stage
- Budget
- €30,000,000
- Min Grant Amount
- €2,000,000
- Max Grant Amount
- €5,000,000
- Expected Number of Grants
- 6
- Keywords
- HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01-WA5-4HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01
Description
Project results are expected to contribute to the following expected outcomes.
- Environment. AI will enable the optimisation of aircraft trajectories, potentially reducing the aviation environmental footprint.
- Capacity. AI will play a fundamental role in aviation/ATM to address airspace capacity shortages, enabling dynamic configuration of the airspace and allowing dynamic spacing separation between aircraft.
- Cost-efficiency. AI will enrich aviation datasets with new types of datasets, unlocking air–ground cooperation using AI-based applications, fostering data-sharing and building up an inclusive AI aviation–ATM partnership. This will support decision-makers, pilots, ATCOs and other stakeholders, bringing benefits in cost-efficiency by increasing ATCO productivity (reducing workload and increasing complexity capabilities).
- Operational efficiency. Increasing predictability will be a key function of AI, as it will enable traffic predictions and forecasts that will boost punctuality.
- Safety. Safety science will also need to evolve to cope with the safety challenges posed by the introduction of ML. Current safety levels will be at least maintained using this technology.
- Security. AI will make it possible to stay cyber-resilient in the face of new technologies and threats; the objective is to maintain a high level of security.
To achieve the expected outcomes, all or some of the following should be addressed.
- Trustworthy AI-powered ATM environment. This refers to the the development of advanced AI applications (e.g. supporting automation level 4) for ground or airborne use, with a particular focus on the demonstration of new methodologies for the validation and certification of advanced AI applications that will ensure their transparency, robustness and stability under all conditions. It includes aspects such as explainability, learning assurance, formal methods, testing, licensing, in-service experience and online learning assurance (R&I need: trustworthy AI-powered ATM environment).
- AI for prescriptive aviation. This refers to the development of digital solutions and services leveraging state-of-the-art technologies to demonstrate how AI can be used in a highly automated and safety-critical environment to deliver substantial and verifiable performance benefits while at the same time fully addressing safety concerns and using human skills. It also includes, for example, abnormal situation management. AI/ML have great potential for predictions/forecasts under normal circumstances, but further evolution will be needed if they are to be used in the management of abnormal situations: a prescriptive approach will be required to monitor reality and specify precursors indicating possible deviations from what is expected. This covers the exploitation of aviation data hubs. Developments in this area might include, for example, solutions for the detection of abnormal situations and aircraft behaviour (i.e. deviations from what is expected); ML, big data and predictive analysis techniques will make it possible to analyse situations, predict potential aircraft trajectories and detect suspicious aircraft (R&I need: AI for prescriptive aviation)
- Human–AI collaboration. This element will involve the development of digital solutions leveraging state-of-the-art technologies to support aviation actors in a highly automated environment (automation level 4) while ensuring that humans understand what the systems are doing and maintain the right level of situational awareness (R&I need: human–AI collaboration: digital assistants). It includes for example,:
- advanced AI applications for airlines, ANSPs and airport managers in a range of areas such as fleet management, infrastructure monitoring, sectorisation and staff planning;
- advanced AI applications for regulators, with new safety and security indicators that support the (early) detection and predictions of new risks;
- new HMIs for ATCOs (e.g. augmented reality) and the capability to monitor ATCO workload in real time based on AI, as well as new skills and new training methods to support these new joint human–machine systems.
Eligibility & Conditions
General conditions
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
The evaluation committee might be composed partially by representatives of EU institutions and agencies (internal experts).
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.
- Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in subsection 2.2.4 of the BAWP 2022-2023
The following additions to the general award criteria apply:
Weighting per criteria as per WP objectives
Excellence : 40%
Impact: 40%
Implementation: 20%
- Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual
The following exceptions apply:
- Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement: described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes
Grants award under this topic will have to submit the following deliverables:
- Contextual note
- SPR-Interop/OSED
- TS/IRS
- VALP
- VALR
- CBA
- STAND
- REG
- 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.
Grants awarded under this topic will be linked to the following action(s):
Call HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01;
Call H2020-SESAR-2020-2;
Call H2020-SESAR-2019-1;
A collaboration agreement is required
Purchases of equipment, infrastructure or other assets specifically for the action (or developed as part of the action tasks) may be declared as full capitalised costs.
The funding rate is 70 % of the eligible costs regardless of the legal status of the Beneficiary.
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants: described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes
The following exceptions apply:
Specific conditions
7. Specific conditions: described in the General conditions and specific conditions of the Work Programme
- The integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in R&I content is not a mandatory requirement.
- The maximum project duration is 36 months.
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 — it will be used with the necessary adaptations based on specific award criteria (see BAWP, Annex II, section 2.2.4).
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
SESAR 3 JU Call Helpdesk: [email protected]
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).
Online Manual is your guide on the procedures from proposal submission to managing your grant.
Horizon Europe Programme Guide contains the detailed guidance to the structure, budget and political priorities of Horizon Europe.
Funding & Tenders Portal FAQ – find the answers to most frequently asked questions on submission of proposals, evaluation and grant management.
Research Enquiry Service – ask questions about any aspect of European research in general and the EU Research Framework Programmes in particular.
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IT Helpdesk – contact the Funding & Tenders Portal IT helpdesk for questions such as forgotten passwords, access rights and roles, technical aspects of submission of proposals, etc.
European IPR Helpdesk assists you on intellectual property issues.
CEN-CENELEC Research Helpdesk and ETSI Research Helpdesk – the European Standards Organisations advise you how to tackle standardisation in your project proposal.
The European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their recruitment– consult the general principles and requirements specifying the roles, responsibilities and entitlements of researchers, employers and funders of researchers.
Partner Search Services help you find a partner organisation for your proposal.
Latest Updates
Call HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01 has closed on the 13-10-2022.
55 proposals have been submitted.
The breakdown per topic is:
HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01-WA1-1 1
HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01-WA1-2 1
HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01-WA2-1 5
HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01-WA3-1 5
HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01-WA3-2 6
HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01-WA3-3 1
HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01-WA3-4 2
HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01-WA3-5 1
HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01-WA4-1 11
HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01-WA5-1 3
HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01-WA5-2 3
HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01-WA5-3 4
HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01-WA5-4 2
HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01-WA6-1 5
HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01-WA6-2 1
HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01-WA6-3 2
HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01-WA6-4 2
Evaluation results are expected to be communicated in February 2022.
The fifth and last version of the SESAR 3 Questions and Answers document is now available under Topic Conditions / Documents / Additional documents
The fourth version of the SESAR 3 Questions and Answers document is now available under Topic Conditions / Documents / Additional documents
The third version of the SESAR 3 Questions and Answers document is now available under Topic Conditions / Documents / Additional documents
The second version of the SESAR 3 Questions and Answers document is now available under Topic Conditions / Documents / Additional documents
The first version of the SESAR 3 Questions and Answers document is now available under Topic Conditions / Documents / Additional documents