Research ethics for environmental and climate technologies
HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions
Basic Information
- Identifier
- HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ERA-01-11
- Programme
- Enhancing the European R&I system
- Programme Period
- 2021 - 2027
- Status
- Closed (31094503)
- Opening Date
- December 5, 2022
- Deadline
- March 8, 2023
- Deadline Model
- single-stage
- Budget
- €5,000,000
- Min Grant Amount
- €5,000,000
- Max Grant Amount
- €5,000,000
- Expected Number of Grants
- 1
- Keywords
- HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ERA-01-11HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ERA-01EthicsEthics in research and innovation
Description
In order to promote a responsible implementation of the EU Green deal, the projects are expected to contribute to the following outcomes:
- Design an operational ethics and integrity framework, which preserves and promotes the key ethics principles while supporting a rapid and effective green transition in the European Union;
- Promote awareness, ethics education and training about climate and environmental aspects of research activities, as well as insight in ethical aspects of the development of related knowledge and applications (for example: new agricultural and breeding techniques, environmental protection, geoengineering, tools facilitating energy efficiency and behavioural change).
Becoming the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050 is the greatest challenge and opportunity of our times. For this reason, the European Commission adopted the European Green Deal, the most ambitious package of measures that should enable European citizens and businesses to benefit from a sustainable green transition. In order to support the green transition, it is a priority for the European Research Area to build an encompassing framework for research and innovation activities[1].
The high magnitude and multi-fold nature of the consequences that we would face, if we do not tackle the global environmental risks, necessitate adapting the way we work, protect the world’s scarce resources, and decide on policy priorities. This inevitably raises important ethical questions and dilemmas including some related to the production of scientific knowledge and the development of novel technologies.
There is a growing awareness that biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation at local, regional and global scale pose direct and existential threats to human life and wellbeing[2]. At the same time, actively pursuing the preservation of the environment can, in some cases, lead to some tensions between the pure environmental objective and the protection of human rights. This is the case in particular when the implementation of anthropomorphic models gives to natural elements the same status as human beings.
An important aspect that characterises global challenges is that they, by nature, go beyond the well-being of persons and touch the whole society notably in terms of solidarity and social justice. Mid and long-term socio-economic consequences are also more prominent in these complex research contexts, not only those affecting vulnerable populations exposed to environmental degradation, but also those caused by a green transition depending on social and geographic circumstances[3].
Some research topics intrinsically also have a complex environmental and ecological ethics dimension including for example research and innovation in the area of electro-magnetic fields and the high frequency communication systems that are necessary to achieve a European gigabit society, or the digital innovation and biotechnology in food production practices that should not only remain safe for human health and the environment, but also allow a fair and sustainable system[4].
In this context, the action should conduct an analytical work covering the following aspects:
- What characterises the different dimensions and concepts associated with climate and environmental ethics in the context of research and development;
- Identify the ethics and integrity challenges related to the production and use of scientific knowledge in designing and implementing novel technologies and approaches to the global environmental challenge facing the European Union and the Planet;
- Develop strategies to uphold the integrity of scientific research in addressing climate change issues[5].
Elements to tackle by this action should encompass the issues related to the role of ethics and integrity experts (as advisors, for example), informed consent of communities and individuals[6], undue inducement and opt out approach, as well as equitable sharing of benefits arising from research[7].
The action should clearly highlight what cannot be accepted or neglected in the name of addressing environmental issues. This notably includes the need to always conduct, prior to the start of a research, an independent ethical review, which remains a necessary safeguard for the individuals involved and enhances the trust from the impacted communities and the society as a whole, in the name of the ‘do no harm’ principle[8]. Environmental concerns justify immediate actions and should not lower ethics and integrity standards.
In addition, issues related to refining environmental risk assessment in various fields of research and innovation should be addressed. The action should explore also how the quality of data estimating environmental impact is assessed and fed back in policy design. This action supports ERA Policy Agenda actions 11 and 12.
The action should result in:
- Producing an operational (“how-to”) guidelines to support the work of research teams’ ethics committee members and integrity experts, taking into account the concept of climate justice, including intergenerational justice as well as gender justice. The guidelines should include, among others, clear guidance for addressing ethical challenges related to the development of novel technologies and approaches to address climate change (e.g., in relation to technologies encouraging behavioural change, geo-engineering) and the application of the precautionary approach in different fields of research and innovation;
- Assessing the need to complement the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity[9] with specific guidelines and if relevant propose short documents complementing the Code, focusing on the need to ensure an “inclusive and just transition that leaves no one behind”[10];
- An effective incorporation of the objectives of the “Do No Significant Harm” Principle[11];
- Developing traditional and online training material (reflecting the guidelines) for students, early career and experienced researchers. The material must be made available on the e-platform Embassy of Good Science[12]. The priorities of the European Digital Education Plan must be taken into account;
- The action should in this context foresee the training of 400-450 Horizon Europe ethics appraisal scheme experts, paying close attention to gender balance, as well as to gender equality and diversity related ethical aspects, and make use of their feedback to improve the trainings.
Overall, the work should be based on existing know how and have a bottom-up approach, involving all relevant stakeholders (e.g., researchers, research funders, policy-makers, publishers, citizens, civil society organisations) through the organisation of participatory events (workshops, consultations, ‘town hall” meetings). Every effort should be made to achieve a 45% - or higher- female participation, especially among students, researchers, and ethics experts.
- The activities should propose ways and means to encourage changes in the research culture and promote openness, communication, dialogue and stronger links among stakeholders. This work should involve relevant ethics and integrity networks, such as ENRIO[13] or European networks of (early) career researchers and educators in the field of research ethics and integrity.
In order to improve the impact of the expected output (such as effectiveness of training courses, guidelines, toolboxes, etc.), cooperation with research management offices and ethics officers in Research Performing Organisations is highly recommended. In addition, National Contact Points should be provided with all the materials relevant to support their advisory activities.
Proposals should ensure that the publicly available results from relevant EU funded research projects (e.g., SOP4RI, Integrity, TRUST, Path2Integirty, TechEthos) [14] are taken into account. Budgeted cooperation (including the necessary technical aspects) with Embassy of Good Science[15] should be included.
In order to achieve the expected outcomes, cooperation with at least two participants from Japan, China, the Republic of Korea and/or African countries non-associated to Horizon Europe is required.
Consortia with EU partners or partners from Associated Countries that have not previously collaborated are encouraged to participate.
For all published articles and deliverables produced in the context of the activities, an authorship contribution statement must be added, in accordance with a recognised standardised taxonomy developed for this purpose (e.g., CRediT).
[1] Council Conclusions on Biodiversity – the need for urgent action, 11829/20, https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-11829-2020-INIT/en/pdf
[2] Council Conclusions on Biodiversity – the need for urgent action, 11829/20, https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-11829-2020-INIT/en/pdf
[3] https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/european-green-deal-communication_en.pdf
[4] Council Conclusions on the Farm to Fork Strategy, 12099/20, https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-12099-2020-INIT/en/pdf
[5] UNESCO Declaration of Ethical Principles in Relation to Climate Change (2017), https://en.unesco.org/themes/ethics-science-and-technology/ethical-principles.
[6] As also highlighted in the Council Conclusions on Biodiversity – the need for urgent action, 11829/20, https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-11829-2020-INIT/en/pdf
[7] Ibid.
[8] Also reaffirmed in the Council Conclusions on Biodiversity – the need for urgent action, 11829/20, https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-11829-2020-INIT/en/pdf
[10] https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/european-green-deal-communication_en.pdf
[11] https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/horizon/guidance/programme-guide_horizon_en.pdf
[12] www.embassy.science
[13] http://www.enrio.eu/
[14] Detailed information of the mentioned EU funded projects can be found on CORDIS website: https://cordis.europa.eu/
[15] www.embassy.science
Destination & Scope
Introduction
Horizon Europe has a new level of ambition – to maximise the impact of the European Union's research and innovation funding for European science, the economy and the wider society. It marks a paradigm change in the design of the European R&I framework programmes (FP) from an activity-driven to an impact-driven programme. Coupled to this ambition is the relaunch of the European Research Area (ERA) as described in the Commission Communication “A new ERA for Research and Innovation” (COM/2020/628 final of 30.09.2020).
The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the importance of R&I cooperation to provide solutions to society’s most demanding needs. With the priority on delivering Europe’s recovery as well as on the green and digital twin transitions, a new level of ambition, linking R&I better with the economy, and with education and training, is needed to match these challenges and put scientific knowledge to work.
The new ERA calls for deepening existing priorities and creating new initiatives by strengthening the mobility of researchers and the free flow of knowledge and technology, to improve access to excellence, boost market uptake and prioritise investment and reform. Working together has been the philosophy of the ERA since its launch; however, the green and digital transitions and the COVID recovery call for more and closer cooperation between the Commission, the Member States and stakeholders. They require the setting of new priorities, launching ambitious joint initiatives and developing common approaches between policies.
To address these requirements, Destination 3 of part 11 of the Horizon Europe work programme will support efforts to reform and enhance the European R&I system. Destination 3 is built around four strands corresponding to the four objectives set out in the ERA Communication:
- Prioritising investments and reforms in research and innovation;
- Improving access to excellence, progressing towards excellence across the whole EU and striving for stronger research and innovation systems;
- Translating R&I results into the economy to meet the digital and green transition objectives, and boost the resilience and competitiveness of our economies and societies;
- Deepening the ERA, to further progress the free circulation of knowledge and to ensure an upgraded, efficient and effective R&I system.
The principle of excellence, meaning that the best researchers with the best ideas that offer the best solutions to the societal challenges obtain funding, remains the cornerstone for all investments under the ERA.
Strand 1 recognises the importance of prioritising investments and reforms to accelerate the green and digital transformation and to increase competitiveness as well as the speed and depth of the recovery. It offers support for policy-makers and addresses the need for better analysis and evidence, including simplifying and facilitating the inter-play between national and European R&I systems.
Strand 2 addresses the need to improve access to excellence and to increase the performance of R&I systems, building on dedicated Horizon Europe measures as well as complementarities with smart specialisation strategies under the Cohesion Policy.
Strand 3 focuses on the importance of translating R&I results into the economy. R&I policies should aim to boost the resilience and competitiveness of our economies and societies.
Strand 4 addresses the challenge of deepening the ERA and includes Open Science, Higher Education and Researchers, Citizen Science, Science Education, Gender and Ethics. It aims at underpinning a new ERA benefitting from knowledge creation, circulation and use. This empowers higher education institutions and research organisations to embrace a transformative process; where a highly skilled workforce can circulate freely; and where research outputs are shared; where gender equality is assured; where the outcomes of R&I are understood, trusted and increasingly used, by educated informed scientists and citizens to the benefit of society.
Expected impact:
Proposals for topics under this Destination should set out a credible pathway to contributing to the following expected impacts, focussing on those that are most relevant to the respective topic:
- Reform and enhance of the European R&I system;
- Prioritisation of investments and reforms, accomplish the recovery and the twin transitions;
- Improved access to excellence;
- High quality scientific production and stronger translation of R&I results into the economy;
- Deepen the ERA;
- Coordinated national and regional R&I programmes by pooling national resources and contributing to the alignment of national research and innovation policies;
- Improved knowledge for policy making about the networking patterns of research support staff and research management;
- Synergies between research & innovation and higher education policies and programmes;
- Modernised higher education sector, adressing higher education, research, and innovation;
- Increased number of interconnected knowledge ecosystems, strong in knowledge creation, circulation and use;
- Researchers benefitting from attractive careers;
- Inclusive gender equality is promoted in the European research and innovation system;
- A more open and inclusive research and innovation system;
- Increased capacity in the EU R&I system to conduct open science and to set it as a modus operandi of modern science;
- Increased engagement of citizens with research and innovation;
- Increased alignment of strategic research with societal needs, expectations and values;
- Identify synergies between second and third level education, and between education and business;
- Increased trust in science and R&I outcomes, and greater two-way communication between science and society;
- Knowledge and a highly skilled workforce circulate freely;
- Improved capacities within the EU R&I system to conduct open science.
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.
Due to the scope of this topic, legal entities established in non-associated third countries are exceptionally eligible for Union funding.
Moreover, due to the scope of this topic, applications must be submitted by consortium and the minimum eligibility criteria for consortium composition set out in part B of the General Annexes applies. In addition, proposals must include at least two additional participants (joining as an associated partner or beneficiary if eligible for funding), each of whom must be a legal entity established in one of the following countries: Japan, China, Republic of Korea, or African countries not-associated to Horizon Europe.
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
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Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes
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Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual
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Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement: described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes
Beneficiaries will be subject to the following additional dissemination obligations:
Proposals must include structured cooperation (including the necessary technical aspects) with the e-platform Embassy of Good Science[[ www.embassy.science]]. The output material of the action must be made available on this e-platform.
6. Legal and financial set-up of the grants: described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes
Specific conditions
7. Specific conditions: described in the specific topic of the Work Programme
Documents
Call documents:
Standard application form — call-specific application form is available in the Submission System
Standard application form (HE CSA)
Standard evaluation form — will be used with the necessary adaptations
Standard evaluation form (HE CSA)
MGA
Additional documents:
HE Main Work Programme 2023–2024 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2023–2024 – 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
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.
National Contact Points (NCPs) – get guidance, practical information and assistance on participation in Horizon Europe. There are also NCPs in many non-EU and non-associated countries (‘third-countries’).
Enterprise Europe Network – contact your EEN national contact for advice to businesses with special focus on SMEs. The support includes guidance on the EU research funding.
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-WIDERA-2023-ERA-01 has closed on the 09th of March 2023.
45 proposals have been submitted.
The breakdown per topic is:
- HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ERA-01-01: 3 proposals
- HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ERA-01-02: 2 proposals
- HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ERA-01-03: 6 proposals
- HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ERA-01-04: 1 proposal
- HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ERA-01-05: 1 proposal
- HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ERA-01-06: 6 proposals
- HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ERA-01-07: 2 proposals
- HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ERA-01-08: 10 proposals
- HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ERA-01-09: 4 proposals
- HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ERA-01-10: 5 proposals
- HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ERA-01-11: 1 proposal
- HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ERA-01-12: 4 proposals
Evaluation results are expected to be communicated in July 2023.