Fighting disinformation and effectively communicating on climate change

The funding program "Fighting disinformation and effectively communicating on climate change" supports transnational consortia of educational institutions, companies, non-profit, and public organizations across the EU in developing effective approaches for detecting, analyzing, and containing misinformation related to climate change. With a budget of €4–5 million per project, research- and innovation-driven initiatives are funded that build AI-based tools, monitoring methods, and data science applications for identifying and verifying disinformation channels. A particular focus lies on target group-specific communication and engagement strategies for authorities, media, civil society actors, and citizens to strengthen science communication and increase trust in climate sciences. Youth and vulnerable groups are specifically targeted to enable attention and participation. The funding rate covers 100% of eligible costs (personnel costs, material costs, travel expenses, subcontracting services, and financial support to third parties). Applications can be submitted until April 15, 2026.

Participation requires a consortium of at least three independent institutions from three different EU Member States or Horizon-associated countries, complemented by registration in the EU Participant Register (PIC) and compliance with open science and ethics guidelines. Projects are evaluated based on excellence, impact, and quality and efficiency of implementation. The application must include researchers’ CVs, a detailed budget plan, a Gantt chart, and a declaration of financial support. This measure makes a central contribution to strengthening social cohesion and democracy, digitalization strategies, and social resilience within the framework of the Horizon Europe program.