Long-term drivers and consequences of soil degradation: learning from the past to improve future soil health
EU-wide funding initiative for researching long-term drivers and consequences of soil degradation with a focus on interdisciplinary approaches and citizen participation. Submission is two-stage until 08.04.2027 and 14.09.2027, respectively.
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Grant criteria
Funding objective
Investigation of historical soil degradation processes and their socioeconomic, cultural, and natural drivers, as well as the long-term consequences across different pedo-climatic regions. Development of methods for reconstructing past soil health and projecting future trends to formulate evidence-based recommendations for sustainable soil management.
Eligible expenses
- Personnel costs
- Material costs
- Travel expenses
- Modeling and laboratory expenses
Non-eligible expenses
- Acquisition of real estate
- Retroactive costs
- Debt repayment
Eligible to apply
- Companies
- Public Institutions
- Non-profit Organizations
- Educational Institutions
- Founders
Funding requirements
- Consortium of at least three independent partners from EU member states or associated countries
- Interdisciplinary team from natural and social sciences
- Experience in EU projects
Documents required for application
- Project description
- Financial plan
- CVs of key personnel
- Ethics self-assessment
Evaluation criteria
- Excellence of the project approach
- Expected impact on policy and society
- Quality of the consortium structure and methods
Description
The EU-funded call "Long-term Drivers and Consequences of Soil Degradation: Learning from the Past for Better Soil Health in the Future" targets interdisciplinary consortia of companies, public and non-profit institutions, educational establishments, and young entrepreneurs within the EU. Over a period of 24 months, historical soil degradation processes in various pedo-climatic regions will be systematically investigated. The focus lies on the socioeconomic, cultural, and natural causes as well as the long-term consequences spanning centuries to millennia. Methodologically, innovative approaches such as eDNA analyses, pollen and spore examinations, radionuclide dating, and digital modeling will be combined. Crucial is the active involvement of citizens through citizen science initiatives, which co-design data collection and analysis and enhance societal awareness of soil health. With a total budget of €7 million, the funding covers personnel costs, material and travel expenses, as well as modeling and laboratory costs at 100%. Excluded are real estate investments, retrospective costs, and debt settlement. Submission is two-stage by April 8, 2027 (Stage 1) and September 14, 2027 (Stage 2), each by 5:00 p.m. Brussels time.
Eligible are consortia of at least three independent partners from EU or associated countries with experience in EU projects and strong involvement of natural and social science experts. The projects contribute to the mission "A Soil Deal for Europe" and the objectives of the EU Soil Strategy 2030, promote evidence-based recommendations for sustainable soil management, and strengthen soil resilience against climate change and biodiversity loss. Evaluation criteria include the excellence of the approach, expected impacts on policy and society, as well as the quality of the consortium structure and methods. Interested stakeholders can obtain all application documents in the European Commission’s Funding & Tenders Portal.