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Call key data

Science for Community – Building the marine Citizen Science data network of the future to valorise data coming from the ocean and increase engagement

Funding Program

EU Missions in Horizon Europe

Call number

HORIZON-MISS-2024-OCEAN-01-04

deadlines

Opening
23.04.2024

Deadline
18.09.2024 17:00

Funding rate

100%

Call budget

€ 2,000,000.00

Estimated EU contribution per project

€ 2,000,000.00

Link to the call

ec.europa.eu

Link to the submission

ec.europa.eu

Call content

short description

The objective of this topic is to establish a Marine Citizen Science data network, which will aim to bring together the very important, but scattered and un-coordinated actors of marine citizen science, active in data collection. Such a network will provide a sense of community to these different in nature parties, will increase visibility of marine citizen science data collection activities in Europe and will invest in coordinating these activities by providing a harmonisation framework, which will increase the added value coming from marine citizen science. Such an activity will ensure dual effects towards the Mission’s Ocean cross-cutting enabling actions: it will support targeted engagement of different categories of social actors in the production of credible Marine Knowledge and it will thus directly support the development of the Digital Ocean and Water Knowledge System.

Call objectives

Marine Citizen Science activities, the public’s participation and collaboration in marine research in order to increase the available scientific knowledge, is gaining more and more momentum in the European Union. Among the various marine citizen science activities, very prominent are the ones that engage actors from different parts of society to contribute to the observation of the coastal zone and the ocean and produce relevant data, related to physical, chemical, geological properties of the marine environment, marine biodiversity and/or human impact (e.g.: marine litter). It is important to capitalise on this interest, both by sustaining and increasing the sense of community and motivation of these actors and by providing them with validated methodological protocols and processes, to ensure that the information and data they collect becomes available and useful for wider use.

Proposals are expected to address all following activities:

  • Establishment of a Marine Citizen Science network

The pan-European Marine Citizen Science data network is expected to bring together actors in marine citizen science data collection domains in the European Union and in neighbouring countries and to build a sense of community between these actors, engaging and coordinating different type of organisations. The core aim of the network will be to support its participants to contact the various marine citizen science data collection communities efficiently and in a manner that will increase the added value of their contribution towards Marine Knowledge. The network should aim to include actors from all different data fields on marine citizen science.

A key activity for the establishment of the network consists in the identification, mapping and involvement of the different actors that provide observation and data input to marine citizen science, extending from volunteer or scientific groups (schools, NGOs or universities, tourists) to more structured community contributions that can come from professionals (for instance fishermen) or companies (sailing companies, port authorities, etc.) that are willing to contribute in these initiatives.

The network should act as a multiplier of work contacted on marine citizen science data collection from different organisations around Europe and operate as a connection hub for their activities. Through the described actions the network will ensure the higher visibility of marine citizen science data collection activities in Europe and will contribute both to motivate the already engaged actors and to bring in the network more interested parties, by connecting them with the appropriate organisations, providing them with community advice on how to set up their own activities, in line with common standards and sharing the collective knowledge created through the network.

The long-term sustainability of the proposed network should be considered.

  • Citizen science activities: information and data collection

To increase the added value of the marine citizen science activities, the proposals should ensure that information and data collected are widely usable and integrated in existing knowledge management platforms (e.g.: EMODnet, Blue Economy Observatory, etc.) and in the end be available for use in the European Digital Twin of the Ocean (EU DTO).

Specific activities are expected to adapt and make available data and metadata standards appropriate for use in marine citizen science, building on the work developed by SeaDataNet, EMODnet and other marine data infrastructures. These standards should be tailored to the needs of citizen science and ensure that the data collected can be harmonised and used in an effective manner.

The proposals should also consider the development of easy-to-use tutorials and easy-to-understand training modules, targeted to different categories of marine citizens science actors collecting data. This material should focus on methodologies to ensure that the data collected is FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable), will explain how data is made available and will provide recommendations and guidelines for effective citizen science observing activities. The training materials should also ensure that citizen science activities do not conflict with nature protection objectives.

Finally, the proposals are expected to address the development of good practices regarding data and information consumption coming from marine citizen science activities and make these good practices visible at local, national and European level, as well as at the international level, particularly through the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

  • Deployment of cost-efficient, citizen science appropriate observing equipment

The proposals should ensure the link between marine citizen science actors and the developers of cost-efficient ocean observing sensors and to facilitate the procurement of appropriate and easy to use citizen science devices and equipment that will enhance and harmonise the outputs of marine citizen science in Europe.

Proposals are expected to define and implement two use-cases to demonstrate in real conditions the use of affordable, durable, high-efficiency and low-carbon footprint marine observing devices/equipment, relevant and applicable to marine citizen science. Observing devices/sensors that are easy to use, automated, standardised and with direct uploading of date in verified databases should be prioritised.

These use-cases will act as pilots, to show, on one side the benefits of using standardised, simple to deploy and use equipment for wide citizen science campaigns and on the other, the benefits and the economies of scale of large procurements of observing devices/equipment for citizen science.

These use-cases should also provide insights for the mobilisation of public and private funding to maximise future deployment and use of observation devices/sensors, thus supporting the scaling up of marine citizen science activities in Europe.

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Expected results

Project results are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes:

  • Establishment of a pan-European Marine Citizen Science data network, bringing together actors of marine citizen science around Europe and in neighbouring countries.
  • Adaptation of data and metadata standards and methodological approaches appropriate for use in marine citizen science based on the existing European frameworks, as developed by SeaDataNet, EMODnet and other marine data infrastructures.
  • Increased visibility and impact of Marine Citizen Science activities in Europe.
  • Sharing of good practices on marine citizen science information and data consumption.

Eligibility Criteria

Regions / countries for funding

EU Member States, Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT)
Moldova (Moldova), Albania (Shqipëria), Armenia (Հայաստան), Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan), Belarus (Беларусь), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина), Faeroes (Føroyar / Færøerne), Georgia (საქართველო), Iceland (Ísland), Israel (ישראל / إِسْرَائِيل), Kosovo (Kosova/Kosovë / Косово), Montenegro (Црна Гора), Morocco (المغرب), New Zealand (Aotearoa), North Macedonia (Северна Македонија), Norway (Norge), Serbia (Srbija/Сpбија), Tunisia (تونس /Tūnis), Türkiye, Ukraine (Україна), United Kingdom

eligible entities

Education and training institution, International organization, Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) / Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Other, Private institution, incl. private company (private for profit), Public Body (national, regional and local; incl. EGTCs), Research Institution incl. University, Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)

Mandatory partnership

Yes

Project Partnership

To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:

  • the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions
  • the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States
  • third countries associated to Horizon Europe - see list of particpating countries

Only legal entities forming a consortium are eligible to participate in actions provided that the consortium includes, as beneficiaries, three legal entities independent from each other and each established in a different country as follows:

  • at least one independent legal entity established in a Member State; and
  • at least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated Countries.

Any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal entities from non-associated third countries or international organisations (including international European research organisations) is eligible to participate (whether it is eligible for funding or not), provided that the conditions laid down in the Horizon Europe Regulation have been met, along with any other conditions laid down in the specific call topic.

A ‘legal entity’ means any natural or legal person created and recognised as such under national law, EU law or international law, which has legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations, or an entity without legal personality.

Specific cases:

  • Affiliated entities — Affiliated entities (i.e. entities with a legal or capital link to a beneficiary which participate in the action with similar rights and obligations to the beneficiaries, but which do not sign the grant agreement and therefore do not become beneficiaries themselves) are allowed, if they are eligible for participation and funding.
  • Associated partners — Associated partners (i.e. entities which participate in the action without signing the grant agreement, and without the right to charge costs or claim contributions) are allowed, subject to any conditions regarding associated partners set out in the specific call conditions.
  • Entities without legal personality — Entities which do not have legal personality under their national law may exceptionally participate, provided that their representatives have the capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf, and offer guarantees to protect the EU’s financial interests equivalent to those offered by legal persons.
  • EU bodies — Legal entities created under EU law including decentralised agencies may be part of the consortium, unless provided for otherwise in their basic act.
  • Joint Research Centre (‘JRC’)— Where provided for in the specific call conditions, applicants may include in their proposals the possible contribution of the JRC but the JRC will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal. Applicants will indicate the contribution that the JRC could bring to the project based on the scope of the topic text. After the evaluation process, the JRC and the consortium selected for funding may come to an agreement on the specific terms of the participation of the JRC. If an agreement is found, the JRC may accede to the grant agreement as beneficiary requesting zero funding or participate as an associated partner, and would accede to the consortium as a member.
  • Associations and interest groupings — Entities composed of members (e.g. European research infrastructure consortia (ERICs)) may participate as ‘sole beneficiaries’ or ‘beneficiaries without legal personality’. However, if the action is in practice implemented by the individual members, those members should also participate (either as beneficiaries or as affiliated entities, otherwise their costs will NOT be eligible.

other eligibility criteria

Beneficiaries will be subject to the following additional obligations regarding open science practices: If projects collect in-situ data and marine observations, beneficiaries must make them openly available through the European Marine Observation and Data network (EMODnet), based on FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) principles.  Grants awarded under this topic will be linked to the following action(s): HORIZON-MISS-2021-OCEAN-05-03 Piloting citizen science in marine and freshwater domains - Grant Agreement n. No 101006482

If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used).

Additional information

Topics

Administration & Governance, Institutional Capacity & Cooperation, 
Air Quality, Biodiversity & Environment, Climate & Climate Change, Water quality & management, 
Education & Training, Children & Youth, Media

Relevance for EU Macro-Region

EUSAIR - EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, EUSALP - EU Strategy for the Alpine Space, EUSBSR - EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSDR - EU Strategy for the Danube Region

UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)

Additional Information

All proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funders & Tenders Portal electronic submission system (accessible via the topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section). Paper submissions are NOT possible.

Proposals must be complete and contain all parts and mandatory annexes and supporting documents, e.g. plan for the exploitation and dissemination of the results including communication activities, etc.

The application form will have two parts:

  • Part A (to be filled in directly online) contains administrative information about the applicant organisations (future coordinator and beneficiaries and affiliated entities), the summarised budget for the proposal and call-specific questions;
  • Part B (to be downloaded from the Portal submission system, completed and then assembled and re-uploaded as a PDF in the system) contains the technical description of the project.

Annexes and supporting documents will be directly available in the submission system and must be uploaded as PDF files (or other formats allowed by the system).

The limit for a full application (Part B) is 30 pages.

Call documents

Horizon Missions 2023-2024Horizon Missions 2023-2024(2860kB)

Contact

EU Missions in Horizon Europe
RTD-HORIZON-EUROPE-MISSIONS@ec.europa.eu
Website

National Contact Points for Horizon Europe
Website

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