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Call key data
Nutrition and Mental Health
Funding Program
Horizon Europe: Cluster 6 - Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
Call number
HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-12
deadlines
Opening
06.05.2025
Deadline
16.09.2025 17:00
Funding rate
100%
Call budget
€ 10,000,000.00
Estimated EU contribution per project
€ 5,000,000.00
Link to the call
Link to the submission
Call content
short description
The successful proposals will contribute to one of the challenges highlighted in the updated Food 2030 report, particularly under the Food 2030 pathway 7 “Nutrition and Sustainable Healthy Diets”, on how inadequate intakes, malnutrition and unhealthy diet affects people’s mental health and well-being. They will contribute to the Commission communication on a comprehensive approach to mental health published in 2023 and to the Healthier together - the EU non-communicable diseases (NCD) initiative presented in June 2022.
Call objectives
Mental health has become a major issue of public health, and economic and social concern across Europe. A healthy dietary pattern can affect mental health and well-being through anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neurogenesis, microbiome- and immune-modifying mechanisms, as well as through epigenetic modifications. A good nutritional status is important for maintaining normal body function and adequate growth and development and preventing or mitigating the dysfunction induced by internal or external factors. Environmental psychology has demonstrated the positive impact of healthy nutrition on self-perception, self-efficacy, and successful relationships, as well as on several psychological constructs.
Moreover, alteration of the microbiome could also have an impact on neurodevelopment and neurodegenerative disorders as microbiome has been linked to several mental illness such as depression, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia.
Expected effects and impacts
The proposals should address all the following activities:
- establish the specific food groups, beverages, macro and micronutrients needed in a daily diet (from food sources or to be integrated to the daily diet) to prevent the development of mental health disorders in Europe and explore the need to characterise and supplement a healthy diet with specific macro and micronutrients in children, adults, and older population affected by specific diseases related to mental health disorders through interviews and literature review;
- establish, through a mapping of the most recent research and innovation projects, the 3-axis ‘diet-gut microbiome-host-health’ interplay to elucidate some molecular mechanisms and the causal relationship between changes in the gut microbiome and some mental health disorders (including the establishment of possible relevant biomarkers as necessary);
- provide recommendations and develop specific communication materials for prevention campaigns, in line with international and national health and dietary advice and related policies, for national authorities and for nutritional professionals, to communicate the link between healthy diets and mental health, as well as the need to supplement a healthy diet with macro- and micronutrients and/or adapt dietary patterns to prevent mental health disorders to patients;
- provide recommendations on how established deficiencies or excess intake of macro and micronutrients could be addressed, in line with international and national health and dietary advice and related policies, including means to increase or decrease nutrients in the diet, in particular in vulnerable groups.
The information is collected for different ranges of the population in Member States and Associated Countries. Experts, which make the link between the role of food groups, beverages, macro- and micronutrients to mental health, should work closely in identifying the main food groups, beverages, macro- and micronutrients needed or to be limited in a daily diet and which are linked to specific mental health disorders and the possible development of mental disease.
The involvement of citizens and civil society, including Citizen Science approach is encouraged as an appropriate research methodology/approach for this topic. Particular efforts should be made to ensure that the data produced in the context of this topic is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable).
The proposals should include a dedicated task in the workplan and appropriate resources to collaborate with the projects funded under this topic.
The proposals must implement the 'multi-actor approach' and ensure adequate involvement of all relevant stakeholders and value chain actors including industry, nutritionists, healthcare professionals, scientists, patients, consumers associations. The active participation and engagement of different stakeholders should span the entire project development and implementation to ensure performance and sustainability and maximise the final impact.
The proposals should involve the effective contribution of SSH disciplines.
Where relevant, the proposals could consider complementarities and avoid duplication with other related funded projects. In particular ERA4Health partnership and the Nutribrain call topic and JPND’s ERA-NET Cofund (JPcofund2) and the project ‘EURO-FINGERS multimodal precision prevention toolbox for dementia in Alzheimer’s disease’, which included nutritional guidance (Call - Better Health and care, economic growth and sustainable health systems (H2020-SC1-BHC-2018-2020).
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Expected results
Project results are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes:
- healthy diet is improved and the effects of unhealthy diets on mental health in children (above 36 months), adults (above 18 years old) and older population (above 65 years old) under different social and economic context for a European comprehensive overview are better monitored;
- science-based communication to policymakers and various professionals is improved and the understanding of the interlink between a healthy diet, nutrition and mental health wellbeing, in the children, adult and older population, is facilitated;
- mechanisms are identified to help to understand the effects of nutrition (i.e. food groups, beverages, macro- and micronutrients) on mental health disorders and also to prevent or exacerbate the development of any mental health disease also by taking into account, as far as possible, differential gender-specific dietary patterns;
- new and improved evidence support decision makers, public authorities, health and nutritional public and private institutes, and stakeholders in the assessment of those effects;
- sound data are identified for developing standardised/validated metrics and analysis approaches (including the use of Omics approaches) on the function/role of the gut microbiome and its interplay with host metabolism;
- knowledge is enhanced to improve nutrition in individuals with mental health disorders to ensure better health and longevity conditions;
- indicators are used to measure the beneficial or detrimental effect of food groups, beverages and, macro and micronutrients present in a daily diet and/or dietary behaviour on preventing mental health disorders.
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Eligibility Criteria
Regions / countries for funding
Moldova (Moldova), Albania (Shqipëria), Armenia (Հայաստան), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина), Canada, Faeroes (Føroyar / Færøerne), Georgia (საქართველო), Iceland (Ísland), Israel (ישראל / إِسْرَائِيل), Kosovo (Kosova/Kosovë / Косово), Montenegro (Црна Гора), New Zealand (Aotearoa), North Macedonia (Северна Македонија), Norway (Norge), Serbia (Srbija/Сpбија), Tunisia (تونس /Tūnis), Türkiye, Ukraine (Україна), United Kingdom
eligible entities
EU Body, Education and training institution, 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
- 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.
other eligibility criteria
Specific cases:
- 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 (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 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.
- Legal entities created under EU law (EU bodies) including decentralised agencies may be part of the consortium, unless provided for otherwise in their basic act.
- International European research organisations are eligible to receive funding. International organisations with headquarters in a Member State or Associated Country are eligible to receive funding for ‘Training and mobility’ actions or when provided for in the specific call/topic conditions. Other international organisations are not eligible to receive funding, unless provided for in the specific call/topic conditions, or if their participation is considered essential for implementing the action by the granting authority.
- 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.
- EU restrictive measures — Entities subject to EU restrictive measures under Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU) as well as Article 75 TFEU, are not eligible to participate in any capacity, including as beneficiaries, affiliated entities, associated partners, third parties giving in-kind contributions, subcontractors or recipients of financial support to third parties (if any).
- Legal entities established in Russia, Belarus, or in non-government controlled territories of Ukraine — Given the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the involvement of Belarus, there is currently no appropriate context allowing the implementation of the actions foreseen in this programme with legal entities established in Russia, Belarus, or in non-government controlled territories of Ukraine. Therefore, even where such entities are not subject to EU restrictive measures, such legal entities are not eligible to participate in any capacity. This includes participation as beneficiaries, affiliated entities, associated partners, third parties giving in-kind contributions, subcontractors or recipients of financial support to third parties (if any). Exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis for justified reasons.
With specific regard to measures addressed to Russia, following the adoption of the Council Regulation (EU) 2024/1745 of 24 June 2024 (amending Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 of 31 July 2014) concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine, legal entities established outside Russia but whose proprietary rights are directly or indirectly owned for more than 50% by a legal person, entity or body established in Russia are also not eligible to participate in any capacity. - Measures for the protection of the Union budget against breaches of the principles of the rule of law in Hungary — Following the Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/2506, as of 16 December 2022, no legal commitments can be entered into with Hungarian public interest trusts established under the Hungarian Act IX of 2021 or any entity they maintain. Affected entities may continue to apply to calls for proposals and can participate without receiving EU funding, as associated partners, if allowed by the call conditions. However, as long as the Council measures are not lifted, such entities are not eligible to participate in any funded role (beneficiaries, affiliated entities, subcontractors, recipients of financial support to third parties, etc.).In case of multi-beneficiary grant calls, applicants will be invited to remove or replace that entity in any funded role and/or to change its status into associated partner. Tasks and budget may be redistributed accordingly.
Additional information
Topics
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
Applications 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.
Applications must be submitted using the forms provided inside the electronic submission system (not the templates available on the topic page, which are only for information). The structure and presentation must correspond to the instructions given in the forms.
Applications must be complete and contain all parts and mandatory annexes and supporting documents.
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 50 pages.
Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum as defined in the Decision of 7 July 2021 authorising the use of lump sum contributions under the Horizon Europe Programme – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027) – and in actions under the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021-2025). It is mandatory to submit a detailed budget table using the template available in the Submission system.
Call documents
Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025 Cluster 6 - Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and EnvironmentHorizon Europe Work Programme 2025 Cluster 6 - Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment(kB)
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