Palaeoclimate science for a better understanding of Earth system dynamics
Horizon Europe · Grant topic
Summary
A Polish company can use this call for R&D.
Funds research into past climates to improve Earth system models, future climate scenarios and understanding of abrupt changes and feedback mechanisms.
- Who can apply
- Companies can lead: SME, large company, research org, university.
- Amount
- €7M per projectTotal budget €14,000,000
- Deadline
- 04 Mar 2027 01:00 CETin 131 days
- Status
- Forthcomingopens 17 Nov 2026
Machine-classified from the call text; check eligibility at the source.
Description
Expected Outcome:
Project results are expected to contribute to some of the following outcomes:
• Better process understanding of past climate changes at different time scales, their variability and interactions with ecosystems, leading to improved Earth system models;
• Future climate change scenarios produced in light of past changes in the Earth system, in particular warm climates/high sea-level situations, and abrupt transitions;
• Identification of thresholds in Earth system components and better characterisation of driving mechanisms and feedbacks that may be responsible for non-linear behaviours, including indicators of abrupt changes, and early warning signals within palaeoclimate records;
• Synthesis of climate variations that can serve as fundamental basis for IPCC assessments and benchmarks for model inter-comparisons.
Scope:
Palaeoclimatic (including geological, biological and ice-core) records provide information on the long-term evolution of the climate, as well as the conditions and processes that can drive physical and ecological systems during warm and cold periods, deglaciations and abrupt climatic events. The challenge of the research under this topic is to provide robust information on palaeoclimate states and events outside the range of variability recorded over the past centuries that can serve as guide for the development of Earth system models.
This challenge will be tackled through some of the following activities:
• Producing and aggregating in databases high-resolution, well-dated, interoperable palaeoclimatic records on climate variability in terms of amplitude, time (onset, duration, frequency) and space (location, extension), extending the instrumental time series to improve our understating of the proxy records and the quantification of their uncertainties;
• Development of Earth system models with outputs that allow a more direct comparison to palaeo data, modelling climate variability, thresholds, and impacts across timescales from years to millennia;
• Describing short- to long-term climate evolution and the natural climate variability using quantitative reconstructions from different proxies of past climate periods;
• Identification of climate-related (including ecological) tipping points and their consequences using palaeo data and model experiments.
• Allowing for consistent integration of large-scale and more regional/local factors to be reproduced by climate models using natural forcings.
Projects should rely on palaeoclimatic data from scientific drilling or coring campaigns, sediment records, dendrochronological and other appropriate sources.
Projects funded under this topic are strongly encouraged to collaborate and envisage clustering activities together and with other relevant projects in and outside of Horizon Europe.
Who can apply, in detail
- Applicant types
- SME, Large company, Research org, University
- Purpose
- Research and innovation
- R&D relevance
- 2 of 3
- Poland eligible
- Yes
- Country limit
- —
- Region
- Any
- Consortium
- Unclear
- Readiness level (TRL)
- —
- Topics
- Palaeoclimate science
- Earth system modelling
- Climate tipping points
- Geological and ice-core records
Machine-classified from the call text; check eligibility at the source. 23 Oct 2026
Conditions
Typed facts extracted from the source documents by Scindu's grant-data review. Each value keeps its own conditions. Unknown means unstated, not zero or unlimited.
- Consortium required
- Yes
General Annex B baseline for RIA, subject to any topic-specific exceptions recorded separately. The application consortium must include at least three mutually independent legal entities in different countries: at least one established in an EU Member State and at least two others established in different EU Member States or Associated Countries. Affiliated entities do not count toward the minimum.
- Other condition
- Research and Innovation Action.
- Other condition
- If a project uses satellite-based Earth observation, positioning/navigation or related timing data/services, beneficiaries must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS; other sources may also be used.
- Other condition
- The topic uses a lump-sum grant. For proposal estimates, use the same eligible-cost rules as an actual-cost Horizon grant and cost estimates must be realistic, consistent with normal practices, reasonable/not excessive, and necessary for the proposed activities. Payment follows the grant’s lump-sum work-package conditions; personnel costs are not separately reimbursed as actual payroll.
Do not treat the estimate as actual-cost reimbursement or infer that the topic prohibits hiring/payroll.
- Other condition
- The overview expects around 2 project(s) to be funded under this topic. This is an indicative planning number, not a guaranteed award count or consortium-size condition.
Scope is funded projects under this topic; not beneficiaries, consortium members, or award entitlement.
- Other condition
- The topic uses palaeoclimate records to improve knowledge of climate states and events outside the variability of past centuries and to guide Earth system model development.
- Other condition
- Possible activities include high-resolution interoperable palaeoclimate records, models that compare outputs with palaeo data, quantitative reconstructions, tipping-point identification, and integration of large-scale and regional factors.
- Other condition
- Projects should rely on data from scientific drilling or coring campaigns, sediment records, dendrochronology and other appropriate sources; clustering is strongly encouraged.
Amounts and costs
- Indicative budget
- €14,000,000
Topic budget as stated in the portal's budget table. Lump-sum and per-project limits are in the call conditions.
- Eligible cost
- Natural persons under direct contract and third-party seconded persons may qualify as personnel only if assigned to the action and working under employee-like conditions, the work result belongs to the beneficiary unless agreed otherwise, and the rate reflects costs actually incurred without significant difference from comparable employees. These are personnel cost estimate categories for this lump-sum action, not a payroll reimbursement line. Cost estimates are subject to actual-cost grant eligibility rules and the call’s lump-sum methodology; no named vacancy, headcount, salary rate or wage entitlement is stated.
- Eligible cost
- Employee personnel costs may be included only for people employed by the beneficiary (or equivalent appointing act), assigned to the action, meeting all general eligibility conditions, and calculated under the grant rules. These are personnel cost estimate categories for this lump-sum action, not a payroll reimbursement line. Cost estimates are subject to actual-cost grant eligibility rules and the call’s lump-sum methodology; no named vacancy, headcount, salary rate or wage entitlement is stated.
- Eligible cost
- Unpaid SME owners and natural-person beneficiaries may claim personnel costs only under the applicable Annex 2a unit-cost method and the general eligibility conditions. These are personnel cost estimate categories for this lump-sum action, not a payroll reimbursement line. Cost estimates are subject to actual-cost grant eligibility rules and the call’s lump-sum methodology; no named vacancy, headcount, salary rate or wage entitlement is stated.
- Eligible cost
- Subcontracting estimates/costs and purchase costs are governed by the relevant grant form. Under actual-cost rules, subcontracting must meet general eligibility and usual purchasing practices ensuring best value for money (or lowest price) and no conflict of interest. For this lump-sum topic these inform eligible budget estimates, not separate reimbursement lines.
- Funding intensity, maximum
- 100 percent of eligible costs
RIA maximum rate under General Annex G; final rate and amounts are fixed in the grant agreement.
- Expected contribution per project
- €7,000,000
Commission estimate of EU contribution per project. Different requested amounts are not precluded; this is indicative, not a floor, cap or guarantee.
- Topic allocation
- €14,000,000
Indicative topic allocation; separate from per-project EU contribution and not an individual award or grant cap.
Personnel and services
General eligible personnel cost category only; not a call-promised hire.
Other role · Staff cost the grant can fund
These are personnel cost estimate categories for this lump-sum action, not a payroll reimbursement line. Cost estimates are subject to actual-cost grant eligibility rules and the call’s lump-sum methodology; no named vacancy, headcount, salary rate or wage entitlement is stated. The person must be assigned to the action, work under employee-like conditions, the work result must belong to the beneficiary unless otherwise agreed, and costs must correspond to actual costs without significant difference from comparable employees.
General cost category permitted by applicable MGA rules; no specific job or hire asserted.
Other role · Staff cost the grant can fund
These are personnel cost estimate categories for this lump-sum action, not a payroll reimbursement line. Cost estimates are subject to actual-cost grant eligibility rules and the call’s lump-sum methodology; no named vacancy, headcount, salary rate or wage entitlement is stated. Eligible only when assigned to the action and all MGA Article 6 conditions are met.
Conditional cost category, not an advertised role.
Other role · Staff cost the grant can fund
These are personnel cost estimate categories for this lump-sum action, not a payroll reimbursement line. Cost estimates are subject to actual-cost grant eligibility rules and the call’s lump-sum methodology; no named vacancy, headcount, salary rate or wage entitlement is stated. Costs must follow the Annex 2a unit-cost method and general eligibility conditions; no call-specific hire or salary is stated.
Source documents
Call facts
- Opens
- 17 Nov 2026
- Deadline model
- Single-stage
- Programme
- Horizon Europe · 2021 - 2027
- Call
- HORIZON-CL5-2027-01 · CLIMATE
- Types of action
- HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions
- Source
- ec.europa.eu
- Checked
- 24 Oct 2026
- Portal updated
- 7 Oct 2026
- Review status
- Partial review
- Reviewed
- 23 Oct 2026
This is a summary of the source page, not the official text. Eligibility, conditions and the submission system are at the source.