Deadline Date: April 15, 2026
The European Commission is accepting grant applications to advance climate science through the project “Advancing Earth System Science for Climate Action.”
This initiative aims to support research that closes critical knowledge gaps in Earth system science, providing high-quality, reliable, and up-to-date scientific evidence to inform global and regional climate assessments and guide climate policy. The project seeks to generate novel climate science evidence, address uncertainties identified in the latest IPCC reports, and ensure that future climate action is grounded in comprehensive and rigorous scientific understanding.
Overall, this research opportunity is designed to advance science for a fair transition to a climate-neutral and resilient society, providing actionable evidence for policymakers and contributing to major European and international assessments. The funding for this initiative ranges from €5,000,000 to €9,000,000, supporting projects that can have a meaningful impact on understanding climate change and guiding effective climate action.
The scope of this initiative emphasizes the continuous advancement of climate science, particularly in areas where significant uncertainties or low-confidence findings remain. Proposals are encouraged to focus on novel research questions within Earth system science, providing new insights that complement existing work and involve researchers and organizations new to Horizon Europe. International collaboration is strongly encouraged, particularly in the context of IPCC, WCRP, and GCOS, to ensure that results are globally relevant and scientifically robust. Projects utilizing satellite remote sensing data are encouraged to cooperate with ESA’s FutureEO programme and the EC-ESA Earth System Science Initiative to leverage cutting-edge data and tools.
Expected outcomes include closing key knowledge gaps on climate change and its impacts on both society and nature, while developing methodologies and tools to support decision-makers in implementing effective mitigation and adaptation measures. The initiative aims to strengthen the European Research Area on climate change by fostering scientific excellence and capacity in an inclusive manner, and by exploring synergies between climate strategies and other policy priorities, such as biodiversity, disaster preparedness, circular economy, and the Sustainable Development Goals.
For more information, visit European Commission.
