Apply Now: Climate Change and Health Impacts Research

This topic focuses on improving understanding of climatic health risks and disease determinants while enhancing prevention, resilience, preparedness, and response capacities; supporting governments, public health authorities, researchers, and civil society in addressing climate-related health challenges; strengthening data collection and sharing in line with FAIR principles to improve data availability and quality; enabling policymakers to develop evidence-based, inclusive, and nature-positive climate and health policies; and addressing one specific focus area among non-communicable diseases and individual safety, mental health and psychosocial well-being, or infectious diseases including vector-borne and non-vector-borne diseases.

The climate crisis is identified as an existential threat to both planetary and human health, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations and regions. It contributes to the rising incidence of non-communicable diseases, increases mental health challenges, and accelerates the emergence and spread of infectious diseases. These impacts often occur through complex and interconnected pathways, where climate change acts as a risk multiplier that exacerbates existing health vulnerabilities and conditions.

Proposals under this topic are expected to clearly define their focus within one of the specified areas and explore the interactions between climate-related factors and health outcomes. In the case of non-communicable diseases and safety, the emphasis is on understanding how extreme weather events and compound climatic exposures influence health risks. For mental health, the objective is to deepen knowledge of both immediate and long-term psychological impacts, including emerging syndromes linked to climate stress. In the area of infectious diseases, the aim is to better understand the drivers behind climate-related disease burdens.

The initiative also seeks to contribute to broader impacts by supporting policymakers and regulators with knowledge about environmental, socio-economic, and occupational risk factors, while promoting sustainable and evidence-based policies at all governance levels. It emphasizes reducing upstream determinants of health, lowering disease burden and mortality associated with climate risks, and creating healthier, safer, and more resilient living and working environments across regions.

Furthermore, the topic highlights the importance of strengthening the adaptive capacity of populations and health systems, reducing inequalities, and promoting citizen awareness of the connections between climate, environment, and health. It also encourages the healthcare sector to reduce its environmental footprint and move toward carbon neutrality, ensuring long-term sustainability.

With a total budget of €55,000,000 and funding ranging from €7,000,000 to €8,000,000 per project, the opportunity is open to a wide range of legal entities worldwide, provided they meet the conditions set under the Horizon Europe framework. Participants must register and obtain a Participant Identification Code prior to grant agreement preparation.

For more information, visit European Commission.