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Cofunded by the European Union

23 projects recommended for funding:

Update October 18, 2024: correction of the full title

 

Acronym

 

Full title

Participating countries
(Coordinating country in bold)

 BioTreatED  Advanced bio-based solutions to monitor and mitigate hormonal risks of irrigation waters originating from manure separation technologies HU, NO, PT, ES, PL, TR
 BREATHE  Monitoring river metabolism to assess ecosystem services NO, SE, ES, UK, CH, BR
 CREATE  Cross-REalm modelling and assessment of Aquatic ecosystem services: Towards a science-based design of nature-based solutions to tackle Eutrophication FI, LV, EE, LT, PL 
 CyaNoServices  Securing freshwater supporting services for biodiversity threatened by harmful cyanobacteria across ecosystem boundaries ES, DK, SE, BR
 DeepThought  Evaluating nitrate transformation in aquifers using microbiologic and isotopic tools for an enhanced management of key groundwater ecosystem services. FR, DK, AT
 DOWES  Disclosing the Overlooked Wetlandscape Ecosystem Services SE, UK, IT, BR, FR
 EcoC2S  Ecosystem services to enhance the resilience of coastal regions and communities to flood risks in a catchment to sea perspective ES, IT, PT, PL
 EcoTwin  Digital Twin-based solutions for enhanced integration of ecosystem services in water resource management UK, IT, IE, HU, SE, NL
 ECO-WADE  Enhanced understanding of carbon and groundwater dynamics in European peatlands and their related ecosystem services DK, NL, UK, IE, EE, SE, FI
 ENGAGE  Europe Nutrient Management - Guided Approaches for Greater Export reduction PT, NO, SE, LV, LT
 FESTiVAL  Final Ecosystem Services in Transition: a View from the Aquatic Landscape SE, FI, NO, CZ
 HALOBISE  Platform to understand effects of the harmful algal bloom holobiont in a changing environment to predict their impact on aquatic ecosystem services SE, FR, PT, ES
 MISSION  MIcrofluidic SenSors for rapId detectiOn of cyaNotoxins PT, IT, NO
 PLURALAKES  Co-creating pathways to desirable nature futures of temperate lakes SE, FI, UK, NL
 REACTION  Navigating the Risks of Hydroclimatic Extremes for Freshwater Ecosystem Services in Forest Landscapes SE, FI, ES, SK, AT
 RECHARGE  REstoring Catchments And Rivers under Global changE BE, PL, PT, ES
 SecuCoast  Security and management of Coastal groundwater resources and marine ecosystem services FI, SE, PL, EE, NO, ES, IL
 SentinelSpringS  Springs as sentinels of climate change and sustainability of aquatic ecosystems PT, DK, IT, PL, FR, MT
 SERVICO2  Impacts of climate, N and P deposition and land use on water as a driver of the greenhouse gases regulatory ecosystem service in headwater catchments ES, FI, SE, IT, CZ
 SUSTAIN-R  Sustainable nutrient cycling of nitrogenous and phosphate wastes for aquatic ecosystem restoration and nourishment SE, GR, DK, ES
 WATERPATH  Understanding and improving water-driven ecosystem services for the production of drinking water and treated wastewater for agricultural reuse IT, ES, RO
 WaterWeave  Weaving knowledge together for healthy and resilient aquatic socio-ecosystems: towards a methodological and modelling framework FR, LU, BR
 WeTreat  Optimising Wetland-Based Solutions for Improved Micropollutant Treatment Efficiency from Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Effluent PT, NL, IT, LU

 

Update - 27 September 2024
The results of the second step have now been communicated to applicants. The feedback is available in the EPSS.

The received pre-proposals have been assessed for eligibility by the Call Secretariat and the Funding Partner Organisations (FPOs) participating in the call, and evaluated by a panel of international scientific experts. All coordinators have been notified about the evaluation outcomes of the projects and selection. A total of 59 pre-proposals out of the 116 submitted were invited to step 2. If you are an applicant, please contact your proposal coordinator.

  • Knowledge Hub on Aquatic Ecosystem Services
    Applicants invited to submit a full proposal are encouraged to join the 2023 Water4All Knowledge Hub on Aquatic Ecosystem Services. More information on this opportunity is detailed below in the section Expression of Interest for the Water4All Knowledge Hub.
     
  • Widening Option
    Eligible proposals invited to step 2 can include in their consortia - either on request of their FPO or voluntarily - a new partner established in one of the undersubscribed countries and FPOs. More information on this opportunity is detailed below in the section Widening Option.

 ___

In collaboration with the European Union, 36 Funding Partner Organisations from 30 countries all over Europe and beyond have provisionally allocated over 36 M€ for the 2023 Joint Transnational Call for research and innovation projects on “Aquatic Ecosystem Services”.

The Joint Transnational Call is launched in the framework of the European Partnership Water4All and supports research and innovation projects to improve water security in the long term. In line with the strategic objectives of Water4All, the results should contribute to the implementation of evidence-based, global, EU and national water management policies and strategies, including the Green Deal, the Water Framework Directive (WFD), Just Transition and the Water Action Agenda for UN Sustainable Development Goals. Proposals should show cognisance of appropriate legislation and policy frameworks at national and international levels that are meant to alleviate global change impacts on aquatic ecosystem services.

The context for the general call topics is described in Theme II of the Water4All Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA), “Water for ecosystems and biodiversity”. Likewise, Themes VI and VII in the SRIA on “International cooperation” and “Governance”, respectively, must be considered as they are cross-cutting issues to all other themes. Applicants are encouraged to check links in the SRIA between ecosystem services and themes, subthemes, drivers and enablers. This comprehensive approach must be reflected in the proposals.

Timeline:

  • Call opening: 12 September 2023
  • Submission deadline of pre-proposals: 13 November 2023, 15:00 CET
  • Selection of pre-proposals: End of February 2024
  • Submission deadline of full proposals: 29 April 2024, 15:00 CEST
  • Selection of funded proposals: September 2024
  • Projects start: End 2024 / beginning 2025
  • Kick off meeting of the funded projects: Spring 2025

 

Online submission Tool                                           

click here

 

Partnering Tool

If you are looking for a partner or for a project to join,

a partner search tool is available

click here

  • Expression of Interest for the Water4All Knowledge Hub

    Applicants invited to submit a full proposal can still join the 2023 Water4All Knowledge Hub on Aquatic Ecosystem Services. Joining the Knowledge Hub activities is an opportunity to valorise the outcomes and increase the outreach of Research and Innovation project results to key stakeholders.

    To express your interest in joining the Water4All Knowledge Hub on Aquatic Ecosystem Services, please consult the Knowledge Hub modality that can be found in the call announcement and Annex C – Terms of reference of the Water4All Knowledge Hub.

    The template for the expression of interest and other supporting documents are available in the section Call Documents to Download

  • Widening Option

    Applicants invited to submit a full proposal in step 2 have the possibility to include in their consortium, either on request of the Funding Partner Organisations (FPOs) or on a voluntary basis for eligible consortia*, a new partner established in one of the undersubscribed countries and FPOs.

    • List of undersubscribed countries and FPOs
      Belgium (limited to VLAIO), Italy (limited to MIMIT), Malta (MEEE), Israel (MoE), Lithuania (LMT), Slovakia (SAS), South Africa (WRC), Turkey (TUBITAK), Brazil (CNPq and CONFAP: all FAPs expect FA and FAPEMIG).
    • List of the 59 pre-proposals invited to submit a full proposal in step 2 - Download here.

    Organisations interested in joining a consortium, which is invited to submit a full proposal in step 2, can declare their interest on the Water4All Partnering Tool. To facilitate contact with the coordinator of the full proposal, organisations are invited, when declaring their interest in the partnering tool, to include the acronym of the proposal they want to join. Interested organisations can also check if invited consortia submitted an offer on the partnering tool.

    Organisations wanting to join existing consortia shall verify in advance their national eligibility criteria both through the National Regulations and by contacting their appropriate FPO contact point (see Annex A - NCPs and matrix of topics and modalities for details). The inclusion of a new partner should be approved by the consortium and all FPOs involved in the consortium.

    * IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO APPLICANTS
    Eligible changes between step 1 (pre-proposal stage) and step 2 (full proposal stage) are those complying with paragraph 6.2 of the Call Announcement. The information given in the pre-proposals is binding. No major changes regarding the proposals’ content will be allowed between the pre-proposals and full proposals. Take this into account when adding new partners to the consortium!

    The Call Announcement and National/Regional Regulations are available in the section Call Documents to Download.

  • Call Topics

    The general theme of the Water4All 2023 Joint Transnational Call is “Ecosystem Services”, with aquatic ecosystems as the focus, including inland surface water, groundwater, transitional and coastal water, and having water security on top of the objectives.

    Research and innovation proposals submitted under the Water4All 2023 Joint Transnational Call are required to address at least one of the following topics:

    • Topic 1. Mapping, monitoring, and assessment for a better understanding of ecosystem services in a context of changes, from local to global change.
    • Topic 2. Understanding and predicting multiple pressures (including anthropogenic pressures) - impact – response relationships in ecosystem services through advanced methods and techniques.
    • Topic 3. New tools and solutions for a better integration of ecosystem services into the management of water resources.

    Applications are to be submitted by the coordinator. Each consortium participant is funded by the Funding Partner Organisation from their country/region participating in the 2023 Joint Transnational Call. Participants are therefore subject to eligibility criteria of their national/regional Funding Partner Organisation.

  • Call Documents to Download / Video

    NoteYou may need to primarily empty your browser (cache) to obtain the last versions of the documents.

    Water4All 2023 JTC Call Announcement Download
    Annex A - NCPs and matrix of topics and modalities Download
    Annex B - Theory of Change Download

    Annex C - Terms of reference of the Water4All Knowledge Hub

    Download

    Annex D - List of Water4All beneficiaries that may apply to the call

    Download
    National/Regional Regulations (last version V10 - 09//11/23) Download
    Pre-proposal template Download
    Full proposal template - (last version V1 - 12/03/24) Download
    Knowledge Hub - Expression of Interest template Download
    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Update October 17, 2023 Download

     

    Watch the recorded webinar, October 5th, 2023.

    Online Video

  • Additional Modalities - Early Career Researchers & Knowledge Hub

    In addition, this call will include 2 additional modalities aiming at:

    • Early Career Researchers holding a PhD since less than 10 years ago
    • Expression of interest to participate in a Knowledge Hub, formed by a group of experts of Water4All funded projects and aiming at synthesizing and communicating research results of funded projects to the water community (policy, end-users, public) with various tools (workshops, policy briefs, state-of-the-art reports, position papers, etc.). 

    The details for these modalities are published in the Water4All 2023 Call Announcement document.

  • Message from the Water4All Coordination Team to applicants

    As indicated in the 2023 call text, “the general theme of the Water4All’s joint transnational call is “Ecosystem services”, with aquatic ecosystems as the focus, including inland surface water, groundwater, transitional and coastal water”.

    Proposals will not be eligible for funding if:

    • They focus on areas beyond the ones indicated above; OR
    • They cover exclusively marine/ maritime areas; OR
    • They address specifically marine/ maritime ecosystems.
  • Joint Message for 2023 Calls by DUT, Biodiversa+, Water4All

    In September 2023, three European Partnerships under Horizon Europe launch calls for research on topics that are complementary. This text is a joint clarification from the three Partnerships regarding the contents of these calls. Duplication of funding for the same proposal is not allowed, so applicants must carefully choose the best fit for their proposals based on the scope of each call and their respective research priorities.

    Note that this is a brief overview for comparison, all details are provided in the documentation for each call.

    • The Biodiversity Partnership (Biodiversa+) has launched a call on “Nature-based Solutions for biodiversity, human well-being and transformative change” on Sept. 11th 2023; referred to as BiodivNBS hereafter.

    • The Water4All Partnership – Water Security for the Planet – has launched a call on “Aquatic Ecosystem Services” on Sept. 12th 2023.

    Nature-based Solutions (NBS), Ecosystem Services (ES) and Transformative Change (TC) are interlinked concepts, which calls for a real exchange of knowledge between the projects funded through these calls. The Partnerships will therefore ensure sharing of key learning points and creation of synergies between the research projects, to enhance the overall impact of research and innovation activities that support a better protection of our ecosystems and thriving biodiversity and human well-being worldwide.

    However, while complementary, the overarching aim of these calls differ.

    The BiodivNBS call supports transdisciplinary, interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral research on biodiversity to gain a better understanding of the tipping pointstrade-offs and socio-ecological mechanisms affecting NBS, as well as their successful implementation. The Water4All call supports research and innovation for a better understanding of the status of ecosystem services at varying spatial and temporal scales, underlying pressure factors and integration in the management of water resources. The DUT call supports research and innovation that explores intentional planning and design approaches that integrate nature back into the existing building stock of our cities.

    Aquatic ecosystems are the focus of the Water4All call whereas DUT Call is interested in urban areas and BiodivNBS is open to all environments/realms (terrestrial, aquatic, marine, coastal, etc.).

    Furthermore, DUT focuses on designing with nature, with the aim of reducing the environmental impact of urbanisation, restoring and regenerating urban ecosystems, and fostering urban liveability. Focus is not only on including nature in the (day-to-day) life of city inhabitants, relying on social qualities, but also an approach to urbanism that can provide a wide range of opportunities for cities and urban areas, to restore and mimic natural conditions, flows and movement.

Participating organisations

The Water4All Partnership - Water Security for the Planet - is a funding programme for scientific research in freshwater. It aims to tackle water challenges to face climate change, help to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and boost the EU’s competitiveness and growth.

It is co-funded by the European Union within the frame of the Horizon Europe programme (a key funding programme for research and innovation). The Partnership duration is for seven years from 2022.

The Water4All objective is to enable water security at a large scale and in the long term. Its goal is also to tackle water issues in a holistic frame. 

All forms of life on earth need water. All human activities operate with this resource. Water is part of our everyday life. It is also integrated within urban and countryside landscapes. It is one of the most valuable elements we share with plants and animals.

These simple facts must be kept in mind to understand the Water4All ambition.

This resource is weakened in many places due to climate changes, and human habits. We know that we can improve the way we use water. Everyone has a role to play and especially the scientific research community.

Scientific research is the heart of the Partnership as It is a powerful tool to improve knowledge on preserving, restoring, and managing this essential resource. 

International cooperation is also needed as water has no borders on Earth and runs from one country to another.

Water4All brings together a broad and cohesive group of 90 partners from 33 countries in the European Union and beyond. This consortium gathers partners from the whole water Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) chain.