Call: European Platform for energy-related Social Sciences and Humanities research

• Health, demographic change and wellbeing;
• Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water research, and the Bioeconomy;
• Secure, clean and efficient energy;
• Smart, green and integrated transport;
• Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials;
• Europe in a changing world - inclusive, innovative and reflective societies;
• Secure societies - protecting freedom and security of Europe and its citizens.

• Reducing energy consumption and carbon footprint
• Low-cost, low-carbon electricity supply
• Alternative fuels and mobile energy sources
• A single, smart European electricity grid
• New knowledge and technologies
• Robust decision making and public engagement
• Market uptake of energy and ICT innovation.

The transition to a low-carbon energy system poses a unique set of policy, technological and scientific challenges, as it changes the fundamental nature of the interrelations between all actors in our societies (from energy incumbents to regulators and citizens). Not only there is a need to find novel approaches to the development and application of technological or social processes as they relate to the energy transition, but also to better understand the changes they bring to people’s behaviour, pervasive values, cultures of practice and modes of communication.

Since researchers in the Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) have a particular expertise in analysing and understanding deep change and in designing innovation processes, including social innovations, they must play a stronger role in addressing energy-related challenges. Accordingly, SSH aspects must be better integrated into all stages of the research process.

At present, the energy-related SSH landscape is quite fragmented: there is a lack of exchange among different SSH communities, as well as between these communities and other energy-research disciplines. Creating a platform for better interaction between SSH and other energy-research disciplines would fill an existing gap and contribute to better responding to on-going changes and arising challenges in the energy field.

This activity directly aimed at supporting public-public partnerships with Member States and Associated Countries, technology platforms with industrial partners is excluded from the delegation to Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA)  and will be implemented by the Commission services.

At least one legal entity established in an EU Member State or Horizon 2020 associated country. 

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between 1 and 2 million € would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

EU funding rate: 100%.

Electronic application here.