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Call key data
Efficient trustworthy AI - making the best of data (AI, Data and Robotics Partnership)
Call number
HORIZON-CL4-2023-HUMAN-01-01
deadlines
Opening
08.12.2022
Deadline
29.03.2023 17:00
Funding rate
100%
Call budget
€ 35,000,000.00
Estimated EU contribution per project
between € 7,000,000.00 and € 9,000,000.00
Link to the call
Link to the submission
Call content
short description
Proposals should address novel AI methods and training data provision processes, aiming at high quality and reliable AI while minimizing the data needs and manipulations, targeting smart and dynamic end-to-end automation of AI training in the cloud-edge computing continuum, where AI training, AI deployment and data collection/preparation happens at the most appropriate level of the cloud-edge continuum.
Call objectives
There is a need for AI methods that optimize training and reduce the amount data, the intensity of processing and the operations necessary for training high-quality, trustworthy AI systems. As a consequence, the energy consumption and the environment footprint will also be reduced. Such solutions are of relevance also in the context of embedded and embodied AI, i.e. AI capabilities in robotics and connected devices/objects/embedded processors, including small (down to micro/nanoscale) objects with long-term autonomy.
Proposals should address novel AI methods and training data provision processes, aiming at high quality and reliable AI while minimizing the data needs and manipulations, targeting smart and dynamic end-to-end automation of AI training in the cloud-edge computing continuum, where AI training, AI deployment and data collection/preparation happens at the most appropriate level of the cloud-edge continuum. This will lead to better quality of AI by smart data selection/harvesting/preparation and reduces the need to collect, store, process and transfer large amounts of data and/or large AI models, while reducing energy consumption.
Proposals should address at least one of the following focus areas:
- automated and AI-based mining, harvesting, selection, cleaning, annotation, and/or enrichment/augmentation of data for AI; generating and using synthetic data to reduce the need for large volumes of real and potentially sensitive data; validating the efficiency of these processes in AI systems;
- lighter, less data-intensive and less energy-consuming AI models, optimized learning processes that require less input (data efficient AI) without degrading the quality of the output; machine learning methods and architectures that deal with lower volumes such as transfer learning; one-shot learning; continuous and/or lifelong learning.
Proposals should clearly mention which of the two areas will be their main focus area.
The work should contribute to increasing data efficiency and energy efficiency of AI, and rationalize the provision of data for AI. The work should support appropriate AI paradigms (central, distributed, dynamic, hybrid), responding and adapting easily to the needs of the use situation, and to the changing characteristics, availability and use conditions for data.
Target AI systems should be appropriately evaluated, and results analysed and fed back to ensure continuous improvement of the “data for AI” pipeline.
Multidisciplinary research activities should address all of the following:
- Proposals should involve appropriate expertise in all the relevant disciplines, such as e.g. engineering, data science, computer sciences, mathematics, and where applicable in Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) and gender expertise.
- Projects should build on or seek collaboration with existing projects and develop synergies with other relevant European, national or regional initiatives, funding programmes and platforms, especially the actions funded in the Digital Europe programme, under the chapter “Cloud, data and artificial intelligence”.
- Contribute to making AI, data and robotics solutions meet the requirements of trustworthy AI, based on accuracy, robustness, safety, ethical principles and reliability, in line with the European Approach to AI. Ethics principles needs to be adopted from early stages of development and design.
- Proposals are expected to dedicate tasks and resources to collaborate with and provide input to the open innovation challenge under HORIZON-CL4-2023-HUMAN-01-04 addressing optimisation. Research teams involved in the proposals are expected to participate in the respective Innovation Challenges.
All proposals are expected to embed mechanisms to assess and demonstrate progress (with qualitative and quantitative KPIs, benchmarking and progress monitoring, as well as illustrative application use-cases demonstrating concrete potential added value), and share communicable results with the European R&D community, through the AI-on-demand platform, Digital Industrial Platform for Robotics and Common European data spaces, and if necessary other relevant digital resource platforms in order to enhance the European AI, Data and Robotics ecosystem through the sharing of results and best practice.
The proposal should describe the characteristics and availability of the data to be used within the project and explain how the possible privacy and IPR issues related to the data are addressed. The provenance, associated metadata and any other contextual information should be collected and maintained to the extent necessary in order to enable validation and support explainable AI and to ensure continuous compliance with applicable legislation (e.g. GDPR, AI act, data act).
In order to achieve the expected outcomes, international cooperation is encouraged, in particular with Canada and India.
This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on AI, data and robotics.
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Expected results
- Optimized AI solutions: optimizing model design and data usage to maximize accuracy and robustness.
- Ensure in general, the pipeline of high-quality, representative, unbiased and compliant training data for AI development in all relevant sectors
- Support data preparation and AI training processes that lead to efficient and more trustworthy AI
Eligibility Criteria
Regions / countries for funding
Moldova (Moldova), Albania (Shqipëria), Armenia (Հայաստան), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина), Faeroes (Føroyar / Færøerne), Georgia (საქართველო), Iceland (Ísland), Israel (ישראל / إِسْرَائِيل), Kosovo (Kosova/Kosovë / Косово), Montenegro (Црна Гора), Morocco (المغرب), North Macedonia (Северна Македонија), Norway (Norge), Serbia (Srbija/Сpбија), Tunisia (تونس /Tūnis), Türkiye, Ukraine (Україна), United Kingdom
eligible entities
EU Body, Education and training institution, International organization, Natural Person, Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) / Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Other, Private institution, incl. private company (private for profit), Public Body (national, regional and local; incl. EGTCs), Research Institution incl. University, Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)
Mandatory partnership
Yes
Project Partnership
To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
- the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions
- the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States
- third countries associated to Horizon Europe - see list of particpating countries
Only legal entities forming a consortium are eligible to participate in actions provided that the consortium includes, as beneficiaries, three legal entities independent from each other and each established in a different country as follows:
- at least one independent legal entity established in a Member State; and
- at least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated Countries.
Any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal entities from non-associated third countries or international organisations (including international European research organisations) is eligible to participate (whether it is eligible for funding or not), provided that the conditions laid down in the Horizon Europe Regulation have been met, along with any other conditions laid down in the specific call topic.
A ‘legal entity’ means any natural or legal person created and recognised as such under national law, EU law or international law, which has legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations, or an entity without legal personality.
Specific cases:
- Affiliated entities — Affiliated entities (i.e. entities with a legal or capital link to a beneficiary which participate in the action with similar rights and obligations to the beneficiaries, but which do not sign the grant agreement and therefore do not become beneficiaries themselves) are allowed, if they are eligible for participation and funding.
- Associated partners — Associated partners (i.e. entities which participate in the action without signing the grant agreement, and without the right to charge costs or claim contributions) are allowed, subject to any conditions regarding associated partners set out in the specific call conditions.
- Entities without legal personality — Entities which do not have legal personality under their national law may exceptionally participate, provided that their representatives have the capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf, and offer guarantees to protect the EU’s financial interests equivalent to those offered by legal persons.
- EU bodies — Legal entities created under EU law including decentralised agencies may be part of the consortium, unless provided for otherwise in their basic act.
- Joint Research Centre (‘JRC’)— Where provided for in the specific call conditions, applicants may include in their proposals the possible contribution of the JRC but the JRC will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal. Applicants will indicate the contribution that the JRC could bring to the project based on the scope of the topic text. After the evaluation process, the JRC and the consortium selected for funding may come to an agreement on the specific terms of the participation of the JRC. If an agreement is found, the JRC may accede to the grant agreement as beneficiary requesting zero funding or participate as an associated partner, and would accede to the consortium as a member.
- Associations and interest groupings — Entities composed of members (e.g. European research infrastructure consortia (ERICs)) may participate as ‘sole beneficiaries’ or ‘beneficiaries without legal personality’. However, if the action is in practice implemented by the individual members, those members should also participate (either as beneficiaries or as affiliated entities, otherwise their costs will NOT be eligible
other eligibility criteria
Activities are expected to start at TRL 2-3 and achieve TRL 4-5 by the end of the project.
For the Technology Readiness Level (TRL), the following definitions apply:
- TRL 1 — Basic principles observed
- TRL 2 — Technology concept formulated
- TRL 3 — Experimental proof of concept
- TRL 4 — Technology validated in a lab
- TRL 5 — Technology validated in a relevant environment (industrially relevant environment in the case of key enabling technologies)
- TRL 6 — Technology demonstrated in a relevant environment (industrially relevant environment in the case of key enabling technologies)
- TRL 7 — System prototype demonstration in an operational environment
- TRL 8 — System complete and qualified
- TRL 9 — Actual system proven in an operational environment (competitive manufacturing in the case of key enabling technologies, or in space)
Additional information
Topics
Relevance for EU Macro-Region
EUSAIR - EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, EUSALP - EU Strategy for the Alpine Space, EUSBSR - EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSDR - EU Strategy for the Danube Region
UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)
Additional Information
All proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funders & Tenders Portal electronic submission system (accessible via the topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section). Paper submissions are NOT possible.
Proposals must be complete and contain all parts and mandatory annexes and supporting documents, e.g. plan for the exploitation and dissemination of the results including communication activities, etc.
The application form will have two parts:
- Part A (to be filled in directly online) contains administrative information about the applicant organisations (future coordinator and beneficiaries and affiliated entities), the summarised budget for the proposal and call-specific questions;
- Part B (to be downloaded from the Portal submission system, completed and then assembled and re-uploaded as a PDF in the system) contains the technical description of the project.
Annexes and supporting documents will be directly available in the submission system and must be uploaded as PDF files (or other formats allowed by the system).
The limit for a full application (Part B) is 45 pages.
To ensure a balanced portfolio coverage, grants will be awarded to applications not only in order of ranking but at least also to the highest ranked proposals for each of the two focus areas, provided that the applications attain all thresholds.
Call documents
HE-Work Programme 2023-2024, Cluster 4, Destination 6HE-Work Programme 2023-2024, Cluster 4, Destination 6(799kB)
Contact
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