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Deadline expired

The deadline for this call has expired.

Call key data

Health impacts of endocrine-disrupting chemicals: bridging science-policy gaps by addressing persistent scientific uncertainties

Call number

HORIZON-HLTH-2023-ENVHLTH-02-03

deadlines

Opening
12.01.2023

Deadline
13.04.2023 17:00

Funding rate

100%

Call budget

€ 40,000,000.00

Estimated EU contribution per project

between € 6,000,000.00 and € 7,000,000.00

Link to the call

ec.europa.eu

Link to the submission

ec.europa.eu

Call content

Call objectives

The function and regulation of the endocrine system in humans and other species is of high biological complexity. Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs or endocrine disruptors) are chemical substances that alter the functioning of the endocrine system and negatively affect the health of humans and animals. They may either be of synthetic or natural origin.

EDCs are of increasing importance in chemical regulations in the European Union. According to the Comprehensive European Union Framework on Endocrine Disruptors, adopted in 2018, the EU strategic approach on endocrine disruptors for the years to come should be based on the application of the precautionary principle. This approach would aim at, inter alia, minimising overall exposure of humans and the environment to endocrine disruptors, paying particular attention to exposures during important periods of development of an organism, such as foetal development and puberty, possibly integrating a life course approach, as well as accelerating the development of a thorough research basis for effective and forward-looking decision-making. This includes research for the further management of chemicals (including multi-constituent chemicals as well as chemical mixtures), the understanding of the mechanistic effects of endocrine disruptors and their dose-response relationships (including at the molecular and cellular level through the use of new approach methodologies, such as ‘multiomics’, cheminformatics, in vitro 2D and 3D models, in vivo models and computational approaches), and the collection, sharing, harmonisation and combination of robust data sources.

Closing existing knowledge gaps in the understanding of EDC effects will support more effective and evidence-based regulations at the European level.

Bringing together, inter alia, (molecular) epidemiologists, exposure scientists, toxicologists, endocrinologists, health care practitioners and risk assessors, research actions under this topic should focus on the understanding of the impact of exposures at critical life stages as regards development of diseases later in life, focusing on the several health endpoints for which there is currently less information available. Advantage should be taken of existing biobanks and disease registries and/or cohorts, with carefully planned measurement strategies and clearly worked-out hypotheses. The nature of the dose-response relationships and whether effects are threshold-dependent should be addressed in the study designs. Similarities between endocrine systems and certain health outcomes across species should be exploited to improve understanding of functioning of the endocrine system. Finally, research should attempt at identifying predictive biomarkers (e.g. from liquid biopsies such as saliva, urine, blood) that would allow the tracing of endocrine disrupter-mediated health effects in a shorter period of time than normally would be required for epidemiological studies.

Research actions under this topic should provide forward-looking mechanistic information on potential hazards and health risks of exposures to EDCs, through innovative molecular epidemiological, multifactorial models and systems biology approaches, exploiting the use of state of the art non-animal methodologies when relevant, and should include several of the following activities:

  • Studying the impact of EDCs on target organs and in multi-organ models, and physiological barriers, such as the placenta, the blood-brain barrier, the blood-saliva barrier, intestinal, pulmonary and immune cells as well as their interaction with microbiota. This should include the provision of a thorough understanding of dose-response relationships;
  • Elucidating health endpoints for which insufficient data exist, such as disturbances in the development and functioning of the nervous and cardiovascular systems, the immune system, bone development and disease, obesity, diabetes, hormone-dependent cancers and fertility (e.g. minipuberty, prepuberty and puberty);
  • Providing better biological and imaging biomarkers to predict EDC-mediated health outcomes, including the quantitative probabilities of having an adverse effect based on such biomarkers;
  • Gaining better insights into the developmental origins of health and disease, especially for those where less data are available. Assessing the occurrence and relevance of multi- and transgenerationally inherited effects, including molecular and epigenetic mechanisms that drive multigenerational effects;
  • Gaining better insights into the most sensitive windows of susceptibility, during which exposure are of particular importance for health effects;
  • Better understanding of the effects of chemicals and chemical mixtures on the underlying mechanistic crosstalk between endocrine axes, endocrine pathways and other key biological systems, including immune, neurological and metabolic functions;
  • Improving the understanding of chemical mixture effects, including with other toxins and at low doses. The role of the microbiome in the activation or detoxification of these chemicals should be explored where relevant.
  • Investigating biological effects of realistic mixtures to get a more detailed understanding of the endocrine effectome, taking advantage of computational toxicology and development of up-to-date models;
  • Performing comparative analysis between species, assessing similarities to human endocrine system and health outcomes and exploiting non-mammalian species as test organisms, e.g. non-mammalian vertebrates and invertebrates to predict effects or raise concern about potential effects in humans or vice versa;
  • Exploiting systems biology approaches in order to understand how exposure to an EDC results in an altered phenotype, a process that implies complex interactions across multiple levels of biological organisation.

Aspects such as gender, regional variations, socioeconomics and culture should be considered, where appropriate. Proposals should ensure that chemical monitoring data are shared in IPCHEM through involvement with the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC). Proposals should also consider involving JRC with respect to the value it could bring in providing an effective interface between the research activities and regulatory aspects and/or to translating the research results into validated test methods and strategies fit for regulatory purpose. In that respect, the JRC will collaborate with any successful proposal and this collaboration, when relevant, should be established after the proposal’s approval.

Applicants should be acquainted with planned activities under the European partnership for the assessment of risks from chemicals PARC. PARC will be informed about successful proposals. Successful proposals will be invited to establish synergies with PARC and take advantage of the partnership as a facilitator for open data and methodology sharing with risk assessors and their scientific networks.

This topic requires the effective contribution of social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts, institutions as well as the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise, in order to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities.

In order to optimise synergies and increase the impact of the projects, all projects selected for funding from this topic will form a cluster and be required to participate in common networking and joint activities. Without the prerequisite to detail concrete joint activities, proposals should allocate a sufficient budget for the attendance to regular joint meetings and to cover the costs of any other potential common networking and joint activities.

Applicants envisaging to include clinical studies should provide details of their clinical studies in the dedicated annex using the template provided in the submission system. See definition of clinical studies in the introduction to this work programme part.

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Expected effects and impacts

Expected results

  • Public authorities including EU risk assessment bodies and regulators are supported with scientific evidence to implement the comprehensive European Union Framework on Endocrine Disruptors, Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability Towards a Toxic-Free Environment, EU legislation on plant protection products and EU occupational safety and health legislation;
  • Public authorities improve their risk assessment, management and communication through access to FAIR data and more robust evidence on the causal links between exposure to endocrine disruptors and health outcomes for which insufficient data exist;
  • Research community has better data on the role of endocrine disruptors and other co-factors (e.g., lifestyle, behavioural, socio-economic) to enable a better understanding of their individual or combined health impacts;
  • Public authorities and the scientific community take advantage of latest methodologies for advancing the understanding of health impact of exposures;
  • Public authorities, employers and citizens rely on practical evidence-informed guidelines for exposure prevention and reduction;
  • Citizens are engaged and informed about the health impact of exposures to endocrine disruptors and risk-preventing behaviours are promoted.

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Eligibility Criteria

Regions / countries for funding

EU Member States, Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT)
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

Applications may be submitted by one or more legal entities, which may be established in a Member State, Associated Country or, in exceptional cases and if provided for in the specific call conditions, in another third country. 

In recognition of the opening of the US National Institutes of Health’s programmes to European researchers, any legal entity established in the United States of America is eligible to receive Union funding.

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.

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as member of the consortium selected for funding.

Additional information

Topics

Health, Social Services, Sports

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.

The award criteria are described in General Annex D. The following exceptions apply: The thresholds for each criterion will be 4 (Excellence), 4 (Impact) and 3 (Implementation). The cumulative threshold will be 12.

The rules for the legal and financial set-up of the grant agreements are described in General Annex G. The following exceptions apply: In order to optimise synergies and increase the impact of the projects, all projects selected for funding from this topic will form a cluster and be required to participate in common networking and joint activities (and in determining modalities for their implementation and the specific responsibilities of projects). Depending on the scope of proposals selected for funding, these activities may include:

  • Attendance of regular joint meetings (e.g., common kick-off meeting and annual meetings). 
  • Periodic report of joint activities (delivered at each reporting period). 
  • Common dissemination and communication activities (which may include, for example: a common dissemination and communication strategy, web portal and visual identity, brochure, newsletters). 
  • Common Data Management Strategy and Common Policy Strategy (including joint policy briefs). 
  • Thematic workshops/trainings on issues of common interest. 
  • Working groups on topics of common interest (e.g. data management, communication and dissemination, science-policy link, scientific synergies)

Call documents

HE-Work Programme 2023-2024, Cluster 1, Destination 2HE-Work Programme 2023-2024, Cluster 1, Destination 2(383kB)

Contact

National Contact Points for Horizon Europe
Website

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