Living labs to monitor and mitigate carcinogenic substances in and originating from soils: Evaluating their effects on human cancer risks

Overview

Funding for living labs that monitor and mitigate carcinogenic substances in soils to evaluate their impact on human cancer risks. Targets research consortia, land managers, public authorities, and civil society to co-develop and implement soil health solutions in contaminated or at-risk areas.

Who Can Apply

Consortia of researchers, landowners, industry (e.g., SMEs), public administrators, and civil society organizations. Projects must adopt a multi-actor approach and involve at least three eligible countries.

Funding Details

Maximum grant amount: €12,000,000. Financial support to third parties (e.g., land managers, SMEs, or civil society) is permitted, with a maximum of €60,000 per third party.

What Is Funded

• Establishment of 4–5 living labs across different land uses (agricultural, urban, industrial, forest, or natural) to research and remediate soil contamination by carcinogenic substances (e.g., PFAS, heavy metals, pesticides).
• Investigation of links between soil contaminants and human cancer risks, including biomonitoring, exposure pathways, and correlation with cancer incidence.
• Development of economically viable, locally adapted solutions for soil remediation and monitoring.
• Collaboration with existing EU initiatives (e.g., SOILL, EUSO, HBM4EU, PARC) and data sharing via platforms like the Common Data Platform for Chemicals.
• Strategies for long-term sustainability of living labs, including business models and public/private funding mechanisms.

Technology / Maturity Requirements

Projects must operate at Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 4–6.

Key Dates

• Open date: 2027-02-03
• Deadline: 2027-09-20

Application Process (High-Level)

Single-stage submission via the Funding & Tenders Portal. Proposals must include detailed plans for living lab establishment, multi-actor engagement, and collaboration with relevant EU projects.

Post-Award Obligations

• Ensure FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data principles for project-generated data.
• Collaborate with SOILL, EUSO, and other EU initiatives for knowledge sharing and capacity building.
• Report on soil health improvements, remediation outcomes, and cancer risk correlations.
• Disseminate results through public platforms (e.g., EUSO, Cancer Data Space).

Geographic Scope & Language

Eligible countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, United Kingdom, Switzerland. Application language: English.

Notes

• Projects must align with EU Missions (Soil Deal for Europe and Cancer Mission), the European Green Deal, and related strategies (e.g., Zero Pollution Action Plan, EU Soil Strategy).
• Living labs must include 10–20 sites per lab, with flexibility for fewer sites in exceptional cases.
• High-performing sites may be designated as "lighthouses" for demonstration and training.
• Social sciences and humanities (SSH) must be integrated to foster social innovation and behavioral change.