SC1-BHC-13-2019 : Mining big data for early detection of infectious disease threats driven by climate change and other factors
ID H2020-SC1-BHC-2018-2020Research and publicationsLast edited on October 31st 2017
258
days left to apply
Research areas and description
Medicine
Specific Challenge:
A range of factors is responsible for the (re-)emergence of infectious disease threats, including antimicrobial resistance, altering the epidemiology and spread of disease in a changing global environment. These include drivers such as climate change and associated environmental impacts, population growth, unplanned urbanisation and high mobility, as well as animal husbandry or intensive farming practices.
At the same time, tools for infectious disease diagnostics and surveillance are evolving rapidly, allowing for ever more accurate diagnosis in ever shorter time. The use of next generation sequencing combined with surveillance data, health registries and societal data from informal/non-traditional sources (e.g. social media) holds promise for improving individual and population health. Current advanced IT technologies offer the opportunity to integrate such big data sets and could enable the rapid and personalised treatment of infected patients, and bolster the detection, tracking and control of infectious disease outbreaks.
Scope:
It is expected that proposals develop:
- the technology to allow the pooling, access, analysis and sharing of relevant data, including next generation sequencing;
- the innovative bio-informatics and modelling methodologies that enable risk modelling and mapping; and
- the analytical tools for early warning, risk assessment and monitoring of (re-)emerging infectious disease threats.
Proposals should be able to demonstrate the feasibility of such extended data mining for the purposes outlined above, as well as its European level added value. The ready-to-use analytical tools and services that are developed should be based on an assessment of the needs of potential end-users in the Member States and on European level, should as far as possible build on and be compatible with existing European initiatives, and should remain available for public use at the end of the project at a reasonable cost.
Proposals should be transdisciplinary and ensure an integrated One Health approach by linking data from a wide range of relevant sources depending on the infectious disease threat. These may include human (e.g. community, hospital or laboratory health services) and animal health surveillance, health registries, microbial and viral genomic data (including next generation sequencing), pathogen resistance data, mapping of vectors, climate and environmental data [1] as well as societal data that are correlates of disease; possible sex and/or gender differences should be taken into account. Solutions for gaps in existing data (addressing both a lack in quality and quantity) should be proposed.
Solutions for interoperability between different data sources should be addressed and integrated. It is expected that quality-controlled data are shared in accordance to the general concepts of the FAIR [2]principles. The use of harmonised protocols in collaboration with other actors is recommended for this purpose. Appropriate regulatory and governance mechanisms need to be foreseen, taking into account different data sharing needs, as well as data privacy and data security aspects for the different types of stakeholders providing and analysing data. The technology and tools developed should be functional outside of outbreaks (i.e. in “peace time”), so that all stakeholders involved develop a routine use of them. At the same time, flexibility is needed to enable adaptation to different outbreak contexts and situations. The proposal shall foresee, in case of public health emergencies, open access to data at the moment it is generated or no later than one month thereafter subject to any safeguards required to protect research participants and patients, in accordance with the relevant options in Article 29.3 of the Model Grant Agreement.
The use of advanced IT technologies like high performance computing, or geo-localisation data [3] are anticipated. The use of European health research (e-)infrastructures such as those included under CORBEL [4] is encouraged where relevant. The successful proposal(s) should foresee to consult with the end-users at both national (e.g. public health institutes) and European (e.g. ECDC, EFSA) level at key milestones of the project’s timeline. If more than one proposal is selected, they are expected to collaborate. In addition, coordination will be needed with the selected proposal from the Horizon 2020 call topic SFS-36-2017 on the establishment of a European Joint Programme on One Health.
The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between EUR 12-15 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.
Expected Impact:
- Strengthened EU preparedness to address threats from (re-)emerging infectious disease threats, by making available the appropriate technology and tools for risk modelling and early threat detection, to support an appropriate public health response.
- Contribution to the European One Health action plan against antimicrobial resistance. [5]
- Contribution to the digital transformation of health and care within the context of the EU Digital Single Market. [6]
- Contribution to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 and specifically the targets on 1) combating epidemics, and 2) strengthening capacity for early warning and response to health risks. 7] Contribution to achieving of SDG 13 and specifically the targets on 1) integrating climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning, and 2) improving education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change adaptation, impact reduction and early warning. [8]
Cross-cutting Priorities:
Open Science
Eligibility
- List of countries eligible for funding
- Legal entities established in the following countries and territories will be eligible to receive funding through Horizon 2020 grants:
- The Member States (MS) of the European Union (EU), including their outermost regions;
- The Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) linked to the Member States1
Anguilla, Aruba, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Territories, Greenland, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles (Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten), New Caledonia and Dependencies, Pitcairn, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Helena, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands,Turks and Caicos Islands, Wallis and Futuna Islands.
- The associated countries (AC): the latest information on which countries are associated, or in the process of association to Horizon 2020 can be found in the online manual2
- The following countries, except where this is explicitly excluded in the call text3 :
Afghanistan, Algeria, American Samoa, Angola, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Congo (Democratic People’s Republic), Congo (Republic), Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea ,Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia,, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Buissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo*, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Micronesia, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palau, Palestine**, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines,
Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
If in the meantime one of these countries becomes associated to Horizon 2020, it will immediately be shown in the relevant on-line manual mentioned above. Note that entities from associated countries are eligible to participate according to the conditions set out in Annex C
(* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/99 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence).
(** This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of the Member States on this issue).
- International European interest organisations4 will also be eligible to receive funding from Horizon 2020.
- Legal entities established in countries not listed above will be eligible for funding when such funding is explicitly foreseen in the call.
- In addition, legal entities established in countries not listed above and international organisations (IOs) will be eligible for funding:
- When funding for such participants is provided for under a bilateral scientific and technological agreement or any other arrangement between the EU and an international organisation or a third country;
- When the Commission deems participation of the entity essential for carrying out the action funded through Horizon 2020;
- For Prizes, unless stated otherwise in the call conditions, any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, or international organisation may receive funding
- Standard eligibility conditions
- All proposals must comply with the eligibility conditions set out in the Rules for Participation Regulation No 1290/2013. Furthermore, for actions under this Work Programme proposals/prize applications must comply with the eligibility conditions set out in this Annex, unless they are supplemented or modified in the call conditions.
A proposal/application will only be considered eligible if:
- its content corresponds, wholly or in part, to the topic/contest description for which it is submitted
- it complies with the eligibility conditions for participation set out in the table below, depending on the type of action:
Eligibility conditions for participation 1,2,3
Research & innovation actions (RIA)
At least three legal entities. Each of the three must be established in a different EU Member State or Horizon 2020 associated country. All three legal entities must be independent of each other
Innovation actions (IA)
At least three legal entities. Each of the three must be established in a different EU Member State or Horizon 2020 associated country. All three legal entities must be independent of each other.
Coordination & support actions (CSA)
At least one legal entity established in an EU Member State or Horizon 2020 associated country.
HORIZON 2020 – WORK PROGRAMME 2018-2020
General Annexe
ERA-NET Cofund actions
At least three legal entities. Each of the three must be established in a different EU Member State or Horizon 2020 associated country. All three legal entities must be independent of each other. Participants in ERA-NET Cofund actions must be legal entities owning or managing public research and innovation programmes. 4
Precommercial procurement (PCP) & Public procurement of Innovative solutions (PPI) actions
At least three legal entities. Each of the three must be established in a different EU Member State or Horizon 2020 associated country. All three legal entities must be independent of each other. Furthermore, there must be a minimum of two legal entities which are ‘public procurers’ 5 from two different EU Member States or Horizon 2020 associated countries.
Both legal entities must be independent of each other.
European Joint Programme (EJP) Cofund actions
At least five legal entities. Each of the five must be established in a different EU Member State or Horizon 2020 associated country. All five legal entities must be independent of each other.6 Participants in EJP Cofund actions must be legal entities owning or managing national research and innovation programmes. 7
Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA)
At least one legal entity established in an EU Member State or Horizon 2020 associated country.
Prizes
See conditions for participation in the Rules of Contest.
Note:
- ‘Sole participants’ formed by several legal entities (e.g. European Research Infrastructure Consortia, European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation, central purchasing bodies) are eligible if the above-mentioned minimum conditions are satisfied by the legal entities forming together the sole participant.
- The eligibility conditions applying to Marie Skłodowska–Curie (MSC) actions are set out under the MSC part and the eligibility conditions applying to the SME instrument under the part ‘Towards the next EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation: European Innovation Council (EIC) pilot’ of this Work Programme.
- The eligibility conditions of European Research Council (ERC) actions are part of a separate work programme (see the ERC Work Programme on the Participant Portal).
Deadline(s)
| Date | What is due | Note |
|---|---|---|
| April 16th 2019 | Full application | Deadline: 16 April 2019 17:00:00 |