Integrating climate-related exposures into the human exposome and characterising its changes in response to climate change

Di cosa tratta questo bando?

The topic funds research and innovation projects that bring climate-related exposures into human exposome research and study how climate change alters exposures and health risks. Selected projects will work together in a cluster.

Cosa finanzia questo bando?

Scope

The topic funds research that integrates climate-related exposures, such as extreme heat, heightened air pollution or drought, into human exposome studies and examines how the exposome changes under direct and indirect climate pressures. Research should be multiscale and multidisciplinary and include climate-relevant social determinants of health.

Activities every project should include

• Incorporate multiple climate exposures into exposomics studies and show how they influence disease burden through interactions with other exposures.
• Predict, identify and monitor climate-driven changes in environmental, social and occupational exposures and study their health implications, including emerging risks and potential benefits.
• Advance data generation, analysis and integration, including AI and machine learning methods and real-world data.

Further activities (several to be included)

• Investigate the biological pathways through which the exposome affects health.
• Use existing or new longitudinal cohorts that combine exposome data with medical, omics and biological data.
• Identify indicators and biomarkers of exposome-related health risks and benefits, and report findings with standardised metrics.
• Strengthen existing exposome toolboxes by adding climate-related exposures.
• Study socioeconomic, demographic and behavioural factors in exposure patterns, identify disproportionately affected populations and develop interventions to reduce disparities.

Expected outcomes

A more comprehensive understanding of the exposome and of interactions between climatic, environmental and socio-behavioural factors, supported by FAIR data; better knowledge for policymakers and practitioners; and up-to-date public information on environmental exposures and health.

Cosa ci si aspetta dalle proposte?

• International cooperation is encouraged, in particular with regions under-represented in human exposome research.
• Projects should make their tools available on the IHEN Exposome Toolbox and upload data sets to the IHEN Data Catalogue.

Quando scade il bando?

17 febbraio 2027 (104 giorni)

13 April 2027 (single-stage call).