Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) evolution: new and innovative processing and methods for future Sentinels and other satellites for reanalyses
Horizon Europe Destination 5: Open strategic autonomy in developing, deploying and using global space-based infrastructures, services, applications and data
Funding Amount
Amount not specified
Deadline
25/09/2025
Eligible Organization Types
Non-profit, Private Business, Research Institution, Public Institution
Trusted by
What is the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) evolution: new and innovative processing and methods for future Sentinels and other satellites for reanalyses Call?
Grant Description
This research and innovation action supports developing and delivering advanced methods for preparing and pre-processing satellite and in situ observations (including Copernicus Sentinel data) for Earth-system reanalysis. It aims to enhance sparse data assimilation and initialization across climate sub-components, recover and quality-control historical observation records using AI and machine learning, extend reanalysis products to centennial timescales, and create operational counterfactual dat...
Required Results for Successful Funding
Expected Outcomes
• Innovative methods to prepare and pre-process observational input for Earth-system reanalysis datasets—including Copernicus Sentinel missions—leading to increased observational use;
• Enhanced sparse data assimilation and initialization methods for climate sub-components (atmosphere, ocean, land, hydrology) within Copernicus products;
• Comprehensive and improved information on climate records extracted from observations, enhancing overall monitoring of climate and climate change;
• Expanded range of reanalysis products towards centennial reanalyses, and development of enhanced climate counterfactual data sets to support data-driven predictions and operational extreme event attribution.
• Enhanced sparse data assimilation and initialization methods for climate sub-components (atmosphere, ocean, land, hydrology) within Copernicus products;
• Comprehensive and improved information on climate records extracted from observations, enhancing overall monitoring of climate and climate change;
• Expanded range of reanalysis products towards centennial reanalyses, and development of enhanced climate counterfactual data sets to support data-driven predictions and operational extreme event attribution.
Funded areas
Scope Requirements
• Improve assimilation capabilities of Copernicus’ and other models for new and legacy satellite observations (Sentinel Expansion, Next-Generation, meteorological and research satellites) sensitive to surface parameters and fluxes;
• Assess and unlock information content of early satellite data for global and regional reanalyses;
• Exploit AI/ML and other innovative methods for data rescue of in situ and remote sensing observations, focusing on historical observation records, error analysis, quality control and bias adjustment;
• Enhance physically consistent analyses of atmosphere, ocean, land and cryosphere towards centennial timescales;
• Advance coordinated developments of observation operators and observational error characterization to optimize use of Sentinel and other datasets across Copernicus reanalyses and services;
• Develop AI/ML approaches to accelerate reanalysis production and updates, capture uncertainties efficiently and reduce computing energy/carbon footprint;
• Prepare coupled Earth-system reanalyses (C3S) with extended temporal coverage back to early 1900s;
• Develop operational climate counterfactual datasets to support data-driven predictions and extreme event attribution;
• Demonstrate downstream applications leveraging improved reanalysis outputs;
• Explore synergies with the Destination Earth initiative;
• Plan for effective transfer of research outputs to operations, involving Copernicus Entrusted Entities and addressing conditions for reuse and IPR;
• Integrate the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in R&I content if relevant to objectives.
• Assess and unlock information content of early satellite data for global and regional reanalyses;
• Exploit AI/ML and other innovative methods for data rescue of in situ and remote sensing observations, focusing on historical observation records, error analysis, quality control and bias adjustment;
• Enhance physically consistent analyses of atmosphere, ocean, land and cryosphere towards centennial timescales;
• Advance coordinated developments of observation operators and observational error characterization to optimize use of Sentinel and other datasets across Copernicus reanalyses and services;
• Develop AI/ML approaches to accelerate reanalysis production and updates, capture uncertainties efficiently and reduce computing energy/carbon footprint;
• Prepare coupled Earth-system reanalyses (C3S) with extended temporal coverage back to early 1900s;
• Develop operational climate counterfactual datasets to support data-driven predictions and extreme event attribution;
• Demonstrate downstream applications leveraging improved reanalysis outputs;
• Explore synergies with the Destination Earth initiative;
• Plan for effective transfer of research outputs to operations, involving Copernicus Entrusted Entities and addressing conditions for reuse and IPR;
• Integrate the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in R&I content if relevant to objectives.
Additional Conditions for Applicants
Special Conditions
• Grant form: Lump Sum Grant under Horizon Europe (MGA: HORIZON-AG-LS), single-stage RIA;
• Only one project may be funded under this topic;
• Eligible participants: entities from EU Member States and Associated Countries (with specific provisions for third-country participants and potential national co-funding);
• If using satellite-based Earth observation or positioning/navigation/timing data and services, beneficiaries must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS data/services;
• Software developed must be open licensed;
• Proposals must plan for active transfer of research results to Copernicus operations, including early and continued interaction with relevant Entrusted Entities—and must address conditions for making results available, reuse and IPR by those entities;
• International cooperation is strongly encouraged, with very tight collaboration with space agencies, National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and WMO;
• JRC may participate as a consortium member;
• Proposals must comply with all Horizon Europe general annexes, admissibility conditions (page limits and layout), evaluation criteria and country eligibility rules;
• Integration of the gender dimension is required only if pertinent to the research objectives.
• Only one project may be funded under this topic;
• Eligible participants: entities from EU Member States and Associated Countries (with specific provisions for third-country participants and potential national co-funding);
• If using satellite-based Earth observation or positioning/navigation/timing data and services, beneficiaries must use Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS data/services;
• Software developed must be open licensed;
• Proposals must plan for active transfer of research results to Copernicus operations, including early and continued interaction with relevant Entrusted Entities—and must address conditions for making results available, reuse and IPR by those entities;
• International cooperation is strongly encouraged, with very tight collaboration with space agencies, National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and WMO;
• JRC may participate as a consortium member;
• Proposals must comply with all Horizon Europe general annexes, admissibility conditions (page limits and layout), evaluation criteria and country eligibility rules;
• Integration of the gender dimension is required only if pertinent to the research objectives.
Important dates
Open from: 22/05/2025
Deadline:25/09/2025
Application period has ended
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