Increased automation assistance for the pilot for ATM tasks
HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02
Funding Amount
Amount not specified
Deadline
16/09/2025
Eligible Organization Types
Non-profit, Private Business, Research Institution, Public Institution
Trusted by
What is the Increased automation assistance for the pilot for ATM tasks Call?
Grant Description
The call supports research and innovation actions to advance single pilot operations and increase automation assistance for air traffic management tasks. It aims to develop new sensors, aircraft architectures, advanced avionics, human-machine interfaces, digital assistants and AI-based decision support tools to enable safe and efficient single pilot operations, reduce pilot workload, improve pilot-ATC communication and automate ground-air processes such as QNH transmission. Projects must align w...
Required Results for Successful Funding
Expected Outcomes
To significantly advance the following development actions: 1. IR-5-01 Single Pilot Operations (Si PO): deliver new sensors, aircraft architectures, advanced cockpit automation and avionics to enable safe, efficient single‐pilot flights across all phases (including critical take-off and landing), with minimized impact on ATC operations and communications. 2. IR-5-02 Increased Automation Assistance for Pilots in ATM Tasks: provide improved flight-deck HMI, procedures and tools (CPDLC enhancements, voice-less technology, digital assistants, AI decision support) that automate routine ATM tasks to reduce pilot workload and enable highly automated operations, including CPDLC push-to-load in TMA and enhanced surface operations.
Funded areas
Scope Requirements
• Projects must address one or more of the call’s R&I elements (Si PO, AI-enhanced flight crew, advanced on-board systems, CPDLC surface support, QNH automation) with clear justification of how each element contributes to the expected outcomes and aligns with the European ATM Master Plan.
• Research on Si PO must cover impacts on ATCO, pilot and airline FOC procedures for normal, abnormal and emergency (including pilot incapacitation) situations, avionics requirements, error mitigation in the absence of crew cross-checks, ATC tool and communications impacts, and workload management.
• AI proposals must develop certifiable algorithms (e.g., reinforcement learning), HMI designs for human-AI interaction, methods for safe human-AI teaming and procedure adherence, demonstration of workload reduction or capability enhancement in realistic scenarios, and relevance to ATM transition to Si PO.
• Advanced on-board systems work must deliver digital assistants, interface improvements for voice and CPDLC (2D route revisions, vertical clearances, approach/landing/take-off clearances), automatic route negotiation, and support for sustainable and low-visibility airport operations.
• CPDLC surface support must extend D-TAXI to taxi-in/taxi-out and enable tactical departure route uplinks with vertical constraints, including EFB integration.
• QNH automation research must deliver a fully automated ground-to-air QNH exchange and validation solution.
• Proposals may target mainline, commuter or business aircraft and must plan integrated air-ground validation.
• Use cases should include ground operations at complex and secondary airports, CAT II/III low-visibility ops and complex TMAs.
• AI and cockpit automation not directly relevant to ATM are out of scope.
• Research on Si PO must cover impacts on ATCO, pilot and airline FOC procedures for normal, abnormal and emergency (including pilot incapacitation) situations, avionics requirements, error mitigation in the absence of crew cross-checks, ATC tool and communications impacts, and workload management.
• AI proposals must develop certifiable algorithms (e.g., reinforcement learning), HMI designs for human-AI interaction, methods for safe human-AI teaming and procedure adherence, demonstration of workload reduction or capability enhancement in realistic scenarios, and relevance to ATM transition to Si PO.
• Advanced on-board systems work must deliver digital assistants, interface improvements for voice and CPDLC (2D route revisions, vertical clearances, approach/landing/take-off clearances), automatic route negotiation, and support for sustainable and low-visibility airport operations.
• CPDLC surface support must extend D-TAXI to taxi-in/taxi-out and enable tactical departure route uplinks with vertical constraints, including EFB integration.
• QNH automation research must deliver a fully automated ground-to-air QNH exchange and validation solution.
• Proposals may target mainline, commuter or business aircraft and must plan integrated air-ground validation.
• Use cases should include ground operations at complex and secondary airports, CAT II/III low-visibility ops and complex TMAs.
• AI and cockpit automation not directly relevant to ATM are out of scope.
Additional Conditions for Applicants
Special Conditions
• Admissibility: proposals must comply with Annex A/E WP General Annexes, page limits and Part B template.
• Eligibility: participation as per WP General Annex B; call is subject to EU communication network protection restrictions; max duration 36 months.
• Funding: lump sum model, 70% flat rate for all beneficiaries; budgets per work area between EUR 1M–93M.
• Evaluation: Excellence 40%, Impact 40%, Implementation 20%; evaluated by internal/external experts; portfolio balance across work areas.
• Dissemination: proactive, royalty-free sharing of results among grants under this call; obligations must be described in proposal and Annex I.
• Exploitation: results must be reusable under FRAND terms; non-exclusive royalty-free licenses for standardisation; mutual access arrangements with linked actions; collaboration agreement required for SESAR 2022 linked calls.
• Gender dimension integration is encouraged but not mandatory.
• Legal: MGA exceptions per WP Annex G; calls linked to HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01 and ‑ER-01.
• Queries: submit at least two weeks before deadline; Q&A document available; submissions via Funding & Tenders Portal.
• Eligibility: participation as per WP General Annex B; call is subject to EU communication network protection restrictions; max duration 36 months.
• Funding: lump sum model, 70% flat rate for all beneficiaries; budgets per work area between EUR 1M–93M.
• Evaluation: Excellence 40%, Impact 40%, Implementation 20%; evaluated by internal/external experts; portfolio balance across work areas.
• Dissemination: proactive, royalty-free sharing of results among grants under this call; obligations must be described in proposal and Annex I.
• Exploitation: results must be reusable under FRAND terms; non-exclusive royalty-free licenses for standardisation; mutual access arrangements with linked actions; collaboration agreement required for SESAR 2022 linked calls.
• Gender dimension integration is encouraged but not mandatory.
• Legal: MGA exceptions per WP Annex G; calls linked to HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01 and ‑ER-01.
• Queries: submit at least two weeks before deadline; Q&A document available; submissions via Funding & Tenders Portal.
Important dates
Open from: 01/04/2025
Deadline:16/09/2025
Application period has ended
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