Technologies for first responders

Call Updates

Aug 28, 2020 2:59:24 PM 

H2020-SU-SEC-2018-2019-2020

A total of 300 proposals have been submitted in response to this call. The number of proposals for each topic is shown below including the indicative budget of the topics for 2020:

SU-DRS02-2018-2019-2020(RIA) : 101 proposals (indicative budget: 21M€)

The evaluation of the proposals will start by mid-September and will be closed by the end of the year. Applicants will be informed on the outcome of the evaluations in mid-January 2021.

May 28, 2020 2:48:09 PM

We would like to inform applicants that the Co-funding opportunities from the Japan Science and Technology Agency are no longer applicable for the 2020 Call for proposals for the topic “SU-DRS02-2018-2019-2020".

Mar 12, 2020 12:30:22 AM

The submission session is now available for: SU-DRS02-2018-2019-2020(RIA)

Technologies for first responders

ID: SU-DRS02-2018-2019-2020
Focus area: Boosting the effectiveness of the Security Union (SU)
Type of action: RIA Research and Innovation action

Deadline Model : single-stage

Planned opening date: 12 March 2020

Deadline: 27 August 2020 17:00:00 Brussels time 

Horizon 2020

Work programme: Secure societies - Protecting freedom and security of Europe and its citizens
Work programme year: H2020-2018-2020
Call name: Security
Call ID: H2020-SU-SEC-2018-2019-2020

Specific Challenge:Resilience is critical to allow authorities to take proper measures in response to severe disasters, both natural (including climate-related extreme events) and man-made. Innovation for disaster-resilient societies may draw from novel technologies, provided that they are affordable, accepted by the citizens, and customized and implemented for the (cross-sectoral) needs of first responders.

Scope:Proposals are invited to propose novel solutions improving the protection of first responders against multiple and unexpected dangers, or enhancing their capacities by addressing related research and innovation issues, in particular:

Sub-topic 1: [2018] Victim-detection technologies
The quick detection of victims potentially trapped in buildings as a result of all sorts of disasters of natural, accidental, or man-made or of terrorist origins is a major issue for first responders. Novel technologies should enable them to save the time taken to detect victims who are not visible, enabling more efficient and faster rescue operations leading to higher chances of saving lives and reducing injuries.

Sub-topic 2: [2019] Innovation for rapid and accurate pathogens detection
Novel technologies are required by first responders for the rapid and accurate detection of pathogens, as well as tools for joint epidemiological and criminal risk and threat assessment and investigation.

Sub-topic 3: [2020] Methods and guidelines for pre-hospital life support and triage
Development of innovative tools, methodologies and European pre-hospital guidelines for first responders of medical services, fire services and police and hospital trauma teams in order to ensure faster and more effective evaluation and control of numerous seriously injured casualties in disaster and/or emergency situations. This should take account of lessons learned from military mass-casualty techniques such as damage-control surgery. The aim is to ensure more effective pre-hospital triage of victims with appropriate digital traceability of actions and data transfer from the event to the hospital(s), including across administrative and political boundaries.

If appropriate, proposals should demonstrate how they will build on relevant previous and on-going FP7 and/or H2020 projects.

Sub-topic: [2018-2019-2020] Open
Other technologies for use by first responders may be subject of proposals provided that they involve a large number of first responders' organisations (see eligibility and admissibility conditions.) For instance, but not exclusively: communicating and smart wearables for first responders and K9 units including light-weight energy sources; situational awareness and risk mitigation systems for first responders using UAV and robots, connected and swarms of drones; systems based on the Internet of Things; solutions based on augmented or virtual reality; systems communication solutions between first responders and victims; risk anticipation and early warning technologies; mitigation, physical response or counteracting technologies; etc.

Any novel technology or methodology under this topic should be tested and validated, not just in laboratories but also in training installations and through in-situ experimental deployment. They therefore need to be quick to deploy, bases on resilient and robust communication infrastructure. First responders, including through interdisciplinary teams (e.g. involving medical emergency services, public health authorities, law enforcement team, civil protection professionals, etc.) need to be involved in these activities. Proposals should address the participation of first responders in a systematic manner, and propose new methods on how to involve them and to organise their interaction with researchers when developing, testing, and validating technologies and methods.

Solutions are to be developed in compliance with European societal values, fundamental rights and applicable legislation, including in the area of privacy, personal data protection and free movement of persons. Societal aspects (e.g. perception of security, possible effects of technological solutions on societal resilience, gender diversity) have to be taken into account in a comprehensive and thorough manner.

In line with the objectives of the Union's strategy for international cooperation in research and innovation (COM(2012)497), international cooperation according to the current rules of participation is encouraged (but not mandatory), in particular with Japanese or Korean research centres. Co-funding opportunities from the Japan Science and Technology Agency exist for Japanese partners.[1] Co-funding opportunities from the Korean MSIP/NRF exist for Korean partners.[2]

The centre of gravity for technology development with actions funded under sub-topics 1,2 and open is expected to be up to TRL 4 to 6, whereas under sub-topic 3 it is expected to be up to TRL 6 to 7 – see General Annex G of the Horizon 2020 Work Programme.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of about EUR 7 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:As a result of this action, first responders should benefit from:

Novel tools, technologies, guidelines and methods aimed at facilitating their operations
New knowledge about field-validation of different tools, technologies and approaches involving first responders in (real-life) scenarios
Cross-cutting Priorities:Gender
International cooperation
Socio-economic science and humanities

[1] For more information on Japan, please consult http://www.jst.go.jp/sicp/announce_eujoint_04_GeneralInfo.html.

[2] For more information on Korea, please consult http://www.nrf.re.kr/eng/main and http://www.nrf.re.kr/biz/info/notice/view?nts_no=82388&biz_no=116&search_type=ALL&search_keyword=EU&page=.