Open Call with SSH aspects in Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area

Call title:

PRIMA 2025 Call- Section 1 

Deadline:

For proposal submission: 15 July 2025, 17:00 CET

Weblink:

https://prima-med.org/submit-your-project/ 

Short Call Abstract:

Thematic Area 1: Water management in Nexus

Topic 1.1.1-2025 Upscaling Nature Based Solutions for sustainable water management to address extreme events in the Mediterranean

the successful proposals should cover at least one of the following aspects:

• Identify existing Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) tailored to the diverse ecological and socio-economic contexts of the Mediterranean region to address risks like floods, droughts, water pollution and other hazards, as well as the barriers to their acceptance, with the aim to re-define regulatory frameworks accordingly.
• Test, validate, assess cost-effectiveness and benefits, and scale up NBS in diverse Mediterranean contexts (i.e., urban and rural scenarios), to mitigate droughts, floods, water pollution, heat waves, storms, while improving ecosystem biodiversity and resilience, recharge aquifer and preventing soil salinisation and erosion.
• Formulate new business models, governance approaches, and recommendations tailored for the Mediterranean region to promote widespread NBS adoption and their integration into existing policies, environmental and land use regulations.
• Explore combined NBS: A system of NBS interventions and also highlight the potential to combine NBS with other kinds of solutions/interventions (hybrid infrastructure).
• Develop decision-support tools for optimising NBS selection based on environmental conditions and stakeholder needs.

Thematic Area 2: Farming systems in Nexus

Topic 1.2.1-2025:  Enhancement of Sustainable Farming Systems within Mediterranean Wetlands for Conservation and Coexistence

the call emphasizes the development and implementation of sustainable agriculture practices that include robust drought management strategies tailored to the Mediterranean region. These strategies are crucial for preserving wetlands’ functions in delivering ecosystem services, managing floods, and mitigating the impacts of drought. The overarching goal is to enhance environmental resilience and socio-economic development in the region by safeguarding the essential roles of wetlands.

Proposed activities should cover at least one of the following aspects:

 (…)

• Exploring the integration of existing local knowledge and practices: embracing a holistic Water- Food-Ecosystems Nexus perspective is essential to comprehensively address the interdependencies between wetlands and the water, food, and ecosystems sectors. This entails integrating multidisciplinary approaches that consider the complex linkages between wetland ecosystems and the provision of water resources, ecosystem services, and ensuring food production. Including new or existing insights from other regions facing similar challenges in wetland restoration is also recommended to enhance understanding and applicability. These solutions will integrate sustainable agriculture practices, habitat restoration efforts, improved water management techniques, and effective drought management strategies tailored to diverse representative wetlands in the area. The implemented solutions should be assessed through appropriate methodologies and indicators and be translated into policies for integration of these approaches into existing environmental and land use regulations.
• Evaluate the socio-economic costs and benefits of investing in wetland conservation, sustainable agriculture practices, and the role of wetlands in enhancing drought resilience and improving local community livelihoods. Insights into these costs and benefits at the farming practice level are essential for encouraging adoption by farmers.

Thematic Area 3: Agri-food value chain in Nexus

Topic 1.3.1–2025 Transforming Mediterranean Food Systems: Empowering Consumers for Sustainable Diets

This topic aims to accelerate the adoption of innovations from PRIMA, Horizon 2020, and Horizon Europe projects to promote the Mediterranean diet, celebrated for its focus on plant-based, fresh, seasonal, and locally sourced foods.

Proposed activities should cover the following aspects:

• Encourage the development and adoption of sustainable, healthy, and preferably organic food
• products that align with dietary guidelines, taking into account consumer preferences and nutritional needs, to reinforce adherence to the Mediterranean diet.
• Implement hands-on training using virtual reality and gamification to educate different demographic groups on the benefits of the Mediterranean diet.
• Leverage digital resources from PRIMA, Horizon 2020, and Horizon Europe to build community-driven learning experiences. Tailor these initiatives to specific demographics—children, teenagers, adults, families, and the elderly—to maximize impact and promote sustainable dietary habits.
• Foster partnerships between consumers and researchers to develop innovative, personalized food solutions. Examples include AI-driven mobile apps that support sustainable food choices and provide data-driven dietary insights tailored to individual needs.
• Promote co-creation of adaptable frameworks that support the Mediterranean diet and sustainable food systems. Tailor policy recommendations to reflect dietary habits and preferences across different demographic segments, ensuring relevance and feasibility.
• Embed Mediterranean diet principles into public food procurement through pilot programs that support local economies, environmental sustainability, and nutritional quality. Customize these programs for various age groups, gather feedback, and scale effective practices to inform adaptable policy development

SSH aspects:

Sociology, Economics, Political Sciences, Law, Human Geography, Psychology, Media and Communication Studies, Anthropology, Education Sciences, Behavioural Science, Ethics, Philosophy. 

Specific participation requirements:

Due to the specific challenge of this topic, in addition to the minimum number of participants set out in the standard eligibility conditions section, in this Work Programme, consortia must include at least an additional legal entity established in a Mediterranean Partner Countries (MPC).

Due to the scope of this topic, consortia must include at least one small and medium-sized enterprises 17established in a PS in the research consortia.

More information here. 

Countries

Algeria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Tunisia, Turkiye 

More information here.