Objective
Biodiversity loss is accelerating, yet managers of protected areas and other local stakeholders in the Global South lack timely, affordable tools to monitor ecological change and respond to threats. Current biodiversity monitoring technologies generate vast amounts of data but results often reach local stakeholders only after long delays, undermining their practical value. BioSounds aims to transform this situation by delivering an innovative proof of concept for a real-time acoustic monitoring system. Building on research breakthroughs of the ERC-Synergy LIFEPLAN, we will refine and deploy a device network across 20 national parks in Madagascar. These devices will automatically classify vocalizations of birds, bats, and lemurs, while simultaneously detecting anthropogenic threats such as chainsaws. Through wireless communication, outputs will be streamed directly to local stakeholders on dashboards that provide biodiversity indicators and early-warning alerts within minutes of data capture. The project is high risk–high gain. Technical solutions include ensuring robust device performance under tropical conditions with variable access to communication networks and enabling local manufacturing by organizations with limited access to resources and expertise. Societal solutions relate to co-creation of the functionality and long-term sustainability of the approach with large numbers of local stakeholders. BioSounds will establish the first operational network providing real-time biodiversity and threat intelligence across a national level network of protected areas in the Global South. The BioSounds innovation will be published under permissive open-source licenses concerning the hardware, firmware, software, manuals, and documentation. This will enable the replication of the approach worldwide, and especially in the biodiversity rich and resource poor Global South, creating a global standard for accessible and actionable conservation monitoring.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences computer and information sciences software
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2026-POC
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
40100 Jyvaskyla
Finland
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.