The European Partnership for Resilient Cultural Heritage (RCH) has opened its first Joint Transnational Call, with a total budget of €36 million. The call will support international research on how climate and environmental change affect cultural heritage, and on how heritage can help societies become more resilient.

Titled “Foundations for climate-resilient cultural heritage: Assessing and managing impact and risk, dealing with damage and loss”, the call opened on 4 November 2026. Pre-proposals are due by 11 January 2027 at 14:00 CET.

Why this call matters

This is the first call launched by RCH, a ten-year European Partnership (2026–2035) co-funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe, which brings together 90 partners from 30 countries. With climate change already putting heritage at risk, the call encourages projects that combine scientific research, innovation and community knowledge to develop practical tools and policies.

Four sub-themes

Proposals must address at least one of four interconnected sub-themes, and may combine several:

  1. Risk and impact assessment, and cultural heritage risk preparedness and management
  2. Managing loss and damage of cultural heritage impacted by climate change-induced natural hazards
  3. Traditional, local and Indigenous knowledge systems and practices as resources for societal resilience
  4. Sustainable governance of the cultural heritage sector

Who can apply

The call is open to transnational research consortia. Eligibility criteria, including national and regional rules, are detailed in the call documents.

Key dates

The call follows a two-stage process. Only projects selected at the first stage are invited to submit a full proposal.

  • 4 November 2026: call opens
  • 17 November 2026, 14:00 CET: online information webinar
  • 11 January 2027, 14:00 CET: pre-proposal deadline
  • 16 June 2027, 14:00 CEST: full proposal deadline

Find out more

The call text, guidance for applicants, pre-proposal template and submission platform are all available on the RCH 2027 call page.
Interested in applying? Register for the webinar and discover everything you need to know about the call: https://lnkd.in/dbF_fAnX

For questions about the call, contact the RCH Joint Call Secretariat at rch@anr.fr.