The European Commission has published its first monitoring report on the integration of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) in Horizon Europe. The report mainly focusses on the integration of SSH in projects funded under pillar II of Horizon Europe (Cluster 1-6) and specifically on the SSH flagged topics in these clusters.

A summary of some key findings in the report:

• Strong presence of SSH in Horizon Europe: 40% of topics under Pillar II were SSH-flagged, meaning SSH input was considered essential. These topics received €7.2 billion or 41% of the total Pillar II budget.
• Widespread Participation of SSH Partners: 88% of projects under SSH-flagged topics had at least one SSH partner, 22% of all project partners were SSH partners and 42% of projects were coordinated by SSH institutions (33% excluding Cluster 2).
• SSH in the Clusters: Cluster 2 (Culture, Creativity & Inclusive Society) had the highest SSH involvement (100% of projects), Clusters 5 (Climate, Energy & Mobility) and 6 (Food, Bioeconomy, etc.) also showed strong SSH integration (21% SSH partners), Cluster 1 (Health) and Cluster 4 (Digital, Industry & Space) had the lowest SSH partner shares (12% and 14%, respectively).
• Methodological Shift: Unlike Horizon 2020, which assessed SSH based on researcher profiles, Horizon Europe uses project deliverables to identify SSH involvement. This makes direct comparisons difficult but shows a rise in SSH-flagged funding from 33% (H2020) to 41% (HE).
• Key Challenges:
  • Interdisciplinary communication: different “languages” between SSH and STEM fields.
  • Coordination: effective integration depends on early and equal involvement of SSH in project design.
  • Impact measurement: current monitoring focuses on quantity, not quality, of SSH integration.
• Recommendations:
  • Promote common language and shared goals across disciplines.
  • Ensure interdependence of work packages to foster real collaboration.
  • Improve qualitative monitoring of SSH contributions.
  • Put the focus of SSH-flagging on topics where SSH is essential for societal impact.

The full report is available here.