This call, together with actions embedded in the Flagship Programme “Supporting societal transformation for the sustainable use and management of biodiversity,” will help to achieve one of Biodiversa+’s strategic objectives: producing actionable knowledge for transformative change to halt and reverse biodiversity decline (Biodiversa+ Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda, 2021).
Scope of the call
The worldwide crises of biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution are highly interlinked, with an urgent need to understand trade-offs and cross-linkages both in terms of drivers and effects. In this context, BiodivTransform will aim for interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and/or cross-sectoral research and innovation projects to identify, analyse, and comprehend transformation processes that may halt and reverse biodiversity decline. It should generate knowledge to safeguard biodiversity and ecosystems, as well as the benefits these may provide to people, through transformative change to mitigate and reverse biodiversity threats. Projects will be expected to demonstrate academic excellence with potential for societal and policy impact regarding biodiversity, aiming to connect science, society, policy, and practices for transformative change. The call is not restricted in terms of specific environments nor geographic areas, encompassing all realms (terrestrial, marine, coastal and freshwater) and ecosystems experiencing various levels and sources of disturbances, including transition zones and interfaces (coastal, wetlands, urban–rural, forest–agriculture, etc.) and in integrated land/seascapes.
Transformative change can be defined as a “fundamental system-wide reorganisation across technological, economic and social factors, including paradigms, goals and values needed for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity” (IPBES 2019).
Main steps of the call
The call is planned to be officially launched on 10 September 2024.
It will follow a two-stage application process:
- Pre-proposals: the deadline for submitting pre-proposals will be in early November 2024.
- Full Proposals: shortlisted applicants will be invited to submit full proposals by early April 2025.
Proposals (in English only) will have to be submitted electronically. Instructions regarding submission, eligibility and evaluation criteria and other relevant information will be published with the official call announcement in early September 2024.
Building transnational research consortia
To be eligible, research consortia will have to include teams from a minimum of 3 countries financially participating in the Call, including at least 2 from EU Member States or EU Associated Countries.
As of June 2024, a global budget of over 40 million euros has been provisionally reserved by 34 countries together with the European Commission.
