Co-design of the SPSI Methodological Infrastructure of the Future Science Service for Biodiversity (SSBD)

Description

BioAgora is launching a new funding call for the development within the SSBD of a dedicated Methods Expert Group on Advancing Science Policy Interface, which will provide strategic and operational guidance on identifying, selecting, and applying appropriate knowledge synthesis and overview methodologies in response to policy-relevant questions at the SPSI. The selected proposal is expected to assess and propose a robust methodological framework that can underpin all SSBD processes, including a mobilisation strategy to engage a broad expert community around methodological development and implementation. This includes establishing a network of experts to foster knowledge exchange on methods applied in science-policy interfaces and biodiversity governance. The project should produce a clear overview of available methods and propose practical guidelines for their use in different contexts - from in-depth, long-term assessments to time-sensitive, short-term requests. A central task will be to directly support all ongoing urgent request processes during the funding period, offering hands-on methodological advice and enabling real-time testing and refinement of the proposed approach. Through this call, BioAgora aims to ensure methodological rigor, transparency, and adaptability across SSBD activities, ultimately strengthening the service’s capacity to deliver robust and relevant knowledge for EU biodiversity policy.

Beneficiary & submission

The call announcement is published on the EU’s Funding & Tender Portal: Calls for proposals | EU Funding & Tenders Portal (link). Instructions on how to find the Call for grant: Find a call - IT How To - Funding Tenders Opportunities   Applications shall only be submitted by the main applicant (coordinator, as applicable) by filling out this online application form and uploading the respective documents listed below.  Only proposals from eligible applicants will be evaluated.  Note: Third parties receiving financial support from BioAgora through the Open Call will not become parties to the BioAgora Grant Agreement. Consequently, the Grant Agreement will not require any amendment to include the selected beneficiaries.  Eligibility criteria for projects and partners  Applications can be submitted by one legal entity or a consortium of legal entities.  Applicants must meet the following criteria to be eligible for the grant:  The main applicant is a legal entity (legal person). The application may be submitted by a consortium (grouping of legal persons represented by a coordinator), and the criterion of being a legal entity applies to all consortium participants.  The applicant is eligible for funding under the EU Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme. If the application is submitted by a consortium, this criterion applies to all the consortium participants.  Applications not fulfilling the above-stated eligibility criteria will be rejected.  Furthermore, the following legal entities will not be eligible for funding:  Entities subject to EU restrictive measures, e.g. entities listed within the EU Sanction map (https://www.sanctionsmap.eu/#/main)  Restrictive measures imposed by the EU may target governments of third countries, or non-state entities (e.g. companies) and individuals (such as terrorist groups and terrorists). For overview see more at European Union sanctions | EEAS (europa.eu)  Organizations which are consortium members of BioAgora cannot submit grant applications nor can they be a partner in the grant applications.  Application process Applicants must use the following documents and adhere to all eligibility and submission instructions:  Annex 1 - Guidelines for applicants  Annex 2 - Application Form (template)  Annex 3 - Declaration of Honour (template) to be signed by authorised representatives of each party participating in an application  Annex 4 - Legal Entity Form (template) to be completed by all consortium partners (signed by authorised representatives)  Annex 5 - Letter(s) of Commitment (template) from consortium partners (signed by authorised representatives)  Annex 6 - Beneficiary’s Bank account information form (template) for the lead applicant (only needs to be completed by successful applicants)  Annex 7 - Sub-grant agreement (template) that the successful applicants will be requested to sign  Annex 8 - List of examples of requests received so far by BioAgora  Link to BioAgora website with all documents: The Financial Support for Third Parties  Proposals should demonstrate strong interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaboration and bring together method experts, knowledge holders, and actors from across Europe involved in biodiversity policy support. Special attention should be paid to inclusiveness and innovative combinations of methods and tools.

Further information

BioAgora has launched a cascade funding call to support the development of a robust methodological infrastructure for the future Science Service for Biodiversity. The call invites experts to identify a diverse range of methods and approaches at the science-policy-society interface to create an evidence-based framework supporting biodiversity policy. BioAgora is a collaborative European project funded by the Horizon Europe programme that aims to connect research results on biodiversity to the needs of decision-making through a tailored dialogue between scientists, other knowledge holders, and policy actors. Its main outcome will be the establishment of a fair and functional Science Service for Biodiversity (SSBD), which will orchestrate processes and initiatives at the science-policy-society interface (SPSI) at the European level by providing the scientific pillar of the EU’s Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (KCBD). The SPSI refers to “the social processes which encompass relations between scientists and other societal actors in the policy process, and which allow for exchanges, co-evolution, and joint construction of knowledge with the aim of enriching decision-making” (UNESCO, World Social Science Report 2013). The SSBD will better link scientific and non-scientific knowledge with policymaking and implementation, respond more effectively to the current scattered landscape of actors and knowledge holders at the SPSI, and identify future knowledge and policy needs. By creating an inclusive platform where diverse actors can contribute to biodiversity conservation efforts, the SSBD will fully support the ecological transition required by the European Green Deal and the European Union’s (EU) Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 (BDS2030).