BiodivERsA aims to network Biodiversity Research Funding Agencies in Europe

First are some geographical challenges, of scientific and political nature, which include:
    •    The identification of research topics of high international priority that need to be addressed at regional level and which will attract funding from a critical mass of participating countries;
    •    The integration of additional new Member States and Associated countries into the ERA-Net, many of whom now have more structured national research funding frameworks and are ready to join the ERA on biodiversity and to take responsibility for project activities;
    •    The involvement of scientific communities (from non member countries), with shared interests in biodiversity issues and important skills and areas of excellence;

Second is the need to address the reorganization of the landscape in the field of biodiversity research as part of programme strategies, with regard to:

    •    Making use of developing infrastructures, such as data management tools and large scale observation tools (GBIF, Lifewatch and other ESFRI initiatives, GEO Bon...)
    •    Coordinating programming strategies with the international and European science-policy interfaces (EPBRS, regional assessments, Prototype Network of Knowledge, future IPBES, etc.), to ensure that research programmes help address policy needs and that results and new knowledge become available for the relevant users, to inform policy and management.

Given the steps taken so far, the BiodivERsA2 partners have expressed their commitment to tackle these challenges and needs, by building on previous achievements and applying lessons learned during the first phase.



 
The specific objectives of BiodivERsA in its second phase

By networking research-funding agencies across Europe, BiodivERsA2 aims to:
    •    Develop an efficient agenda-setting mechanism, based on a continuously developed strategy linking existing international agendas with national and institutional priorities
    •    Instate a recurrent and well-identified funding scheme for transnational biodiversity research projects
    •    Play an active role in the processes and interfaces to inform policy and users
    •    Prepare the establishment of a sustainable independent funding platform for biodiversity research

By fulfilling these objectives BiodivERsA2 will strengthen the cooperation between biodiversity research funding agencies and will identify and develop shared biodiversity research strategies and important research topics. It will further develop a coherent vision of research planning and use within the European research area on biodiversity and will ultimately. It will ultimately set up a self-sustained, independent platform to coordinate and support European biodiversity research.
 

To reach these objectives in four years, various Tasks will be executed by members within six Work Packages (WPs):
    ◦    WP1: Strengthening and expanding the network: integrating new partners and improving processes (WP Leader: FCT, Portugal)
    ◦    WP2: The European biodiversity research landscape and science-policy integration (WP Leader: Formas, Sweden)
    ◦    WP3: Joint funding activities in support of an ERA in biodiversity (WP Leader: ANR, France)
    ◦    WP4: Towards a sustainable research funding platform (WP Leader: NWO, the Netherlands)
    ◦    WP5: Communication and outreach (WP Leader: BelSPO, Belgium)
    ◦    WP6: Coordination and management (WP Leader: FRB, France)
Each Task is lead by one of the BiodivERsA2 members (Task Leader) who is responsible for the proper and timely execution of the planned activities to reach the Task objective(s). Within a WP, the different Tasks are coordinated by a WP Leader who takes responsibility for monitoring progress and reaching the overall WP objective(s) and ensuring synergy between the Tasks.
The duration of the ERA-NET BiodivERsA2 is 48 months, starting on the 1st November 2010.