The BiodivERsA3 project was the continuation of the network of programmers and funders for research on biodiversity, ecosystem services (ESS), and Nature-based Solutions (NbS). Its core mission was to consolidate the European Research Area (ERA) on these topics by strengthening cooperation between funding agencies and the European Commission (EC).
🎯 Overall Objectives and Scope
The project’s main goal was to be a major source of funding and a key player at the science-policy-society interface by:
- Developing a Shared Vision: Creating a Strategic Research & Innovation Agenda (SRIA) to guide priorities.
- Enlarging the Network: Expanding the consortium to enhance geographical and thematic coverage.
- Implementing Joint Calls: Providing significant funding for transnational, transdisciplinary research projects.
- Promoting Dialogue: Facilitating effective engagement between scientists, policy-makers, and society throughout the research process.
💡 Key Results and Achievements
Funding and Research Mobilization
- Significant Funding Source: Implemented two major joint calls totalling €45 million (€33M for 26 projects in the 2015-16 COFUND call and €11.8M for 10 projects in the 2018-19 call).
- Leverage Effect: Achieved an overall in-cash leverage effect of 5.2 for BiodivERsA partners and 7.2 for the EC, demonstrating efficient resource mobilization.
- Project Profile: Funded excellent, transnational, and multidisciplinary projects, typically medium-sized (5 to 7 partners from 3 to 5 countries for $\approx €1.2$M).
- Synthesis Research: Supported synthesis research (re-use of existing data) in collaboration with key European synthesis centers.
Network and Governance
- Enlargement and Internationalization: Grew from 31 to 39 partners across 25 countries, including partners from Overseas Regions & Territories (ORs & OCTs).
- Upgraded Governance: Set up a new structure with a Coordination team and a mixed Advisory Board composed of scientists and stakeholders.
- Alignment: Developed the SRIA and contributed to the subsequent Biodiversa+ SRIA, promoting the alignment of national research programs around shared priorities to overcome fragmentation in the ERA.
Science-Policy-Society Interface
- IPBES Collaboration: Maintained effective collaboration with the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), including hosting the IPBES Technical Support Unit (TSU) for knowledge generation from 2019 onwards.
- Policy Tools: Developed several tools to enhance relevance and impact:
- Policy Briefs based on funded projects’ results.
- Citizen Science Toolkit and a Guide on policy relevance of research.
- The Stakeholder Engagement Handbook was widely successful, downloaded $>10,000$ times in 2017.
- Innovative Assessment: Promoted innovative approaches for assessing the outcomes of funded projects, confirming that there is no trade-off between scientific excellence and the production of society/policy-relevant outputs.
🚀 Impact and Legacy
BiodivERsA3 largely exceeded its objectives and served as the foundation for the next major European initiative:
- Pioneering Partnership: The success of BiodivERsA led it to co-develop the European Partnership on Biodiversity (2021-2028) with the European Commission—the first Partnership of its kind covering all Research and Innovation topics.
- Societal Relevance: The project demonstrated a reinforced capacity to promote stakeholder engagement and the use of new knowledge to tackle societal challenges, with relevant project outputs considered in the IPBES Europe and Central Asia (ECA) assessment.
- Visionary Leadership: Defined a common forward-looking vision with the SRIA, helping to overcome fragmentation and feed into national strategies across the ERA.
