BIODIVERSA+ BiodivNBS Call

Biodiversa+ is pleased to announce that its BiodivNBS Call for Transnational Research Proposals on “Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) for biodiversity, human well-being and transformative change” (referred to as BiodivNBS) is now open.

Nature-based solutions are defined as

“actions to protect, conserve, restore, sustainably use and manage natural or modified terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems, which address social, economic and environmental challenges effectively and adaptively, while simultaneously providing human well-being, ecosystem services and resilience and biodiversity benefits” (UNEA/EA.5/Res.5)

The online platform (EPSS) to submit your pre-proposal will be available soon.

Scope of the call

This call will aim at supporting research on biodiversity to gain a better understanding of the tipping points and trade-offs and underlying mechanisms affecting Nature-based Solutions (definition in box above, see also Eggermont et al. 2015), and their successful implementation with respect to the benefits for nature, human well-being and societal transformation.

To do so, it will support transnational, interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and cross-sectoral research projects (3-years duration) in all parts of the world addressing one or more of the three (non-exclusive) themes below:

• THEME A: Synergies and trade-offs of Nature-Based Solutions in the context of human well-being
• THEME B: Nature-Based Solutions mitigating anthropogenic drivers of biodiversity loss
• THEME C: The contribution of Nature-Based Solutions for just transformative change

All realms (i.e. terrestrial, marine, coastal, and freshwater) will be eligible. 

Transnational research consortia and eligibility

To be eligible, transnational research consortia must be composed of eligible research partners from minimum 3 different countries financially participating in the Call and requesting support from minimum 3 different Funding Organisations; including at least two different EU Member States or EU Associated Countries.

Note that not all EU Member States or Associated Countries financially participates in this call.

Proposals must be exclusively written in English.

Looking for a partner or a project to join?

Use the Biodiversa+ Partner Search Tool

Participating countries

28 Funding Organisations from 31 countries are joining this call and have reserved – together with the European Commission – a total amount of ca. 40M€. Each Research Partner involved in a proposal must comply with the eligibility criteria and rules of its national / regional funding organisations.

The full up-to-date list of participating funding organisation participating in this Call, their reserved budgets and their national / regional eligibility rules and participation modalities are available here.

Evaluation criteria

The research proposals will be evaluated by independent experts against the following criteria:

• At step 1 (pre-proposal stage): Fit to the scope of the call, novelty of the research, and impact;
• At step 2 (full proposal stage): (Scientific) Excellence, quality and efficiency of the implementation (of the project plan) and impact (covering expected societal impact which includes policy impact, and approach to stakeholder engagement).

Research projects will be expected to be transnational, inter- and transdisciplinary and mobilise as needed natural sciences, technical sciences, and social sciences and humanities.

For both steps, the transnational added value of a submitted project must be clearly presented.

Get ready now by consulting our guides including:

• The Stakeholder Engagement Handbook for more information on stakeholder engagement in funded projects
• The Guide on Policy Relevance of research and on effective science-policy interfacing in research proposals, including engagement of policy-stakeholders (note that this guide is currently being updated)
• The Citizen Science Toolkit for more information on how to engage citizens in your research projects
• The Data Management Guide for more information on how to write and develop your data management plan with a focus on making your data and publications as open as possible

Call schedule

A two-step application procedure will apply, with a mandatory submission of pre-proposals at the first step and submission of full proposals at the second step, via an Electronic Proposal Submission System (EPSS).

• Launch of the call: Monday 11 September 2023
• Deadline for pre-proposals submission (mandatory): Friday 10 November 2023, 15:00 CET (local time in Brussels)
• Results of the evaluation of the first step: mid-February 2024
• Deadline for full-proposals submission: Tuesday 09 April 2024, 15:00 CEST (local time in Brussels)
• Final selection of projects for funding: late September 2024
• Start of the projects: between 1 December 2024 and 1 April 2025

Important information and key documents

Make sure to consult the complete announcement of opportunities and all supporting documents on the BiodivERsA website

• Please make sure to consult the Call Documents containing the following information:
  – Announcement of Opportunity (call text)
  – Pre-proposal application form (for information; to be accessed via EPSS platform)
  – Full Proposal application form (for information; to be accessed via EPSS platform in Step 2)
  – Checklist for applicants
  – Data policy
  – Assessment criteria
  – Conflict of Interest, confidentiality and non-disclosure policy.
• FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
• Please note that each research partner in a project who is requesting funding under this call must comply with the eligibility criteria and rules of its national / regional funding organisation. For specific questions related to the budget, eligibility criteria and rules of your funding organisation, please contact your Funding Organisation Contact Point (FCP). All national / regional eligibility & funding rules and associated information including the Funding Organisation Contact Point are available here.

Be aware of all relevant European initiatives and choose wisely which one would be best suited for your projects: click here for more information

• Contact Information for general questions regarding the call:
  Biodiversa+ Call Secretariat
  ANR, Agence Nationale de la Recherche
  biodiversa.cs@agencerecherche.fr
• Contact Information for technical questions regarding the EPSS:Taavi Tiirik
  EPSS technical helpdesk
  epss.biodiversa@g.etag.ee

Information webinar

SAVE THE DATE: an information webinar for potential applicants will be organised on

26 September 2023, from 13:00 to 15:00 CEST.

Register now (mandatory)