European Biodiversity Partnership launches a new research call on Nature-Based Solutions

This call aims at supporting research on biodiversity to gain a better understanding of the tipping points and trade-offs and underlying mechanisms affecting Nature-Based Solutions, and their successful implementation with respect to the benefits for nature, human well-being and societal transformation.

Nature-Based Solutions have been defined globally by the UN Environment Assembly in 2022 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). Both the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recognise the role of Nature-Based Solutions in addressing the twin biodiversity and climate crises.

The call 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 1 – Synergies and trade-offs of Nature-Based Solutions in the context of human well-being;
• THEME 2 – Nature-Based Solutions mitigating anthropogenic drivers of biodiversity loss;
• THEME 3 – The contribution of Nature-Based Solutions for just transformative change.

Proposals from all realms (terrestrial, marine, coastal, and freshwater) are eligible.

Research teams will be invited to form transnational research consortia with eligible research partners from minimum three different countries participating in the call and requesting support from at least three different Funding Organisations (including minimum two different EU Member States or EU Associated Countries).

A two-step process will apply to this call, with a mandatory submission of pre-proposals at the first step (deadline: 10 November 2023 at 15:00 CET) and submission of full proposals at the second step (deadline: 9 April 2024 at 15:00 CEST).

The complete announcement and call documents, including full eligibility and evaluation criteria, are available from the Biodiversa+ website. The Partnership will also organise a general information webinar for interested researchers on 26 September 2023.

What is Biodiversa+?

Biodiversa+ is the Horizon Europe co-funded biodiversity partnership supporting excellent research on biodiversity with an impact for policy and society. It was jointly developed by BiodivERsA and the European Commission and was officially launched on 1 October 2021. Biodiversa+ is part of the European Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 that aims to put Europe’s biodiversity on a path to recovery by 2030. The Partnership plans to launch six co-funded joint research calls over the seven years of its implementation with an estimated budget of around EUR 250 million.

European Partnerships such as Biodiversa+ bring the European Commission and private and/or public partners together to address some of Europe’s most pressing challenges through concerted research and innovation initiatives. They are a key implementation tool of Horizon Europe, and contribute significantly to achieving the EU’s political priorities. Biodiversa+ currently gathers 81 research programmers and funders and environmental policy actors from 40 European and associated countries, and aims to connect science, policy and practice for transformative change.

More information

Biodiversa+ Open call

Biodiversity research and innovation

Nature-based solutions

€800 million new European Biodiversity Partnership to spearhead protection of earth’s biodiversity