The Foundation for Science and Technology, in close collaboration with the Public Administration Planning, Policy and Foresight Competence Centre (PlanAPP), is launching the Science4Policy (S4P) initiative: Call for Science Studies for Public Policies (with a maximum overall budget of €1,000,000). This initiative aims to support the development of scientific research studies applied to public policies, stimulating the production of knowledge and evidence that contributes to strengthening the internal competences of the Public Administration in supporting the definition and implementation of public policies, planning, foresight and policy evaluation, involving different government areas. Applications must be submitted, in Portuguese or English, from October 13th until November 14th of 2023, using the electronic form available on the myFCT platform. Applications must include a scientific state of the art focused in the national context, a description of the team, a research plan and methods with a maximum duration of 12 months, a timetable and a budget proposal up to the maximum amount indicated in the thematic line for which they are applying. In this edition of the S4P-23 call, 22 thematic lines have been identified, which were defined in consultation with the Public Administration Planning and Foresight Services Network. One project will be funded for each thematic line, up to the maximum amount of funding defined in the respective thematic line, which is between €40,000 and €50,000.
Thematic lines in CESAM’s area of activity:
Soil and carbon farming guarantees
Project: Elaborate a proposal for regulating carbon market intermediaries in the context of carbon farming. The project involves 1) combining information related with the soil, land use and occupation, forestry and agricultural practices and production structure indicators (DGT, INE) in order to 2) develop a model that allows monitoring in the territorial/spatial, agricultural/forestry and social/economic dimensions, on the basis of which it is possible to 3) propose (and update) boosting mechanisms that allow producers to make the necessary investments for successful effects to be used by intermediaries.
Guarantees of carbon farming in coastal and maritime ecosystems
Project: To elaborate a plan to maximise the conditions for blue carbon sequestration in the medium and long term, in the face of human and natural pressures, which match the dynamics of marine and coastal ecosystems. The project involves 1) determining the long term evolution based on land cover mapping, satellite images and sequestration indicators, by habitat; 2) developing an evolution model (scenarios) and ecogeomorphological monitoring of marine ecosystems for naturally evolving areas, but also for areas subject to human pressure. At last and based on the previously described areas, it is also expected to 3) propose mechanisms for strategic planning (land management) and active conservation of areas with carbon farming potential, including identification of new restoration areas.
Business productivity and entrepreneurship
Project: To typify past and current entrepreneurship support policies. Study of the relationship between company productivity and the characteristics of entrepreneurship (and the entrepreneur) and the respective public support policies, using longitudinal business micro-data (FEEI Incentive Schemes, Personnel Charts and SCIE/IES).
Waste (1): collection
Project: With the aim of achieving national targets, starting with i) a characterisation of pilot programmes and existing initiatives by urban category and experience, as well as a review of European and/or international good practices, in order to ii) propose standards and incentives for selective collection at the level of producers (citizens), collection services (workers) and selective collection companies, already providing for the selective collection of bio-waste and considering the implementation of systems for charging the waste management service according to the produced waste (PAYT).
Waste (2): recycling
Project: Study to identify the causes of the decline in the activities of Collection, Treatment and Disposal of Waste and Valorisation of Materials (CAE 38) in the Portuguese context.
Waste (3): packaging reduction
Project: Deliver a survey of national, European and/or international experiences and best practices that can inform the design of measures to reduce packaging. To draw up proposals for measures to regulate the quantity and type of packaging and incentives with the aim of reducing this type of waste and, on the other hand, to complement the financing of its collection (counterpart values), as well as to suggest ways of monitoring and evaluating its environmental, social and economic impact, if the measures are adopted.
Biodiversity Indicators: terrestrial
Project: Design sets of indicators for various aspects of biodiversity (and filling existing gaps), and methods of data collection for integrated monitoring of the management of natural parks, Natura Network areas and their surrounding areas (classified by type of activity – tourism, agriculture, mineral exploration…), targeting: habitat area and quality, abundance (especially of endemic and exotic species), other biodiversity indicators and ecosystem services, with an emphasis on protected areas where human activities with a potential impact occur (tourism, agriculture, power stations, mining…) in and around the installation area.
Biodiversity Indicators: marine and coastal
Project: Design essential sets of indicators for various aspects of biodiversity (and filling existing gaps), and information-gathering methodologies for integrated monitoring of the management of natural parks, Natura Network areas and their surrounding areas (classified by type of activity – tourism, fishing, energy production…), targeting: habitat area and quality, abundance (especially of endemic and exotic species), other biodiversity indicators and ecosystem services, with an emphasis on protected areas where human activities with potential impact (tourism, fishing, energy, mining…) in and around the installation area.
Responding to climate challenges with ecology and urban planning
Project: Using co-participatory strategies (involving actors representing science, political decision-making and citizens and other stakeholders in society), propose standards to be adopted for urban planning with the aim of mitigating the impacts of climate change on cities (heatwaves, drought and extreme precipitation events), and boosting urban biodiversity, based on a review of the various relevant literature streams, with special emphasis on publications in Portuguese territory. Additionally, it is expected to propose ways of monitoring and evaluating their environmental, social and economic impact.
Anticipating the “Nature Restoration Law”: biodiversity indicators in agri-environments
Project: Draw up a pilot study which, at an appropriate scale (e.g. river basin), allows the identification of essential elements of strategies to be replicated in other farming or forestry contexts in order to create co-creation strategies for: 1) consensualising objectives between the different players for setting up conservation areas within agricultural or forestry holdings; 2) suggesting indicators for monitoring them; 3) proposing appropriate measures/ incentives for their implementation.