In the context of strengthening European mechanisms for scientific support to decision-making on biodiversity, a new European project funded under BioAgora project has recently been approved, aimed at developing the methodological infrastructure of the future European Union Science Service for Biodiversity (SSBD).
The project, entitled Methods4Nature (M4Nature), is coordinated at the University of Aveiro by Olga Ameixa, a researcher at CESAM/DBIO, and aims to improve the quality, diversity and effectiveness of the methodologies used to respond to knowledge requests at the science–policy interface. The consortium is led by Northumbria University in the United Kingdom and, besides the University of Aveiro, also includes BOKU University in Austria, the University of Kassel and the University of Bonn in Germany, and the University of Stirling in Scotland.
Within the framework of Methods4Nature, a Knowledge Exchange Network (KEN) will be established, conceived as a European community of practice dedicated to methodological challenges at the science–policy–society interface. This network aims to support the selection and application of robust knowledge synthesis methods to address environmental and biodiversity challenges, promoting methodological excellence through practical guidance tailored to the needs of decision-making processes.
The project directly contributes to the mission of the Science Service Centre for Biodiversity, integrated within the Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (KCBD) of the European Union, through the development of validated, artificial intelligence–supported methodological tools designed to strengthen the capacity to produce rigorous, transparent and timely knowledge syntheses in support of public policy development.
The call for participation in the KEN is open to researchers, policy-makers and practitioners working at the science–policy interface with experience in biodiversity, environmental assessment, methods, standards or decision-support tools. Participation will enable collaboration with experts from different sectors and disciplines, contribution to the development of European methodologies and guidelines, support in identifying robust approaches for nature-based solutions, and potential participation in a Delphi panel for the co-construction of the project’s methodological framework.
Applications are open until 30 January, and further information as well as the application form are available here.
The project encourages the dissemination of this call across academic and institutional networks.