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Call key data
Developing an interdisciplinary and inclusive pan-European academic network for food system science
Funding Program
Horizon Europe - Cluster 6 - Destination 7: Innovative Governance, Environmental Oberservations and Digital Solutions in Support of the Green Deal
Call number
HORIZON-CL6-2023-GOVERNANCE-01-4
deadlines
Opening
22.12.2022
Deadline
23.03.2023 17:00
Funding rate
100%
Call budget
€ 6,000,000.00
Estimated EU contribution per project
€ 6,000,000.00
Link to the call
Link to the submission
Call content
short description
The project will build an interdisciplinary and inclusive pan-European academic network for food system science, that will integrate the social sciences and humanities, design, engineering and natural and applied sciences.
Call objectives
Food systems face the triple challenge of providing food security and nutrition for a growing global population, and livelihoods to farmers (OECD, 2021). To meet these challenges, a food system transformation is needed to make the EU food system future-proof, in line with the farm to fork strategy and the European Commission’s food 2030 initiative.
The aim of the network is to federate research performers including universities, national science academies and research centres, academics and researchers across Europe to work together on sustainable food systems transition by carrying out inter- and transdisciplinary research, developing and applying new methods, models and tools, improving data and knowledge sharing, fostering debate and providing advice to policy makers for improved decision-making at all levels – from global to local, as needed.
Proposed activities should cover all of the following aspects:
- Establish a broad pan-European interdisciplinary network of researchers, scientists, and research performers including national science academies, universities and research centres representing diverse and interconnected food systems-related disciplines.
- The network will conduct different types of research: inter-, transdisciplinary and participatory research, as well as policy/regulatory research.
- Interdisciplinary research activities will develop new systems science insights, models, methods and tools to assess and manage the full systemic complexity of food systems, their multiple drivers and dynamics, with the aim of providing research outcomes that deliver co-benefits and minimise adverse effects. The research will also increase understanding of how food systems interact with other bioeconomy demands on biological resources (e.g., energy system, bio-based industry, climate mitigation and adaptation, supply of ecosystem services, etc.).
- Transdisciplinary and participatory research activities will foster collaboration with different food systems stakeholders (e.g., public authorities, local and regional communities, civil society organisations, the private sector, consumers, etc.) to identify knowledge gaps, high priority research needs, and collaborative responses to them. This may include the organization of iterative stakeholder workshops, interviews, questionnaires and the collaboration with existing or future food policy/living labs.
- Policy and regulatory research activities will be designed to provide evidence to support systemic policy and decision making, as needed. In this respect, research is welcome on how to transition to a true cost of food that adequately embeds social and environmental externalities at all levels (global to local).
- Building on the RTD/2020/SC/022 study “Promote education, training and skills across the bioeconomy”, the network will develop open access educational material/curricula to be used by Higher Education Institutes to help strengthen their existing food systems-related teaching and research with an inter- and transdisciplinary systems dimension.
- Support the training, mobility, mutual learning and knowledge sharing amongst researchers (including masters to post-doc levels) and foster open science approaches that also accelerate gender equality, attract young talents, foster inclusiveness and reuse of research knowledge (including the sharing of FAIR and open digital research or educational output). This will also include the organization of a high-level annual summer camp/school providing inter- and transdisciplinary food systems and bioeconomy science training open to youth from all over Europe.
- Organise an international bi-annual conference dedicated to advancing integrated food systems science. In this context special attention will be placed on awarding excellence amongst young researchers, including young women researchers.
- Establish a high-level liaison with EU and relevant international initiatives acting at the science-policy interface for improved food systems governance.
- Proposals are encouraged to cooperate with actors such as the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC). The JRC may provide expertise on how to strengthen the relationship between scientists and European policy makers and to promote research and collaboration on food systems science.
Proposals should include a dedicated task, appropriate resources and a plan on how they will collaborate with the projects funded under the work programme from WP2021-2022, namely HORIZON-CL6-2021-GOVERNANCE-01-02 (FOSTER, Fostering food system transformation by integrating heterogeneous perspectives in knowledge and innovation within the ERA) and with the living labs and lighthouses foreseen under the Horizon Europe Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’. Projects should also build on the findings of the European Commission’s High Level Expert Group (HLEG) that addressed needs and options to strengthen the international science policy interface for improved global food system governance.
Collaboration and complementary with the European Partnership on “Sustainable Food Systems for People, Plant and Climate” is encouraged. In order to achieve the expected outcomes, international cooperation is encouraged.
Efforts shall be made to ensure that the data and the educational output produced in the context of this topic is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable).
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Expected effects and impacts
In line with the objectives of the European Green Deal, the farm to fork strategy for a fair, healthy and environment‑friendly food system, the Food 2030 priorities and the EU’s climate ambition for 2030 and 2050, the successful proposal will contribute to the transformation and sustainability of EU food systems by supporting the establishment of innovative governance models notably to achieve better-informed decision-making processes and facilitate inter- and transdisciplinary research methods.
Successful proposals will develop an interdisciplinary and inclusive pan-European academic network for food system science that integrates the social sciences and humanities (SSH), design, engineering and natural and applied sciences. Central to the work of the academic network is the concept of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). In particular, successful proposals will set out how the network and its members can work to improve and/or develop: new methods and tools, data access and knowledge sharing, inter- and transdisciplinary research and the assessment of impacts in complex and interconnected food systems. The network will act as a European building block in fostering improved food system governance at all scales and will connect with related key international fora. By deepening engagement amongst researchers, scientific disciplines and science performers, this initiative will build capacity to strengthen the role of science and knowledge for sustainable food systems transition in Europe and beyond.
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Expected results
- Establish a broad pan-European interdisciplinary academic network.
- Foster inter-, transdisciplinary, participatory, policy and regulatory research to develop new insights, findings, models, methods and tools to assess and manage the full systemic complexity of food systems.
- A strengthened European Research Area for sustainable food systems transformation for co-benefits, which federates a wide diversity of scientific actors across Europe, promotes gender equality in research, attracts young talents and fosters inclusiveness and cooperation across scientific disciplines, and promotes education and outreach.
- Contribution to the farm to fork objectives and Food 2030 priorities: nutrition for sustainable healthy diets, climate, biodiversity and environment, circularity and resource efficiency, innovation and empowering communities (e.g., meeting the needs, values and expectations of society in a responsible and ethical way).
Eligibility Criteria
Regions / countries for funding
Moldova (Moldova), Albania (Shqipëria), Armenia (Հայաստան), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина), Faeroes (Føroyar / Færøerne), Georgia (საქართველო), Iceland (Ísland), Israel (ישראל / إِسْرَائِيل), Kosovo (Kosova/Kosovë / Косово), Montenegro (Црна Гора), Morocco (المغرب), North Macedonia (Северна Македонија), Norway (Norge), Serbia (Srbija/Сpбија), Tunisia (تونس /Tūnis), Türkiye, Ukraine (Україна), United Kingdom
eligible entities
EU Body, Education and training institution, International organization, Natural Person, Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) / Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Other, Private institution, incl. private company (private for profit), Public Body (national, regional and local; incl. EGTCs), Research Institution incl. University, Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)
Mandatory partnership
Yes
Project Partnership
To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
- the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions
- the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States
- third countries associated to Horizon Europe - see list of particpating countries
Only legal entities forming a consortium are eligible to participate in actions provided that the consortium includes, as beneficiaries, three legal entities independent from each other and each established in a different country as follows:
- at least one independent legal entity established in a Member State; and
- at least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated Countries.
Any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal entities from non-associated third countries or international organisations (including international European research organisations) is eligible to participate (whether it is eligible for funding or not), provided that the conditions laid down in the Horizon Europe Regulation have been met, along with any other conditions laid down in the specific call topic.
A ‘legal entity’ means any natural or legal person created and recognised as such under national law, EU law or international law, which has legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations, or an entity without legal personality.
Specific cases:
- Affiliated entities — Affiliated entities (i.e. entities with a legal or capital link to a beneficiary which participate in the action with similar rights and obligations to the beneficiaries, but which do not sign the grant agreement and therefore do not become beneficiaries themselves) are allowed, if they are eligible for participation and funding.
- Associated partners — Associated partners (i.e. entities which participate in the action without signing the grant agreement, and without the right to charge costs or claim contributions) are allowed, subject to any conditions regarding associated partners set out in the specific call conditions.
- Entities without legal personality — Entities which do not have legal personality under their national law may exceptionally participate, provided that their representatives have the capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf, and offer guarantees to protect the EU’s financial interests equivalent to those offered by legal persons.
- EU bodies — Legal entities created under EU law including decentralised agencies may be part of the consortium, unless provided for otherwise in their basic act.
- Joint Research Centre (‘JRC’)— Where provided for in the specific call conditions, applicants may include in their proposals the possible contribution of the JRC but the JRC will not participate in the preparation and submission of the proposal. Applicants will indicate the contribution that the JRC could bring to the project based on the scope of the topic text. After the evaluation process, the JRC and the consortium selected for funding may come to an agreement on the specific terms of the participation of the JRC. If an agreement is found, the JRC may accede to the grant agreement as beneficiary requesting zero funding or participate as an associated partner, and would accede to the consortium as a member.
- Associations and interest groupings — Entities composed of members (e.g. European research infrastructure consortia (ERICs)) may participate as ‘sole beneficiaries’ or ‘beneficiaries without legal personality’. However, if the action is in practice implemented by the individual members, those members should also participate (either as beneficiaries or as affiliated entities, otherwise their costs will NOT be eligible.
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as member of the consortium selected for funding.
other eligibility criteria
The following additional eligibility criteria apply: the proposals must establish a pan-European network and carry out inter- and transdisciplinary research, as well as policy research, support education and outreach.
Additional information
Topics
Relevance for EU Macro-Region
EUSAIR - EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, EUSALP - EU Strategy for the Alpine Space, EUSBSR - EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSDR - EU Strategy for the Danube Region
UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)
Additional Information
All proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funders & Tenders Portal electronic submission system (accessible via the topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section). Paper submissions are NOT possible.
Proposals must be complete and contain all parts and mandatory annexes and supporting documents, e.g. plan for the exploitation and dissemination of the results including communication activities, etc.
The application form will have two parts:
- Part A (to be filled in directly online) contains administrative information about the applicant organisations (future coordinator and beneficiaries and affiliated entities), the summarised budget for the proposal and call-specific questions;
- Part B (to be downloaded from the Portal submission system, completed and then assembled and re-uploaded as a PDF in the system) contains the technical description of the project.
Annexes and supporting documents will be directly available in the submission system and must be uploaded as PDF files (or other formats allowed by the system).
The limit for a full application (Part B) is 45 pages.
Call documents
HE-Work Programme 2023-2024, Cluster 6, Destination 7HE-Work Programme 2023-2024, Cluster 6, Destination 7(1046kB)
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