Biodiversa+ aims to improve information exchanges between science, policy and practice both upstream and downstream. This interface is a cornerstone of the Biodiversa+ strategy, governance and work streams of activities. Biodiversa+ helps improve the relevance and uptake of funded research in relevant societal and policy processes.
Through a diversity of interfacing activities, the objectives are to:
Biodiversa+ contributes to the co-design of research programmes and strategies through the involvement of stakeholders and policy-makers in the network’s mapping, horizon scanning and foresight activities to identify themes to be supported and to develop its different flagship programmes. Biodiversa+ mobilises research actors and policy makers through consultations and dialogue events; it also produces knowledge synthesis of the existing literature to better inform policy-making and better assess policy effectiveness, efficiency and equity both within and beyond the EU border.
Biodiversa+ has set-up a forum gathering researchers, practitioners and policy makers that aims to provide support to reach the protection targets of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. Training materials and other policy products will be shared as part of this forum to reinforce the links between Biodiversa+ Partners, researchers, relevant national representatives/ actors and policy makers.
Biodiversa+ will also collaborate with the Science-Service of the Knowledge Centre on Biodiversity to build expertise in Europe to inform, track and assess progress in implementing the EU 2030 Biodiversity Strategy and to underpin further biodiversity policy developments.
Based on results of its funded projects, Biodiversa+ develops and disseminates policy products, such as policy briefs .
Biodiversa+ also supports funded projects to increase the impact of their research by promoting their policy and/or societally relevant outputs. To this end, Biodiversa+ works on the development of success stories building on the outcomes of the Biodiversa+ funded projects.
Biodiversa+ reinforces capacities to engage with citizens, including the young generation, through the further development of capacities of the research community to engage in citizen science.
Biodiversa+ also promotes longer term engagement of citizens in science, through potential collaborations with key initiatives in the field (e.g. European Citizen Science Association, Earthwatch, iNaturalist, …).