BiodivERsA enters second phase to coordinate national research programmes on biodiversity across Europe

Improving the interface between European biodiversity researchers and users of research outcomes

ERA-Net is leading a task within the BiodivERsA ERA-Net about improving the interface between European biodiversity researchers and users of research outcomes, by establishing best practices for identifying and engaging with stakeholders. ‘Stakeholders’ is defined as anyone who may benefit from or be impacted by the research. There are 2 specific deliverables within the task:

1. Develop best practice guidelines for BiodivERsA researchers on ways to effectively identify and engage with key stakeholders;
2. Make recommendations on criteria for evaluating both relevance to stakeholders and effectiveness of stakeholder engagement proposals in applications to BiodivERsA research calls.

What is being done in the second phase?

• BiodivERsA is gathering stakeholder engagement guidelines from other relevant ERA-Nets and EU projects with a view to analysing guidelines already developed.
• A questionnaire survey is being conducted to BiodivERsA partners for information on stakeholder engagement practices. These will be analysed to draw out key approaches. The survey is part of a larger questionnaire which is being circulated by the BiodivERsA Secretariat later this month.
• BiodivERsA is planning a questionnaire survey to BiodivERsA research project participants (active and previous ones) for information on their stakeholder engagement approaches. This will be run in September 2011.
• The outputs from all of these activities will be reviewed and a report will be drawn up for the BiodivERsA Secretariat on the findings.

BiodivERsA informs that it would be good to know what activities you are involved in within your ERA-Net and in particular whether you have any stakeholder engagement processes which may be relevant to this task. If so you can send a copy to the contact person at BiodivERsA, Mrs. Elizabeth Moore or Mrs. Helen Baker. Furthermore BiodivERsA stresses that it would be good to establish a working relationship. As the ERA-Nets develop it will be helpful for all parties to know what is happening so that overlap and duplication can be avoided.