Coordination of national research programmes in Agri-Food and biotechnology - Joining forces of ERA-Net Cofunds, EJP and self sustained initiatives

Project Information

Green ERA-Hub

Grant agreement ID: 101056828

DOI

10.3030/101056828

EC signature date 20 May 2022

Start date 1 September 2022

End date 31 August 2026

Funded under

• Reforming and enhancing the European R&I System

Total cost

€ 3 499 508,75

EU contribution

€ 2 823 600,00

Coordinated by

FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM JULICH GMBH
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Green ERA-Hub (Coordination of national research programmes in Agri-Food and biotechnology - Joining forces of ERA-Net Cofunds, EJP and self sustained initiatives)

Reporting period: 2022-09-01 to 2024-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The Green ERA-Hub (GEH) brings together relevant initiatives, e.g. ERA-Nets and their corresponding funding agencies in the sectors of agri-food and biotechnology, maintaining the momentum and experience gained over the past two decades of transnational research programming. The partners will use their experience to:
- continue to build on previous achievements and further enhance cross-sector collaborations between agri-food and biotechnology initiatives, through implementation of new joint calls resulting in the funding of transnational collaborative projects
- continue the valorisation and implementation of other joint activities supporting the market and the regulatory or societal uptake of results beyond the term of individual initiatives
- preserve best practice and managerial competences on research coordination and funding
- contribute to the planning and complement the implementation of the new HEU Partnerships and Missions
- expand actions and increase the impact of initiatives towards stakeholders and in terms of geographical coverage
- contribute to achieving the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs)

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The GEH developed in a co-creation approach an integrated roadmap, taking all participating initiatives into consideration and identifying relevant common research needs and opportunities that emerge through the unique collaborations within the GEH. Several scoping workshops and a strategic road mapping workshop identified thematic research areas across the various initiatives as well as opportunities and priorities for advancing the GEH. The results from these activities supported the scoping process for the two joint calls, which were implemented within the first two years of the GEH.
The 1st joint call “Contributions to a sustainable and resilient agri-food system” with18 funders from 15 EU and Non-EU countries resulted in 10 transnational research projects with a total funding of 10.2 M€. The timing of the first GEH call perfectly filled the expected funding gap between ending ERA-Nets and the start of Horizon Europe partnerships within similar research remits. The 2nd call “Crop and livestock farming meeting the challenges of climate change”, was co-developed by partners of the GEH, the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases and the Wheat Initiative. Ten funders from six EU and three international partner countries provide a budget of 6.7 M€ to this call. The funding recommendation is expected in November 2024. Currently the preparation for the 3rd call is underway.
With a call for “Early Career Researcher Hosting“ the GEH offered young scientists of the agri-food and biotechnology area the possibility, to spend several weeks in a foreign institution related to their expertise. 14 young scientist were selected and their visits commenced from January 2024 onwards.
A series of 21 scientific webinars, the “Breakfast Club”, allowed researchers from previous funded projects to present and discuss their results with a wider community.
For monitoring and evaluation of funded research projects indicators and key questions as well as monitoring and reporting processes from participating networks were collected, categorised and further consolidated.
A “Living Archive of International Programming” has been established and provides a unique reference book of best practice examples of international programming in the agri-food and biotechnology sectors, while a Masterclass “Learning from the Past, Preparing for the Future” facilitated exchange amongst practitioners. Furthermore, two Annual Socratic Dialogue Events (ASDEs) together with a mapping exercise, several workshops and region-specific meetings delivered clear recommendations to improve the cooperation with Eastern European, Mediterranean and African countries.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The GEH’s “Living Archive of International Programming” is a comprehensive set of best practice examples of international programming in the agri-food and biotechnology sectors. The current collection includes resources such as exercises and workshops on research prioritisation (including SRIA development, literature reviews, and online consultations), public consultation surveys, FAQs from applicant webinars, joint call documents, joint controller agreements, and MoUs for collaborative calls. Monitoring indicators and widening actions have also been gathered and shared.
Grant holders of the GEH’s “Early Career Researcher Hosting“ (ECR) had the possibility to gain experience in a different environment with new facilities and equipment and to widen their network. The call was very well received: 48 of the 62 applications were eligible, resulting in a final selection of 14 ECRs.
With the “Breakfast Club” the GEH established in a series of 21 scientific webinars a community of professionals and stakeholders in the agri-food and biotechnology sectors, facilitating existing and triggering new collaborations and innovation.

Logo of GEH