The Great South West launched its Food Security Position paper in Westminster late last year highlighting the significant contribution this region makes to the UK’s food supply. The launch event drew together policy makers from both the Commons and the Lords, leading industry and academia. The event highlighted the key food security challenges and the critical role that the South West region holds in securing our national food supply. Bournemouth University was represented by Professor Jeff Bray.
Universities across the Great South West region are researching different aspects of Food Security. To develop greater awareness of the region’s research interests and capabilities, an academic Food Security Summit is being convened in June. This event will bring the region’s universities together, showcase respective expertise and enable academic network building thereby stimulating greater collaboration. Themes to be discussed include agri-tech developments, localised supply chains, consumer decision making & economic approaches. A regional academic network will be developed and annual meetings established, reflecting the trajectory and importance of the topic.
This timely and much-needed initiative is led by Jeff Bray from BU and supported by colleagues from all Faculties. If you have a research interest in Food Security and would like to be included in these discussions, then please e-mail Jeff with a brief outline of your research focus by 15th May.
Tagged / Food security
International funding opportunities – upcoming information and brokerage events
The following events may be of interest for BU academics considering applying for grants in their respective research area.
Thursday 13 September 2018 (between 09:00 – 11:00) – Work towards a greener future at Low Carbon Vehicles
Enterprise Europe Network and Innovate UK invite you to participate in a B2B matchmaking event as part of Low Carbon Vehicles 2018 (In order to participate in the B2B matchmaking event, attendees must be also registered for LCV2018 event). The aim of the event is to provide the opportunity for UK and overseas delegates to arrange 1-2-1 meetings to identify and explore potential areas of mutual benefit.
Tuesday 18 September 2018 (09:00 – 16:30) – UK Info & Brokerage Event: Horizon 2020 – Nanotechnologies, Advanced Materials, Biotechnology and Advanced Manufacturing and Processing
Innovate UK and the Knowledge Transfer Network are hosting the Horizon 2020 NMBP event which is aimed at supporting collaboration across the UK and Europe. Event is organised to promote funding opportunities available for Nanotechnologies, Advanced Materials, Biotechnology and Advanced Manufacturing and Processing through Horizon 2020 programme.
Wednesday 26 September 2018 (09:45 – 16:15) – Horizon 2020 Information & Brokerage Event: Food Security, Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry, Marine, Maritime and Inland Water Research and the Bioeconomy
Innovate UK and the Knowledge Transfer Network are hosting the Horizon 2020 Societal Challenge 2 event which is aimed at supporting collaboration across the UK and Europe. Event is organised to promote funding opportunities available for food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research and the bioeconomy through Horizon 2020 programme.
Innovate UK is part of UK Research and Innovation, a non-departmental public body funded by a grant-in-aid from the UK government. The aim of Innovate UK is to drive productivity and economic growth by supporting businesses to develop and realise the potential of new ideas, including those from the UK’s world-class research base.
Enterprise Europe Network mainly provides specialist support to small businesses to help to do business in Europe and beyond, however their database of events may also be useful for academics.
H2020 Societal Challenge 2 (Food security, sustainable agriculture, blue growth and the bioeconomy) Event – 31st October
Innovate UK and the Knowledge Transfer Network are hosting the Horizon 2020 Societal Challenge 2 event (Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research and the bioeconomy) which is aimed at supporting collaboration across the UK and Europe.
They will be promoting funding opportunities available for food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research and the bioeconomy through Horizon 2020, the EU’s largest research and innovation funding programme, with over 1 billion Euros earmarked for calls in 2018-2020.
Find out more about the development of the Horizon 2020 work programme. The pre-publication draft of the SC2 2018-2020 Work Programme is already available, prior to final publication which is due at the end of October.
BU staff considering applying for this and other international funding calls, should contact Emily Cieciura, RKEO’s Research Facilitator for EU & International Funding for further information and support.
Horizon 2020 funding in 16/17: Societal Challenges – SC2
Societal Challenges, by their nature, require input from across the disciplines. Please read on, even if you think this is not applicable to your direct area of research.
Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water research and the bioeconomy, (Horizon 2020, Societal Challenge 2) has a number of opportunities relevant to BU in 16/17. With specific calls ranging from health to economics and conservation to robotics, there really is something for everyone in Societal Challenge 2.
> Sustainable Food Security – Resilient and resource-efficient. This is a wide-ranging call with funding opportunities across a many disciplines. The following are just highlights from the list of over 20 forthcoming calls:
- New partnerships and tools to enhance European capacities for in-situ conservation (closes: 14 February 2017)
- Robotics Advances for Precision Farming (closes: 14 February 2017)
- Innovative solutions for sustainable food packaging (closes: 14 February 2017)
- How to tackle the childhood obesity epidemic? (closes: 14 February 2017 with second stage closing on 13 September 2017)
- Bee health and sustainable pollination (closes: 14 February 2017 with second stage closing on 13 September 2017)
> Blue Growth: Demonstrating an ocean of opportunities, highlighting:
- Interaction between people, oceans and seas: a strategic approach towards healthcare and well-being (closes: 14 February 2017)
- Innovative sustainable solutions for improving the safety and dietary properties of seafood (closes: 14 February 2017)
- Blue green innovation for clean coasts and seas (closes: 14 February 2017)
> Rural Renaissance – Fostering innovation and business opportunities, highlighting:
- Coastal-rural interactions: Enhancing synergies between land and sea-based activities (closes: 14 February 2017 with second stage closing on 13 September 2017)
- Business models for modern rural economies (closes: 14 February 2017 with second stage closing on 13 September 2017)
- Coastal-rural interactions: Enhancing synergies between land and sea-based activities (closes: 14 February 2017 with second stage closing on 13 September 2017)
> Bio-based innovation for sustainable goods and services- Supporting the development of a European Bioeconomy, highlighting:
- Bio-based products: Mobilisation and mutual learning action plan (closes: 14 February 2017)
- Strategies for improving the bioeconomy knowledge of the general public (closes: 14 February 2017)
Find out more about the Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water research and the bioeconomy Societal Challenge.
Please also take a look at the 16/17 Work Programme for this Societal Challenge. You may find it easier to review the opportunites by scanning through a PDF, with links from the contents pages.
More information about Horizon 2020 is located on their dedicated website and on the Particpant Portal. The Societal Challenges form one of the three pillars, which make up this flagship EU scheme.
You can advertise for potential partners or promote your area of expertise to others leading bids using the EU CORDIS website.
Watch out for further blog posts outlining other EU and international opportunties in 16/17.
What next?
Take a look at the dedicated BU Research Blog page for Horizon 2020. If you are considering applying to any EU calls, please contact Emily Cieciura, RKEO’s Research Facilitator: EU & International, as soon as possible, so that we can support your bid.