Systemic approaches to accelerate transformative change for biodiversity
Systemic approaches to accelerate transformative change for biodiversity supports research teams studying and piloting changes in governance and decision-making to address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss.
Funder: European Commission
Due Dates: October 13, 2026 (Opening) | January 14, 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: €4 million per project; €12 million total topic budget for 3 expected grants
Summary: Supports systemic, transdisciplinary research and pilot interventions addressing the underlying causes of biodiversity loss.
Key Information: Proposals must apply a multi-actor approach and include effective social sciences and humanities expertise.
Description
This European Commission Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action funds systemic approaches to transformative change for biodiversity. It brings together natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, behavioural sciences, culture and the arts to examine how values, governance, power dynamics and economic relationships drive or hinder nature-positive practices. Projects should build on IPBES findings and diverse knowledge systems, including Indigenous and local knowledge.
The topic supports mapping relationships across actors and sectors, identifying leverage points, and designing, piloting and evaluating changes to governance, organisational routines and decision-making. Participatory research should help communities, businesses and policymakers develop coherent responses to biodiversity loss, climate change and pollution. Projects should also produce guidance, data and tools that enable effective approaches to be adapted, replicated and scaled across sectors and regions.
