A competitive ‘BONUS call 2017: Synthesis’ call is now open. Proposals are invited until 9 November 2017 for transnational desktop-studies of up to 18-months and EUR 450 000 of funding. Mandatory preregistration for all applicants is a month earlier on 9 October 2017.
What is expected from a synthesis project?
Knowledge synthesis is central for knowledge translation from research community to practice and for ensuring evidence-based decision making. This call sets out to synthesise the research outputs that address the challenges for sustainable use of the Baltic Sea ecosystem services. As inherent elements of knowledge synthesis, the proposed projects are expected to perform critical review of research outputs as well as identify the knowledge gaps and further research needs. Each project funded will be also expected to analyse how successfully the outputs of science have been taken up at different levels of public governance and management, and by industry, and suggest ways to enhance the societal significance and impact of research and innovation relevant to the specific topic. Topics selected for this call extend across the strategic objectives and themes of the BONUS strategic research agenda (SRA); they require an interdisciplinary approach and shall therefore be examined from different angles, e.g. natural science, technology, economy, social aspects.Projects are expected to analyse as broad body of research outputs as necessary for robust and unbiased review and credible gap analysis, including, but not limited to, the outputs of research done within BONUS. Wherever possible and appropriate, projects are expected to apply systematic review methodology, combined, where necessary, with a narrative approach. If not stated otherwise, each project is expected to produce as its deliverables at least three review papers devoted to different aspects of the problem, each accompanied by a policy brief(s) distributed to the potential users in a targeted manner as well as appropriate, popular dissemination materials targeting broad society.
Link to the Bonus Call.
In the core of BONUS is a long-term collaboration that supports sustainable development and implementation of HELCOM’s Baltic Sea Action Plan, the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive and other national, regional and European policy developments.
BONUS is funded jointly by the eight member countries around the Baltic Sea and the EU by a total of EUR 100 million for the years 2011-2020. A total of 40 projects have received BONUS funding by August 2017.
