[Call for proposals FRB-MTE-OFB 2023] Anthropogenic pressures and impacts on terrestrial biodiversity

Biodiversity is declining at an increasingly alarming rate and human activities, directly and indirectly, synergistically or antagonistically, are influencing this decline which must be halted. However, precisely quantifying the impacts of human activities still remains complex because, even if the causes are generally known and agreed upon, it is still difficult to detail them and to measure the precise consequences and their interactive effects, in time and space.

As part of the implementation of the national “terrestrial biodiversity monitoring” programme carried outby the Ministry of Ecological Transition (MTE) and the the French Biodiversity Office (OFB), the French Foundation for Biodiversity Research (FRB) is launching, for the third consercutive year, the call for proposals “Anthropogenic pressures and impacts on terrestrial biodiversity“. The call aims to characterise the links between pressures of human activities and their impacts on terrestrial biodiversity.

The results of the research funded by the programme should help to strengthen the actions of society as a whole, to halt the decline of biodiversity and promote sustainable human development. 

Projects should have at least one of the two following goals:

• Characterising links between pressure and impacts of human activities on terrestrial biodiversity (highlighting variables/parameters linked to the principle anthropogenic factors of biodiversity change/loss);
• Identifying gaps in current monitoring of human pressures or their impacts (metrics, indicators, spatial distribution, temporal frequency, types of pressure, type of biodiversity).

Human activities and direct or indirect pressures that have implications for terrestrial biodiversity on a territorial scale will be considered (i.e. pressures that have global impacts, such as climate change, cannot be considered on their own, unless they are coupled with other pressures). The geographical framework of this call concerns terrestrial biodiversity, including (but not limited to) French metropolitan and overseas territories. Only pressures that have a significant impact on the biodiversity present on French territory will be considered.

This call for proposals will allow the funding of:

• 1 to 2 SYSTEMATIC REVIEW projects of two years– these projects must present an inventory of human practices that have an impact on biodiversity and a summary of the state of knowledge on the impacts considered.

  • contact: Joseph LANGRIDGE – Mail

  • Proposal deadline: 19th June 2023, 1PM CEST

  • Results: Beginning of October 2023

• 3 data SYNTHESIS projects of three years– these projects should develop syntheses of ideas and/or concepts, analyses of existing data, and should focus on factors affecting the state, evolution and dynamics of biodiversity.
  • contact: FRB-Cesab – Mail

  • Pre-proposal deadline: 19th June 2023, 1PM CEST

  • Proposal deadline: 15th December 2023, 1PM CEST

  • Results: End of March 2024

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• 4 to 6 one-year SYNERGY projects– these projects should provide complementary answers to a question that emerges from a research project that has been finalized or is underway, and should help stakeholders with indicators and practices to be promoted or abandoned to preserve biodiversity.
  • contact: Coline LEANDRE – Mail

  • Proposal deadline: 19th June 2023, 1PM CEST

  • Results: Beginning of October 2023