Social Science Research Council’s Post

#Transdisciplinary Participatory Research Exchange Program in the Bolivian #Amazon: Solving environmental challenges demands innovative multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary methods. To do so, we must develop a new generation of scientists who can engage collaboratively across disciplines, cultures, and with stakeholders to prioritize fairness, access, and inclusion when framing research questions and jointly identifying answers. The proposed project is a transdisciplinary #participatory research exchange program linking students, professors, practitioners, and community groups. We focus on building #transdisciplinary research skills in undergraduate students from Universidad Amazónica de Pando through innovative #mentorship and research training programs in partnership with the University of Florida and Bolivian partners. Our other target audience is UF graduate students who work in teams with UF/UAP faculty to mentor Bolivian undergraduates through the #research process. UAP and UF students participate in an exchange program and regular virtual activities. Proposed activities and their research will address topics related to #greeneconomy, #sociobioeconomy, #environment, #climateaction, and #energytransformation.  https://lnkd.in/eXuRKk7N

The University of Waterloo, Canada’s number one comprehensive research university, is excited to tap into €53bn in new funding opportunities offered by Pillar II of Horizon Europe. Researchers at the University of Waterloo (Waterloo), Canada’s number one comprehensive research university for the last 16 years, eagerly anticipate the official launch of Canada’s participation in Horizon Europe’s Pillar II programme to further support the university’s globally important and impactful research. In the current climate of global uncertainty, Waterloo is looking to strengthen relationships with our trusted EU partners. Charmaine Dean, Vice-President, Research and International at Waterloo, said: “The University of Waterloo welcomes the opportunity to forge new European partnerships to advance innovative research that will leave a lasting footprint around the world.” “Waterloo facilitates large numbers of outbound and inbound student exchanges annually. The goal is to remain at the forefront of innovation by cultivating new collaborations with international partners. We welcome the opportunity to deepen our ties with the EU countries.” Developing relationships and leveraging diverse perspectives through internationalisation is a top priority for the university. https://lnkd.in/exvkS3Hs #horizoneurope #eufunding #science #research #internationalcollaboration #waterloo #canada

Ahead of Council Conclusions on #KnowledgeValorisation under the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2024 YERUN shares its reflections and recommendations on how to strengthen #universities role in fostering #societal #impact 💡 YERUN members identified three key areas where attention is needed: 📌 the general understanding of the value of knowledge valorisation; 📌 the role that research assessment mechanisms play; 📌 the need for further engaging systematically with citizens and other actors. Read the full position here ➡ https://lnkd.in/dzApFk27 Brunel University London Nicolaus Copernicus University Universidade Nova de Lisboa Maastricht University University of Rome Tor Vergata UiT- The Arctic University of Norway Ulm University Universidad Carlos III de Madrid University of Antwerp University of Bremen University of Cyprus University of Essex University of Eastern Finland Universität Klagenfurt  University of Konstanz University of Limerick University of South-Eastern Norway Syddansk Universitet - University of Southern Denmark Université Paris Dauphine - PSL University of Potsdam Sveučilište u Rijeci / University of Rijeka University of Stirling Tallinn University

Whakamihi congratulations to Dr Marjorie Lipsham and Dr Acushla Sciascia who have been awarded Ngā Puanga Pūtaiao Fellowships by Royal Society Te Apārangi. The Fellowships aim to empower early and mid-career Māori researchers to foster research, science and innovation talent and plant the seeds for the next generation. Dr Lipsham's research, titled 'He Rau Tauwhiro: The place of kaitiaki in contemporary Māori realities', will build on her doctoral work on kaitiakitanga. “In our environment, kaitiaki are considered spiritual beings and guardians who are relations to Māori through whakapapa. They take the form of birds, mountains, rivers, taniwha, atua, tūpuna or other manifestations, such as trees. Concentrating on non-human forms, a key aim of my research will be to investigate Māori experiences and understandings of kaitiaki, alongside how they inform our understandings of the environment. I hope to extend on these understandings and leave koha for future generations to know who kaitiaki are, what they do and how they inform and guide us in the environment. ” Dr Sciascia’s research, titled 'Toitū te marae, toitū te hapori – Building whānau resilience through physical and virtual marae', will be focused on the adverse effects of extreme weather events and impacts of climate change on Indigenous populations who already grapple with the impacts of colonisation, land confiscation, occupation, racism and discrimination. “For whānau, hapū and iwi, the threat of climate change on our spiritual connection to whenua, wai and taonga is significant. It is a threat to our cultural and spiritual wellbeing that will increasingly impact Māori communities as we become more vulnerable to future environmental events. Given the existing inequities that Māori communities are faced with, their preparedness, response and recovery to natural phenomena are disadvantaged. Their ability to adapt to climate change requires grounded, connected and reflective approaches. I see this research programme as a catalyst to supporting Mana Motuhake and mokopuna-focused decision making around whānau resilience, and this excites me.” Read more here:

Within the GROW research programme, we are going to recruit 51 PhD students to work on solution-oriented research for and with the African continent. They will focus on urgent challenges related to the Sustainable Development Goals, such as climate change, the energy transition, affordable global healthcare, access to clean water and sustainable urban development. The challenges we face call for an integrated and transdisciplinary approach, and equal cooperation with African partners. Therefore, GROW (Graduate Research on Worldwide Challenges) is a collaboration of five Dutch universities, who join forces with 22 academic partners from Africa and 17 civil society partners in Africa. This way, the programme will foster the integration of knowledge and experiences of the African continent in Dutch science. GROW is half funded (€6.9 million) by the European Commission. The Dutch universities (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam) (via Amsterdam Sustainability Institute - VU Amsterdam), Delft University of Technology, University of Amsterdam, Leiden University, Erasmus University Rotterdam) co-funded the rest. Do you want to apply for one of the programme’s PhD positions, of which 2 will be stationed and supervised at Athena? Registration will open on 1 December 📩 and research will start in summer 2024. ➡ Click on the link below for more information. #research #phd #SDGs #Africa #GROWinResearch 

Within the GROW research programme, we are going to recruit 51 PhD students to work on solution-oriented research for and with the African continent. They will focus on urgent challenges related to the Sustainable Development Goals, such as climate change, the energy transition, affordable global healthcare, access to clean water and sustainable urban development. GROW (Graduate Research on Worldwide Challenges) is a collaboration of five Dutch universities, who join forces with 22 academic partners from Africa and 17 civil society partners in Africa. Jacqueline Broerse, director the Athena Institute and GROW PhD supervisor: “The challenges we face call for an integrated and transdisciplinary approach, and equal cooperation with African partners. This programme will foster the integration of knowledge and experiences of the African continent in Dutch science.” GROW is half funded (€6.9 million) by the European Commission. The Dutch universities (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam) (via Amsterdam Sustainability Institute - VU Amsterdam), Delft University of Technology, University of Amsterdam, Leiden University, Erasmus University Rotterdam) co-funded the rest. Do you want to apply for one of the programme’s PhD positions, of which 2 will be stationed and supervised at Athena? Registration will open on 1 December 📩 and research will start in summer 2024. ➡ Click on the link below for more information. #research #phd #SDGs #Africa #GROWinResearch 

📢 The #MarieSkłodowskaCurieActions (MSCA) & Citizens 2023 call has just closed!   134 project proposals from 38 countries were submitted to organise the next two editions of the European Researchers' Night and Researchers at Schools’ activities in 2024 and 2025.   💡 Selection results will be announced in February 2024 👉 Read more: europa.eu/!JWfynG Funded under #HorizonEU, the #EuropeanResearchersNight and #ResearchersAtSchools aim at: 🔹 Boosting exchanges between #researchers and #society 🔹 Increasing awareness of #research and #innovation activities and enhancing public recognition of #science and #researcheducation 🔹 Showing the impact of researchers’ work on citizens’ daily lives 🔹 Raising the interest of #youngpeople in research and #scientificcareers   Discover all our MSCA #fundingopportunities: europa.eu/!wc9DFm

A new article published in The European Journal of Development Research by Juanjo Balaguer (from University of Granada, Spain) analyses our Living Cultures Indigenous Fellowship, highlighting three key elements: 1.⁠ ⁠Legacy: our fellowship programme addresses some common failings of Impact Evaluation processes by establishing a global network of activist and Indigenous organizations. This ensures participants' involvement in defining project objectives, while a mentor role adapts initiatives to diverse cultural contexts and perceptions of social change. 2.⁠ ⁠Meaningful learning: our programme’s evaluation methodology integrates participation across all stages, transforming assessment into a continuous dialogue that extends beyond the project's conclusion. 3.⁠ Holistic approach to evaluation: Our fellowship program looks at social change in a broad and long-term way. Instead of focusing on single, simple goals, we consider many different aspects of change. This means we go beyond predefined indicators to measure success and understand the impact of our work more clearly. However, Balaguer also acknowledges the challenge of financial sustainability. Without securing adequate financial resources, the hubs may face limitations in pursuing their objectives and thus contributing to broader social change. This poses a significant challenge, raising questions about the long-term viability of the program. Read the full article to learn more: https://rdcu.be/dxw4Y #ParticipatoryVideo #InsightShare #IndigenousVoices #LivingCultures 🌍

A New Era of Global Collaboration in Africa-Europe Research: Seizing Opportunity, Valuing Diversity, and Embracing Interdependence The collaboration between The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities and the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) heralds an exciting era of equitable global research collaboration. This inclusive partnership, embodied in the Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence (CoREs), is poised to address pressing global challenges spanning climate change, nature-positive agriculture, global health, energy transition, and societal transformations. This initiative is underpinned by three fundamental pillars: (1) Embracing interdependence is grounded in the acknowledgment of the mutual reliance between Africa and Europe in addressing critical global issues (2) Recognizing the opportunity and valuing diversity, underscores the need for a transformative shift in collaboration strategies, as Africa's global science production share hovers below 5% (2) Seizing a political moment, born from discussions commencing in 2018, aligns with a shift towards a more positive perception of and strategy for Europe's neighboring continent, Africa The CoREs, a core outcome of this partnership, represent a commitment to research and equity. They aim to secure external funding, integrate diverse knowledge and contextualized solutions, and cultivate both human resources and research incentivized environments on both sides of the collaborative partnetship. These initiatives pave the way for system-wide change, propelling us toward a more equitable and collaborative future in research and innovation, ultimately contributing to Europe's Global Gateway and Africa's transformation into a knowledge society by 2063. #GlobalResearchUnity #EmbracingInterconnectedness #InclusiveCollaboration Jan Palmowski Association of African Universities Africa Research Excellence Fund (AREF) African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA)

In the last couple of months, I have immersed myself in Science, Technology, and Innovation work. No, I was not attending bootcamps, science fairs or hackathons. I was instead interacting with public officers working on grants management and on STI policy work in their countries. In about 17 select African countries, I have appreciated both the research & innovation and policy-evidence value-chains. I have learnt that the impact of a national STI policy is nuanced by the manuals and frameworks used to manage research and innovation funds and grants – domiciled in science granting councils and operated by research and grants management officers. These last couple of months have been an almost mosaic blend of small wins, frustration, and learning which have ensured I learn the art of funding and managing research and innovation projects. Most importantly, I have learnt a new skill – grants management (a long, tedious, bureaucratic process of contracting, correspondence, decision making, and awarding a research/ innovation project proposal funds to be implemented). And, there are intentional efforts to include and empower more and more women, early career researchers, and the private sector in this research/ innovation ecosystem. #sti #africa #policy #evidence #research #technology #innovation #science #stiecosystem #grantsmanagement #learning