Biodiversa+,a European co-funded partnership supporting excellent research on biodiversity with an impact for policy and society, has announced a new call for research proposals focusing on ‘Restoration of ecosystem functioning, integrity and connectivity’ (‘BiodivConnect’). The call is planned to officially open on 9 September 2025.

This call addresses three main topics, that partly overlap. Project proposals can address one or more of these main topics, being:

Topic 1: Setting restoration targets and measuring success

This topic addresses the need for coherent and operational restoration targets and measurements of success in terms of ecosystem functioning, integrity and connectivity. Projects are expected to consider shifting baselines and integration of ecological, cultural and social contexts, with objective-based or reference-based approaches.

Topic 2: Transferability and scaling of nature restoration efforts

This topic addresses the need for a better understanding of the possibilities and methods for meaningful and effective scaling and transferability of nature restoration efforts. There are many examples of successful local restoration efforts across the world, however the scale of the biodiversity crisis necessitates advancements in approaches and processes for reproducing successful efforts across different socio-economic and environmental contexts.

Topic 3: Resilience and sustainability of restoration efforts

This topic addresses the need for long-term sustainability of restored species, habitats and ecosystems, including resilience to climate change and other pressures. Given future environmental and societal changes, it will not be possible to rely solely on historical and current datasets and models to predict likely pathways to successful restoration. There is also a need for advanced predictive modelling and anticipatory strategic foresight based on policy learning, as well as the development of entirely novel approaches to restoration, experimental approaches with high risk tolerance, and/or open-ended restoration efforts such as rewilding.

Projects must include teams from at least three different countries, and funding will come from various national and regional organizations, including the FWO for Flanders (and the FNRS for the French speaking Belgian community). Details about eligibility, evaluation criteria, and a full description of the themes will be published when the call officially launches.

For more information, visit the BiodivConnect call pre-proposal webpage and keep an eye on updates from NCP Flanders and FWO for further support.

The FWO can also be contacted directly at europe@fwo.be.