Ecsite is looking for 3 members to coordinate case studies on the biodiversity crisis and biodiversity restoration.

We’re participating in a proposal for a new Horizon Europe call to better understand people’s perception of the biodiversity crisis, develop innovative ways to engage the public with it, and collaborate with local and regional authorities.

What’s in it for you?

• Join a large-scale European initiative to improve our understanding of people’s relationship to biodiversity.
• Co-create and pilot new science engagement approaches around the biodiversity crisis.
• Contribute to better uptake of citizens’ opinions in local and regional biodiversity policy.
• Receive funding from the Horizon Europe programme to shape Europe’s approach to the biodiversity crisis.

Who can apply?

Full Ecsite members since 2024 at least, with an expertise and/or interest in biodiversity, and willing to engage with their local authorities. In case of doubt about your eligibility, contact Clara Boissenin cboissenin@ecsite.eu or Stephanos Cherouvis at scherouvis@ecsite.eu

Apply by 11th August 2025 18.00 CEST. Read the full call below.

CALL

About the proposal:

Ecsite is involved in a new Horizon Europe proposal that responds to the call HORIZON-CL6-2025-BIODIV-09: Understanding the perceptions of and improving communication on the biodiversity crisis and nature restoration benefits to sustain citizen engagement and democratic governance. This is a one-stage call.

The project aims to improve our understanding of how different groups of citizens perceive the biodiversity crisis and activities for biodiversity protection and restoration.

If successfully funded, the project is expected to start in spring 2026 for a duration of 3 years.

Ecsite and the partners of the proposal are looking for three Ecsite members to coordinate a Pilot Site in their region, participating in this research while piloting innovative science engagement with biodiversity, working hand in hand with local authorities. The selected members would benefit from the status of Affiliated Entities of Ecsite in the project’s consortium.

What are Pilot Sites?

In this project, Pilot Sites are case studies that will identify a local issue or challenge related to the biodiversity crisis, protection or restoration, and demonstrate how science and policy engagement can address it, using co-creation, prototyping and the support of the partners and the other case studies.

Your role in the project

Your expected tasks would include the following, performed with the support of the partners in the consortium:

1. Perception analysis:

• Facilitating a local analysis of how the public perceives the biodiversity crisis, with the support of researchers in the project

2. Co-creating science engagement approaches:

• Stakeholder mapping and analysis of your local context
• Co-creation workshops (moderated with the support of the relevant project partner), envisioning and prototyping of local solutions with stakeholders relevant to your Pilot Site

3. Implementation and assessment of science engagement approaches

• Implementation of the prototyped solution
• Continued assessment of implementation
• Continuous contribution to knowledge-sharing activities with other case studies. Possibly twinning with another case study.

4. Engagement with local and regional authorities:

• Involving local and regional authorities in the co-creation and implementation of your pilot’s activity.
• Advocating for the uptake of the research results with your local and regional authorities

5. Communication, dissemination, exploitation:

• Contribute to communication of the project and dissemination of results

6. Management:

• Financial & administrative reporting (with the support of Ecsite)

Indicative budget

• 12 Person Month
• 8,000.00 EUR in travel costs
• 7,000.00 EUR in other direct costs (rental of equipment & venues for activities, catering for events, printing/3D printing, consumables for science engagement activities…)
• 25% of the total budget extra as Indirect Cost

The financial contribution will take the form of a lump sum.

Obligatory:

• Ecsite Full Member status since 2024
• English-speaking project manager
• In-house expertise, experience or interest in science engagement around biodiversity sciences.
• In-house expertise, experience or interest in co-creation and participatory design.
• In-house expertise, experience or interest in implementing social science research methodology (e.g. surveys, interviews, place-based observation, data analysis…)
• Experience in engaging with local authorities.

Desirable:

• Preference for entities from regions underrepresented in Horizon Europe, in particular Widening Countries (Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia) and Associated Countries with equivalent R&I characteristics (Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine).
• Preference for institutions based in or having their pilot site taking place in rural, coastal or peri-urban areas.

How to apply

Please fill in the online form by 11th August 2025 18:00 CEST. Successful applicants will be notified in due course and may be requested to submit additional information.