A minimum of EUR 2 million available for knowledge synthesis desktop-studies on sustainable use of Baltic Sea ecosystem services BONUS, the joint Baltic Sea research and development programme has opened a competitive call ‘BONUS call 2017: Synthesis’ in August. Proposals are invited until 9 November 2017 for transnational desktop-studies up to 18-months and EUR 450 000 of funding. Mandatory preregistration for all applicants is a month earlier on 9 October 2017. © BONUS Knowledge synthesis is central for knowledge translation from research community to practice and for ensuring evidence-based decision making. “We invite now proposals to synthesise top research outputs that address the challenges for sustainable use of the Baltic Sea ecosystem services,” says Dr. Kaisa Kononen, Executive Director of BONUS. ”While the marine environment provides humanity with numerous benefits we must make every effort possible to ensure its long-term sustainability.” 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, update 2014. They require an interdisciplinary approach and shall therefore be examined from different angles, e.g. natural science, technology, economy, social aspects. Consortia seeking for BONUS funding must be interdisciplinary and transnational and involve eligible legal entities independent of each other from at least three EU member states or associated countries with a minimum of two project partners originating from the BONUS member states (i.e. Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden). “In order to achieve robust and unbiased review as well as credible gap analysis, projects will be expected to analyse as broad body of research outputs as necessary – this also beyond outputs of research done within BONUS,” Kononen adds. “We look forward to receiving many top notch collaborative proposals during the next three months.” For more information about the ‘BONUS call 2017: Synthesis’, visit www.bonusportal.org/synthesis 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. https://www.bonusportal.org/ Facebook and Twitter: BONUSBaltic, bonus@bonuseeig.fi Keywords Funding, Baltic Sea, Scientific research, Synthesis, policy support, human lifestyles and activities Countries Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Sweden
