RESPONSE - to society and policy needs through plant, food and energy sciences

Project Information

RESPONSE

Grant agreement ID: 847585

DOI

10.3030/847585

Project closed

EC signature date 7 May 2019

Start date 1 February 2020

End date 31 January 2025

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 5 695 200,00

EU contribution

€ 2 847 600,00

Coordinated by

EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICH
Switzerland

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - RESPONSE (RESPONSE - to society and policy needs through plant, food and energy sciences)

Reporting period: 2022-02-01 to 2025-01-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

28 ESRs contribute through their inter-sectoral research to European coordinated efforts for stewardship in transformation to sustainable food systems, sustainable energy systems and to ensure sustainable land use. RESPONSE DP combines research with empowerment of ESRs to interact with stakeholders, policy-makers and the public to make sure that research is responsive to the needs of society and the necessary transformations for fulfilling the Sustainable Development.

RESPONSE DP is unique: 28 ESRs collaborate with a Partner Organisation at the science, -policy, -society interface or with private enterprises in a 3-12 month secondment. Co-supervision is provided during the fellowship through academic and non-academic partners. All ESRs are enrolled in the curriculum of the existing and forefront PSC Doctoral Programme “Science and Policy” and are matriculated at ETH Zurich (20 ESRs) or University of Zurich (8 ESRs).

As part of the research process, they learn how to address the values, needs and expectations of societal actors and how to co-create knowledge for policy-relevant outcomes.

In RESPONSE DP, all ESRs benefit from the research environments of world-leading universities (ETH Zürich – beneficiary and University of Zurich - recruiting Partner Organisation) represented by their international renown centers: Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center (PSC, joint research center of ETH, UZH and UNIBAS), the World Food System Center (WFSC, ETH) and Energy Science Center (ESC, ETH) and of 25 non-academic Partner Organisation.

RESPONSE DP implements the triple “i” dimension of doctoral training: international mobility of ESRs, inter-sectorial opportunities and the contribution to interdisciplinary research areas.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

8 defended their Doctoral at thesis at either ETH Zurich or University of Zurich by M60. 3 are scheduled for the next 3 months and 16 until the end of 2025. To be mentioned explicitly, ESR24 has been selected as one of the top 30 young scientists addressing climate change and earning the prestigious Inflection PhD Award. ESR05 participated in the MSCA Science-Policy Pitch Competition 2023 (Toledo, Spain) and won in category “Contribution to wider EU policy priorities“.

Approaching the imminent completion of the RESPONSE DP, the ESRs, the PIs and Partners as well as the great achievements in research, Doctoral training as well as collaborations have been celebrated officially with the RESPONSE Symposium on December 5, 2024. At this event, 27 ESRs presented their individual project though posters and as part of a 17-min documentary (i.e. film).

Fulfilled by M60 and by the end of the fifth year:
Training:
• 22 ESRs completed the PhD Program in Science and Policy, remaining 5 ESRs will finish it by M60+5 (1 ESR have left the program earlier).
• The RESPONSE Summer School has been completed successfully with 17 ESRs and other early career scientists attending in year 3, remaining 11 fellows visited another accredited summer school.
• Secondments: 27 ESRs have finished their secondments. 1 ESR will complete the secondment in M60+5.
• Stakeholder Meetings: 25 ESRs have conducted their stakeholder workshop.

Publications:
• 25 ESRs published in open access and peer-reviewed journal, 60 manuscripts are in preparation or planned.

Conferences:
• First Annual Meeting (M13): At the first Annual Meeting (M13) 14 appointed ESRs presented their research projects.
• Second Annual Meeting (M26): All 28ESRs presented the progress of their individual projects.
• Third Annual Meeting (M38): All 28 ESRs presented the progress of their individual projects.
• 28 ESRs presented their research with 65 talks and 34 posters at national and international conferences.

Policy and Science:
• Policy Outcomes: 12 ESRs have published non-peer-revied publications such as policy briefs (4), white papers (2), fact sheets (2), synthesis reports (2), book chapter (1) or others.
• 27 ESRs have joined one of the Citizen Consensus Conferences for engaging actively with stakeholders in their research field organized by the collaborating competences centers (ESR, 2021; WFSC, 2022, and PSC, 2023).

Public Engagement Activities
• 28 ESRs have participated in outreach and public engagement activities, including blog articles (27), science fairs (13), school class workshops (3) and others.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

As part of the research process all ESRs learn how to address the values, needs and expectations of societal actors and how to co-create knowledge for policy-relevant outcomes. We expect policy outcomes or innovation well integrated in the impact channels of the policy-related partner organisations: +28 as policy briefs, fact sheets, scenarios, models, etc.

We expect in the fields of research to contribute to question as:

• TRANSITIONS IN THE ENERGY SECTOR: 9 ESRs
What is a possible target system for the energy supply in 2050 that meets the sustainability criteria (including climate goals)? Which technologies need to be deployed? Do we have missing technologies? Which policies are needed for the transition to be effective?

• SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS: 13 ESRs
How should a resilient food system look like that is efficient in the use of environmental resources, sufficient through less demands and diversified in product and practices?

• LAND USE DECISIONS: 6 ESRs
Can research in land use scenarios respond to the need to better integrate land management with competing needs of society for energy, food as well as intact ecosystem services and a healthy and biodiversity-rich landscape? Can we maintain livelihoods while maintaining biodiversity? Are there feedbacks in the social-ecological system that prevent transitions towards sustainable resource use?

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