Periodic Reporting for period 2 - RecaP (Capture, recycling and societal management of phosphorus in the environment)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2023-03-01 al 2025-02-28
Phosphorus (P) is a vital input for agricultural production. Yet, current agricultural practices are overexploiting and wasting the earth´s P reserves, which are needed to meet the food demand of a growing human population. Currently, there is a large flow of P from mineable P rock through agricultural production systems to surface waters, where eutrophication severely deteriorates ecosystems functioning. Hence, P is polluting the environment, while at the same time valuable P resources are lost. This is the global P challenge! A challenge of planetary dimensions with potentially dramatic consequences for humans. Through its circular Economy Action Plan, the EU provides the regulatory framework to develop an economy where the value of products, materials and resources is maintained for as long as possible. Important steps towards a circular P economy includes establishing new interdisciplinary partnerships for creating strategies towards radical restructuring of P governance and for developing novel, interdisciplinary P management solutions involving multi-stakeholder participation at regional and global scales. RecaP addressed these needs by training the next generation of P specialists to become ‘knowledge brokers’ across disciplinary silos with their interdisciplinary skills, experience and networks, ensuring transformative changes in P sustainability in the EU. RecaP explored the technical aspects of the global P challenge including where such solutions can be implemented in a way that is socially, economically, and environmentally acceptable. ESRs focused on capture and recycling of P from wastewater and freshwater systems, novel P recovery techniques, strategies to improve crop utilization of P, novel freshwater restoration techniques, and barriers and enablers to policy and economic transformation to support recycling. All activities were connected to one another in order to create novel insights to help create new P governance.
The goals of the project were met, namely:
Trained 15 ESRs towards a PhD degree with a high-quality interdisciplinary programme; all ESRs completed three secondments, and at the time of this report, 4 of the 15 ESRs have defended their PhDs, with 3 more planned within the next 3 months following the project.
Help the European Commission meet its goals of transforming the EU to a circular economy; ESRs synthesised detailed recommendations in D7.4 which has been adapted and still within internal discussions with ESRs and lead researchers for eventual submission to a journal. More than 45 impact goals (several connected to legislation and policy) have been envisioned and explained in D8.5.
Help address 7 of the 17 SDGs demonstrating the high societal relevance of the training programme; ESRs work individually, in small teams, and altogether to address different SDGs (listed above). The ESRs have been active on social media, promoting their projects to communicate and educate the public on P-relevant issues that are relevant to the public. ESRs embarked on individual components of societal involvement as they deemed fit and necessary.
The project goals addressed seven of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, which are important to better understand the impact and changes needed to sustainable capture, recover, utilize, recycle and transform our use of Phosphorus.
The goals of the project were met, namely:
Trained 15 ESRs towards a PhD degree with a high-quality interdisciplinary programme; all ESRs completed three secondments, and at the time of this report, 4 of the 15 ESRs have defended their PhDs, with 3 more planned within the next 3 months following the project.
Help the European Commission meet its goals of transforming the EU to a circular economy; ESRs synthesised detailed recommendations in D7.4 which has been adapted and still within internal discussions with ESRs and lead researchers for eventual submission to a journal. More than 45 impact goals (several connected to legislation and policy) have been envisioned and explained in D8.5.
Help address 7 of the 17 SDGs demonstrating the high societal relevance of the training programme; ESRs work individually, in small teams, and altogether to address different SDGs (listed above). The ESRs have been active on social media, promoting their projects to communicate and educate the public on P-relevant issues that are relevant to the public. ESRs embarked on individual components of societal involvement as they deemed fit and necessary.
The project goals addressed seven of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, which are important to better understand the impact and changes needed to sustainable capture, recover, utilize, recycle and transform our use of Phosphorus.
The RecaP Consortium launched a virtual kick-off meeting on 13 April, 2021 to review EU MSCA expectations, confirm leadership and communication channels, finalize contracts, establish the supervisory board, and launch a recruitment strategy. This plan led to the successful recruitment of 15 ESRs (starting August 2021 and January 2022). A virtual meeting with all ESRs took place in November 2021, and an ESR retreat in December 2021, with multiple virtual follow up meetings due to COVID restrictions.
In the last two years of the project, the consortium met 20 times, including all 4 'Global Phosphorus Challenge' workshops for students to explore themes connected to Transdisciplinarity, Waste, the Environment (and Impact), and Agriculture and Food Systems. 45 deliverables were submitted; with the exception of an amended combination of two deliverables into one deliverable, all deliverables were submitted as envisioned. All milestones were reached.
To date, RecaP ESRs have engaged in 210 unique dissemination activities and more than 600 posts on Twitter, LinkedIn, and ResearchGate project profiles. 18 papers have been accepted to peer-reviewed journals, along with 1 patent filed, 45 poster presentations, 82 conference presentations, and 52 'other' presentations.
In the last two years of the project, the consortium met 20 times, including all 4 'Global Phosphorus Challenge' workshops for students to explore themes connected to Transdisciplinarity, Waste, the Environment (and Impact), and Agriculture and Food Systems. 45 deliverables were submitted; with the exception of an amended combination of two deliverables into one deliverable, all deliverables were submitted as envisioned. All milestones were reached.
To date, RecaP ESRs have engaged in 210 unique dissemination activities and more than 600 posts on Twitter, LinkedIn, and ResearchGate project profiles. 18 papers have been accepted to peer-reviewed journals, along with 1 patent filed, 45 poster presentations, 82 conference presentations, and 52 'other' presentations.
RecaP delivered a novel, innovative interdisciplinary approach to the GPC. RecaP contributed to the breaking down of largely “uni-sectorial” approach towards the GPC to bridge diverse sectors, to ensure environmental technologies available for water resource management and P recovery are used within the context of a circular economy.
ESRs in RecaP have joined a network and contribute to in-depth conversations and regulatory processes in a number of processes for managing wastewater, agricultural soils and freshwater systems in a P sustainable way in engineering, biological, chemical, social, and political realms. Some ESRs build on the foundation established by other experts or fellow ESRs in sister projects, contributing to a rapidly changing environment and the highly needed public response to P management. Continued interest between RecaP partners, including industry participants and other P-based projects, have come together at the European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform conference and continue to collaborate on joint initiatives. All work related to RecaP highlights the support received by the MSCA and EU programme.
A formalised training program has been organised as a foundational template for repeated future trainings (with feedback and suggestions from both ESRs and presenters). RecaP members continue to collaborate on current and future opportunities, both for research funding and education future phosphorus leaders.
Specific attention was given to each ESR to ensure adequate exposure to the main topic(s) of their thesis, with intersectoral experiences in both academia and industry. The diversity in experiences fulfills future needs to address the increasingly complex problems associated with P related issues. Skills in public-scientific communication and interdisciplinary collaboration via the production of the training programme provided the ESRs with state of the art teaching methods, pedagogic know-how and in-depth knowledge on how to motivate the future generation of P scientists. This was achieved throughout all 4 GPC trainings, the NERM workshop, and the final RecaP Symposium where ESRs highlighted their projects, learning, and anticipated next steps beyond the project. Documented and verifiable work experience in non-academic institutions in entrepreneurship and business development (secondments) bridging the academia and industry gap for ESRs to gain teamwork, data management, networking and dissemination skills advanced each ESRs experience. Conference, workshop and training courses promoted social interactions, dissemination, and networking opportunities for all ESRs as expected. ESRs also identified and presented additional opportunities to expand their knowledge and training, including conferences, workshops, teaching activities, and outreach events.
ESRs in RecaP have joined a network and contribute to in-depth conversations and regulatory processes in a number of processes for managing wastewater, agricultural soils and freshwater systems in a P sustainable way in engineering, biological, chemical, social, and political realms. Some ESRs build on the foundation established by other experts or fellow ESRs in sister projects, contributing to a rapidly changing environment and the highly needed public response to P management. Continued interest between RecaP partners, including industry participants and other P-based projects, have come together at the European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform conference and continue to collaborate on joint initiatives. All work related to RecaP highlights the support received by the MSCA and EU programme.
A formalised training program has been organised as a foundational template for repeated future trainings (with feedback and suggestions from both ESRs and presenters). RecaP members continue to collaborate on current and future opportunities, both for research funding and education future phosphorus leaders.
Specific attention was given to each ESR to ensure adequate exposure to the main topic(s) of their thesis, with intersectoral experiences in both academia and industry. The diversity in experiences fulfills future needs to address the increasingly complex problems associated with P related issues. Skills in public-scientific communication and interdisciplinary collaboration via the production of the training programme provided the ESRs with state of the art teaching methods, pedagogic know-how and in-depth knowledge on how to motivate the future generation of P scientists. This was achieved throughout all 4 GPC trainings, the NERM workshop, and the final RecaP Symposium where ESRs highlighted their projects, learning, and anticipated next steps beyond the project. Documented and verifiable work experience in non-academic institutions in entrepreneurship and business development (secondments) bridging the academia and industry gap for ESRs to gain teamwork, data management, networking and dissemination skills advanced each ESRs experience. Conference, workshop and training courses promoted social interactions, dissemination, and networking opportunities for all ESRs as expected. ESRs also identified and presented additional opportunities to expand their knowledge and training, including conferences, workshops, teaching activities, and outreach events.