Project description
Understanding tipping dynamics and developing mitigation strategies
Ecosystems are under siege from human activity and a changing climate, leaving biodiversity and stability in a precarious state. However, current scientific models often fail to capture how both organisms and human societies adapt to these shifts. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the TipGame project is developing a new analytical framework that combines evolutionary game theory with ecological network analysis. The project aims to decode the complex dynamics of tipping points and find effective ways to mitigate collapse. Ultimately, the project’s goal is to provide practical, actionable tools for conservationists and policymakers, directly supporting the EU’s broader sustainability objectives.
Objective
Ecosystems worldwide face escalating pressures from anthropogenic exploitation and climate change, pushing many closer to abrupt and potentially irreversible tipping points. These can lead to catastrophic biodiversity loss, collapse of ecosystems and long-term socio-ecological instability. Current theoretical frameworks often fall short in capturing the adaptive behaviours of organisms and humans that both influence and respond to environmental change. This project proposes an innovative, interdisciplinary framework that integrates evolutionary game theory, ecological network analysis, and environmental feedbacks to advance our understanding of tipping dynamics and inform robust mitigation strategies. By explicitly modelling dynamic strategy evolution, payoff uncertainty, and feedback-driven interactions among species within structured ecological networks, the project aims to find mechanisms that promote resilience and prevent collapse. We will develop and analyse coupled systems of differential equations incorporating adaptive interactions, stochasticity and nonlinear resource dynamics. The research will identify critical thresholds and characterize the conditions under which targeted, minimal interventions can stabilize ecosystems. A key innovation is the introduction of payoff uncertainty and heterogeneous risk preferences into eco-evolutionary game dynamics, enabling more realistic modelling of individual and collective responses to environmental signals. The project will be empirically anchored through case studies in coral reef and alpine ecosystems, where shifts in species interactions and environmental stressors are well documented. The outcomes of this research are expected to combine theoretical insight with practical relevance, offering new tools for adaptive conservation policy, early warning signal detection and ecosystem management under uncertainty, contributing to the EU’s mission to foster sustainability and resilience in socio-ecological systems.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project has not yet been classified with EuroSciVoc.
Be the first one to suggest relevant scientific fields and help us improve our classification service
You need to log in or register to use this function
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
-
HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
EC1V 0HB LONDON
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.