ERA-HDHL Call: Knowledge Hub on Food and Nutrition Security

Deadline: Apr 4, 2019  
CALL EXPIRED

The third non-cofunded action in the frame of ERA-HDHL

The JPI HDHL in collaboration with JPI OCEANS and FACCE-JPI partners is launching the ERA –HDHL 3rd Joint Funding Action (JFA) ”Knowledge Hub on Food and Nutrition Security”.

This new joint initiative aims to establish a Knowledge Hub on Food and Nutrition Security and to provide the unique possibility to connect researchers with other existing initiatives and relevant stakeholders in the Food and Nutrition Security research area. The Knowledge Hub is implemented under the umbrella of ERA-HDHL, the JPI HDHL 1st ERA-Net Cofund.

Providing FNS in a changing world is an urgent objective due to the increasingly interconnected challenges of natural resource scarcity, climate change, and population growth, which affect food systems in Europe and globally. Research and innovation in food systems play a key role in addressing several of the sustainability goals set by the United Nations.

The European Commission aims to tackle food and nutrition security (FNS) with research and innovation policies designed to future-proof food systems through a systemic approach referred to as FOOD2030 strategy.  The objective of FOOD 2030 is to contribute to the transformation of European food systems so as to make them 'future-proof', i.e. sufficient, sustainable, resilient, responsible, diverse, competitive and inclusive.

Ensuring food and nutrition security is a complex issue, requiring an integrated food systems perspective. FACCE-JPI, JPI HDHL and JPI Oceans cover the necessary scientific fields to ensure integrated research across the whole food system, and therefore have the opportunity to create a bigger impact towards tackling societal challenges related to food and nutrition security.

Aim of the call

The overall aim of the Knowledge Hub on Food and Nutrition Security is to foster transnational and multidisciplinary collaboration and networking in order to accelerate, further characterize and to manage the impact of climate change on nutritional make-up of food, and to propose adaptive strategies/measures to ensure food and nutrition security.

For this, participating funding agencies from 9 countries will bring together research groups from various disciplines to form an international consortium that will design and implement the Knowledge Hub. The network will carry out joint multidisciplinary activities aiming at integrating complementary expertise, knowledge, facilities and databases in relevant areas on Food and Nutrition Security.  The activities of the network should address current cross-cutting challenges in the field and may focus on:

• Standardisation and harmonisation
• Data handling, knowledge and data sharing
• Addressing knowledge gaps

Call procedure

The Knowledge Hub will be implemented in a three-step procedure:

1. Expression of Interest (EoI): Interested researchers should submit an EoI. The EoI should express the willingness and ability of the applicant(s) to join the Knowledge Hub as an active and contributing member. The pre-selection of members will be performed by the respective national funding organisations.
2. Networking meeting: After selection of Knowledge Hub members by Call Steering Committee, researchers and research groups will be invited to a Network Meeting during which the coordinator is elected and that sets the starting point for the development of the network and the joint proposal.
3. Evaluation Network proposal: The joint proposal will be evaluated by a scientific evaluation committee (SEC).

Call time schedule

8th of January 2019
Pre-announcement of the call

29th of January 2019
Publication of the call and opening of electronic submission system for the EoIs

4th of April 2019
Deadline for submission Expression of Interest

6th of May 2019
CSC meeting selection network members

13th  of May 2019
Communication of selected network members + invitation to Network Meeting

7th of June 2019
Network meeting and opening of electronic submission system for the proposal

5th  of September 2019
Deadline for submission joint network proposal

End of September 2019
SEC and CSC meeting for proposal evaluation

1st week of October 2019
Opportunity for Rebuttal: Interview between Coordinator of Joint network proposal and SEC to discuss some unclear aspects of the proposal, if any

16th of October 2019
Communication of evaluation to Network coordinator (revision of proposal or no revision required)

14th of November 2019
Deadline for submission of an amended proposal, if requested by SEC

Mid-November 2019
Communication of final decision to Network coordinator