AGROECOLOGY | AKIS | ARCH | BIOECONOMY | FISH | FOOD SYSTEMS | FOREST |
ANIMAL HEALTH & WELFARE RESEARCH | SUSTAINABLE ANIMAL PRODUCTION |
Improved coordination of national and EUROPEAN BIOECONOMY RESEARCH and INNOVATION programmes in the European Research Area (ERA) through strengthened SCAR Working Groups
PROJECT INFORMATION
Name: RefreSCAR - Improved coordination of national and European bioeconomy research and innovation programmes in the ERA through strengthened SCAR Working Groups
Grant agreement ID: 101060553
DOI: 10.3030/101060553
Start date: September 2023
End date: August 2027
Funded under: HORIZON-CL6-2021-GOVERNANCE-01-05
EU contribution: € 3 999 952,50
Coordinated by:
TEAGASC - AGRICULTURE AND FOOD DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (Ireland)
Context
The European Research Area (ERA) aims to build a common scientific and technological area for the EU. It supports the alignment of research policies and programmes across Europe, and facilitates cross-border cooperation, allowing countries to work more effectively together. SCAR has made a significant contribution to establishing an ERA built on cooperation, coordination and information exchange and has provided the foundational basis for many of the ERA-NETs, and more recently the Partnerships, in the area of AGRICULTURE, FOOD, FISHERIES, FORESTRY and the wider BIOECONOMY.
Vision & Objectives
The vision of the RefreSCAR project is for a strengthened SCAR within the ERA. To support this vision, the project aims to facilitate improved coordination of national and European bioeconomy research programmes through strengthened SCAR Working Groups (WGs). Its strategic objectives are to:
-
Provide scientific & administrative support to the work of the SCAR WGs, enhancing their capacity to formulate research policy advice and collaborate on matters of common interest;
-
Enhance inclusiveness within SCAR WGs and support active engagement of members;
-
Connect actors across R&I, policy & practice with the aim of enabling SCAR to become a key bridging initiative across these domains;
-
Help SCAR WGs to reach a broader audience of stakeholders and strengthen linkages with key EU and international initiatives;
-
Support the development of a strong SCAR Foresight process, including the effective dissemination of its outcomes
WORKPACKAGES
WP1 - COORDINATION & MANAGEMENT
Objectives:
O1.1 - Establish appropriate management structures, plans and systems to coordinate efforts across WPs and project partners, in line with the project plan and the requirements of the EC.
O1.2 - Provide project administration & financial management, including monitoring, evaluation & risk management.
O1.3 - Ensure timely communication & reporting to the EC.
Lead: TEAGASC – AGRICULTURE AND FOOD DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (Ireland)
WP2 - COMMUNICATION & DISSEMINATION
Objectives:
O2.1 - Design a Dissemination, Exploitation & Communication (DEC) Plan governing internal and external communication.
O2.2 - Build a strong visual identity and online presence (website, social media and e-newsletters) to ensure SCAR WG activities and outputs are communicated to key stakeholders.
O2.3 - Provide the DEC support for SCAR WGs within the RefreSCAR Toolkit, incorporating both classical and innovative communication tools.
O2.4 - Support (co-)organisation of various events to increase outreach and engagement of SCAR WG stakeholders.
Lead: INIAV - INSTITUTO NACIONAL DE INVESTIGAÇAO AGRARIA E VETERINARIA (Portugal)
WP3 - SCAR-ENGAGE
Objectives:
O3.1 Understand the motivations, perceptions and barriers to engagement in SCAR WG activities.
O3.2 Empower new SCAR WG members with knowledge and connections to enable their active participation and smooth integration into WG activities.
O3.3 Develop and implement the SCAR-Engage Programme, providing tailored support to under-represented MS/AC, boosting participation in SCAR WGs and the profile of SCAR in that country.
Lead: FSH – Foodscale Hub (Serbia)
WP4 - SCAR-Align
Objectives:
O4.1 - Assemble the required pool of relevant scientific expertise and establish the scope and timing of Portfolio Analysis (PA) activities.
O4.2 - Implement a clear procedure for the engagement of topic experts, identification of relevant project databases, selection of projects for analysis and reporting of results.
O4.3 - Provide thematic support to existing and upcoming SCAR WGs by identifying and synthesising developments, gaps, overlaps and trends in state-of-the-art knowledge and innovations, analysing also the impact of R&I on policy.
O4.4 - Ensure valorisation of the PA results through regular reporting and targeted communication and dissemination in collaboration with WP2.
Lead: EV ILVO - EIGEN VERMOGEN VAN HET INSTITUUT VOOR LANDBOUW- EN VISSERIJONDERZOEK (Belgium)
WP5 - SCAR FORESIGHT & STUDIES
Objectives:
O5.1 - Map experiences from the 5th Foresight Exercise to provide a strong framework for the 6th Foresight Exercise.
O5.2 - Support the Foresight Group in scoping, implementing and disseminating the new Foresight Exercise.
O5.3 - Support the SCAR WGs with studies on priority topics.
Lead: BLE - Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung (Germany)
WP6 - SCAR-CONNECT
Objectives:
O6.1 - Map the European R&I - Policy - Practice landscape in the bioeconomy, key players and major gaps and provide insight into the root causes of the gaps in order to empower SCAR WGs to bridge them.
O6.2 - Foster exchange between (young generation) actors from R&I, policy and practice by organising events and linking with relevant EU and international partnerships and processes.
O6.3 - Maximise the contribution of SCAR WGs to R&I for policy impact.
O6.4 - Support SCAR WGs in bridging the gap between innovation and application, through activities focused on the AKIS and innovative practices across the wider bioeconomy
Lead: MINEZK-RVO - MINISTERIE VAN ECONOMISCHE ZAKEN EN KLIMAAT - RIJKSDIENST VOOR ONDERNEMEND NEDERLAND (Netherlands)
WP7 - ETHICS REQUIREMENTS
Objectives:
O7.1 - Compliance with best practice in terms of ethical principles and relevant legislation.
Lead: TEAGASC – AGRICULTURE AND FOOD DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (Ireland)
RefreSCAR NEWS
Announcement of the 2nd Call under the SCAR-Engage Programme 14/11/2024
The second Call for Expressions of Interest in the SCAR-Engage Programme was announced this week at an event jointly hosted by Teagasc and the European Commission Representation in Ireland on Monday, 11 November. Mairead McGuinness, EU Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability and Capital Markets Union was the main speaker at the event titled “Collaborating for Impact: Ireland and Europe working together on agri-food research”.
First annual Training Webinar for new SCAR Group members
The 1st annual Training webinar for new SCAR Working Group members has been held on 18 September 2024.
The webinar, organised back-to-back with the start of the SCAR-Engage programme organised the day before, was followed by more than 40 people, most of them “newcomers” to the SCAR world, from different countries and different SCAR groups.
The meeting offered insights into SCAR’s objectives and initiatives, including a presentation of the newly developed 'Induction Package'...
SCAR-Engage Programme Launch Meeting
On Tuesday, 17th September, the SCAR-Engage Programme celebrated a significant milestone with its first Launch Meeting, welcoming new SCAR Working Group members from Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Iceland, and Poland.
The SCAR-Engage Programme, a RefreSCAR initiative, is designed to support and empower new SCAR WG members while increasing country-level visibility within SCAR. Aimed at enhancing inclusiveness, it focuses on providing knowledge, support, and connections...
SCAR-ENGAGE PROGRAMME
Call for Applications
About the SCAR-Engage Programme
The SCAR-Engage Programme is an initiative designed to support new members of SCAR Working Groups (WGs) and to increase country-level visibility. It aims to empower new SCAR WG members, especially those from countries that are under-represented or less visible in SCAR, with knowledge, supports and connections to enable their active participation and smooth integration into WG activities.
The SCAR-Engage Programme will run four times from 2024 to 2027 with the first Call for expression of interest launched now. Each SCAR-Engage Programme year will last twelve months from its official beginning date.