Issue 4/2020

ALL REGIONS

Joint Transnational Call on Aquatic Pollutants
Three Joint Programming Initiatives funded under H2020 have launched a joint call for research and innovation projects on risks posed to human health and the environment by pollutants and pathogens present in the water resources. The three main themes of the call are measuring, evaluating, and taking actions. The pre-proposal deadline has been extended until 18 May. More information.

EUREKA Clusters Joint AI call
A number of EUREKA clusters have opened a call with the aim of boosting the productivity and competitiveness of European industries through the adoption and use of AI systems and services. The expectation is to have collaborative projects with businesses and research institutes. Call deadline is 15 June. More information.

Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation
The foundation grants are for research, artistic, and societal activities. Research grants are primarily for doctoral studies, post-doctoral research, homing-grants for independent research after post-doctoral research, or research groups. The application period will begin in May, and the application deadline 31 May. More information.

H2020 Energy Efficiency Call 2020 - Open Calls
The last Work Programme for Secure, Clean and Efficient Energy under Horizon 2020 is designed to facilitate a smooth transition to the future Horizon Europe and LIFE programmes. The two intervention areas:  "Buildings in energy transition" (B4E), and “Smart and clean energy for consumers” (EC) bring together 18 topics focusing on energy efficiency as a cornerstone of the energy transition. The work programme operates on a budget of close to €120 million of EU funding. More information.

H2020 ERA-NET Cofund & CSA 2020 - Open Calls
The ERA-NET Cofund instrument under Horizon 2020 implements the co-funded joint call for proposals that leads to the funding of trans-national research and/or innovation projects. The European Commission has launched the final round of calls for the ERA-NET Cofunds on 10 different topics. Find out more about the topics, links to calls, and call deadlines on the ERA-LEARN website.
 

ASIA

The Finnish National Agency for Education: Asia programme
EDUFI provides funding for higher education institutions' education collaboration with partners in China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Application deadline has been extended until 17 August. More information (only in Finnish).
 

Changes and funding opportunities related to the pandemic

Project funders are creating and updating policies on how the changes in projects caused by the current coronavirus situation should be dealt with. It is important to document all changes well for reporting purposes! Here are links to some major funders' policies: The Academy of Finland, H2020, Business Finland (also applicable for universities), EDUFI.

Finn-ARMA (the Finnish Association of Research Managers and Advisors) is contacting funders on behalf of universities to clarify the policies. Information will be shared as soon as possible, please follow the communications of the research services at your university.

Science|Business database of funding opportunities
The Science|Business network has compiled a database of funding opportunities related to the coronavirus. Find the database here.

eHealth Hub platform of projects
The eHealth Hub project, supporting businesses within the European digital health landscape, has compiled a platform including projects doing research on the coronavirus. Find the platform here.

COVID-19 Open research dataset challenge
The Kaggle community has compiled a freely available dataset of research related to coronavirus. They are calling AI experts to develop text and data mining tools to help the medical community find answers to scientific questions, and sponsor awards to the best tasks. More information. 

ALL REGIONS

Please note that event information may change from what is presented here because of the pandemic. Please always see the event website for the latest updates. Many events are moving online or offering increased opportunities for online participation, so while travel is not feasible you may be able to attend from home.

2nd World Symposium on Social Responsibility and Sustainability, 27-29 April, online
This fully online and free event investigates the integration of the concepts of social responsibility and sustainability. From the business point of view, policies are now perceived as more than what needs to exist to meet legal requirements; they are also about social equality, eco-efficiency, and more. More information.

Adaptation Futures: Webinars on climate change adaptation, 28-30 April, online
While the main event is scheduled for September, Adaptation Futures is organizing a series of webinars: one on adaptation in times of uncertainty, another on adaptation in terms of vulnerable groups, fairness, and community-led solutions, and a third one on climate change and health. See the programme here and find the connection details on Twitter.

Universities and the COVID-19 Pandemic - a webinar series, 29 April, online
The Alliance for African Partnership university network is hosting a series of 6 webinars concerning university responses to the pandemic. The first webinar focuses on African universities' responses and lessons learned, covering university responses in terms of teaching and research, including their contributions at the societal level. More information.

Health Tuesday: New European medical devices regulation, 5 May, online
The May Health Tuesday will focus on the revised EU legal framework concerning medical device safety. Representatives from two Finnish companies will share their experiences related to the issue. More information.

From plastics to policy: How can we improve the performance of food packaging? 5 May, online
The REFUCOAT project is organizing a webinar to present their work and lessons learned on bio-based recyclable food packaging. There are both keynote speakers and breakout sessions to discuss insights on tackling foodwaste. More information.

Financing green transition webinar, 6 May, online
ERRIN is hosting a webinar based on the Sustainable Europe Investment Plan including briefings on different initiatives to mobilise funds for the EU green transition and discussion on how these initiatives can these initiatives speed up decarbonisation at regional level, contribute to strengthening regional innovation ecosystems, foster inter-regional collaboration, and work in synergy also with other policies and funding programmes. More information.

Mistä ruoka pöytään ja energia piuhaan? YHYS Politiikkadialogi, 25 May, online (in Finnish)
This YHYS Politiikkadialogi will focus on the sustainability of food and energy production, viewed in the context of concerns about the vulnerability of the systems raised by the pandemic. How to support self-sufficiency, and is self-sufficiency always sustainable? More information.

6th International symposium on knowledge and capacity for the water sector, 27-29 May, online
The symposium brings together scholars, decision-makers, and practitioners to discuss issues such as the bridges and barriers to water capacity, the challenges of managing institutional change, managing conflict and negotiations, and using ‘big data’ in making decisions from different perspectives. Registration deadline is 5 May. More information.

Dresden Nexus Conference, 3-5 June, online
The DNC2020 aims to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable economy by identifying and discussing the concepts that nexus thinking offers for it. A nexus approach has many synergies with circular economy. DNC brings together academics, civil society and industry actors, and government representatives from across the world. More information.

Health & wellbeing co-creation and co-innovation workshop - part 1, 8 June, online
In this series of three online workshop, the goal is to create and develop ideas for co-innovation projects between research organizations and companies. Overall themes are maintaining health and wellbeing, as well as prevention and personalized treatment of common diseases - more specific themes will be defined based on participant interests. Registration deadline is 29 May. More information.

18th International Triple Helix Conference, 15-17 June, online
The theme of the 2020 Triple Helix Conference, hosted by Tampere University, is Future of innovation and innovation for future. The conference promotes dialogue among researchers, policy-makers, and practitioners to evoke both scholarly debates and best practice sharing on how innovation could create a desirable society in the future and how innovation should be understood and approached for achieving such a goal. Registration deadline is 31 May. More information.

COVID and the world of science: a new 'normal' for international R&D cooperation? 17 June, online
The Science|Business network is organizing a webinar on the impact of the pandemic on international R&D collaboration. Stay tuned to the event website for more information.

EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) 2020, 22-26 June, Brussels, Belgium & throughout Europe
If organized as scheduled, EUSEW will include a policy conference focusing on sustainable energy issues, new policy developments, best practices, and sustainable energy ideas; a networking village for creating new connections, and the EUSEW Awards to celebrate outstanding projects, as well as Energy Days hosted across countries. See the event website for more information and changes.

The International Higher Education Teaching and Learning Conference, 10-13 August, Johannesburg, South Africa
The theme of this year's conference is "Unprecedented challenges and possibilities for sustainable development and e-learning in higher education." The conference is a forum to exchange experiences and findings around the use of open, distance and e-learning approaches, educational research, organization of educational systems, and the impact of sustainable development on higher education and the broader society. Registration deadline is 9 August. More information.

The European Higher Education Society Forum 2020: Sustaining the Future of Higher Education, 20-22 August, Cork, Ireland
The 42nd EAIR Forum will focus on the role and influence of higher education in a rapidly changing world. How can higher education institutions contribute to addressing the world's common concerns and the implementation of the SDGs? What are the roles and responsibilities of HEIs in developing sustainable governance, management, and educational practices, developing the social foundations and values of next generation professionals, evolving as professionals to live and work sustainably? Registration deadline is 31 July. More information.

The EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF), 2-6 September, Trieste, Italy
ESOF is a biennial, pan-European, general science conference dedicated to scientific research and innovation. Each conference aims to deliver stimulating content and lively debate around the latest advancements and discoveries in the sciences, humanities, and social sciences. More information.

4th International Conference on Global Food Security, "Achieving local and global food security: at what costs?" 20-23 September, Montpellier, France
The conference addresses the triple burden of malnutrition: hunger, micronutrient deficiencies and obesity. It also explores the state-of-the-art of interdisciplinary insight, addresses the trade-offs that occur – and synergies that can be sought – in transforming food systems. These are aimed at reconciling the competing environmental, economic or social objectives and outcomes towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals at different levels across spatial and temporal scales. The event was postponed from July, the new early registration deadline is 13 July. More information.

European Research and Innovation Days, 22-24 September, Brussels, Belgium
The second European R&I Days bring together stakeholders for co-designing policies, thought-provoking panels, and matchmaking. At the heart of the event are discussions on how research and innovation will benefit Europe's future. Stay tuned to the event website for updates.

Adaptation Futures: The 6th international climate change adaptation conference, 29 September - 1 October, New Delhi, India
Hosted by The Energy and Resources Institute and the World Adaptation Science Programme, Adaptation Futures is a unique platform to facilitate dialogues towards action oriented solutions from a diverse range of stakeholders that includes academia, practitioners, scientists and policy makers from across the world. The overall theme of the event is "accelerating adaptation action and knowledge to support action", and it is addressed through multiple themes such as governance, fairness, finance, and nature-based solutions. The event was postponed from April, please see the event website for updates.
 

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AFRICA

AU-EU Summit, end of October, Brussels, Belgium
A high-level AU-EU Summit is planned for October in Brussels. A stakeholder event is foreseen to precede the summit. More information will be shared once the event is fully confirmed.
 

ASIA

Asia-Europe Sustainable Connectivity Conference (AESCON): Strengthening Asia-Europe Links through Data and Research, 23-25 September 2020, Singapore
AESCON is the first scientific conference on Asia-Europe sustainable connectivity. The conference aims to provide an academic forum to discuss global challenges on transport infrastructure, energy transition, climate change, digital economy, trade and investment flows, security, people mobility, cultural exchanges, and others. The conference targets researchers and policy analysts working in the field of international connectivity, globalization, and sustainable development, with a particular focus on Asia-Europe connections. Please note: In light of the current outbreak of novel coronavirus, AESCON has been postponed from February to September. More information.

ASEM Seminar on Public Health Emergencies, dates TBC, Thailand
The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) is an intergovernmental process to foster dialogue and cooperation between Asia and Europe. A seminar on public health is planned for 2020, more information will be provided on the event website later.

High-level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage in an era of Antimicrobial Resistance, dates and location TBC
The Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) is planning to host a high-level meeting for governments and stakeholders to agree on how AMR concerns can be integrated into universal health coverage strategies. More information will be provided on the event website later.
 

LAC

The 3rd Open Science Forum of Latin America and the Caribbean - CILAC Forum 2020: Science that includes, 21-23 September 2020, Buenos Aires, Argentina
The CILAC Forum is the largest event of scientific knowledge at the regional level, taking place every two years in different cities with the aim of promoting sustainable communities through science, technology, and innovation. Stay tuned to the event website for more information.

Many webinars are worth participating in live as they include Q&A and&/or breakout sessions for discussion. However, if you miss the original, it is also worthwhile to take the time later to listen to the keynote speeches. Here are some recent recordings from online events relevant to the SDGs.

Coronavirus and its impact on the SDGs
IISD experts share their insights on how the pandemic will likely impact the SDGs, and its implication on volunteer-led organizations around the world. Find the 55-minute webinar here.

Debate: should gender analysis be embedded in epidemic responses?
This SciDev webinar focuses on health policies that fail to recognise the different needs of genders cannot effectively mitigate the impacts of pandemics, such as the novel coronavirus. Find the 55-minute debate here.

Transforming science communication for transformations to sustainability
The Transformations to Sustainability programme hosted their first Transformation Talks webinar, related to science communication, addressing issues such as how to communicate about ongoing transdisciplinary research with new audiences in an inclusive and ethical way, and how today’s communications tools can be used to foreground voices that are frequently marginalized in climate change debates.. Find the 1-hour webinar and related resources here.

COVID-19: Implications for Global and Country-Level Food Security, Nutrition, and Poverty
The International Food Policy Research Institute hosted a webinar to have an early look at the pandemic's potentially devastating impacts on food security, nutrition, and poverty, particularly in developing countries. Find the 1-hour webinar here.

Universities building a better Europe
The European University Association organized a series of three webinars where one focused on the strength of alliances between universities, another on universities' societal engagement, and a third on partnerships. Find the three 1-hour webinars here.

EU considers new Horizon Europe partnership on pandemics
The Science|Business network reports that the HE funding programme could include a new industrial research partnership on pandemic preparedness and societal resilience. Read the news here.

Economic stimulus should reward front runners on sustainable development
In this IISD blog, the author argues that public stimulus packages must include environmental and social goals to trigger better sustainability performance. There can be no compromise on sustainability. Read the post here.

Implementing the SDGs: Acknowledge prioritizations, do not neglect them
In this IISD blog, the author highlights the fact that the SDG implementation practice of "leaving no one behind" has not succeeded very well so far because there has not been sufficient attention to who is involved in decision-making. Structural inequalities must be included in the implementation considerations. Read the post here.

Lessons for international higher education post COVID-19
This University World News article highlights opportunities for developing higher education after the pandemic, including issues related to personalized education, student assessment, mature learners, and  institutional resilience. Read the article here.

Why host countries should support international alumni
This University World News article looks at international graduate employment in the face of the pandemic and argues for urgent institutional support for alumni, as both an ethical duty and good business strategy. Read the article here.

University of Eastern Finland scientists are developing nasal vaccine against COVID-19
UEF and UH researchers are working on a COVID-19 vaccine utilising gene transfer technology and administered as a nasal spray. Read the news here.

AFRICA

EU has published the basis for a new EU-Africa Strategy
At the heart of the new strategy are "partnerships". The five key areas: green transition; digital transformation; sustainable growth and jobs; peace and governance; and migration and mobility. Jutta Urpilainen, the European Commissioner for International Partnerships, said: “With the proposed five partnerships, built around our shared interests and values, Africa and Europe will together lead on the green and digital transformation, as well as promote sustainable investment and jobs. My key priority now is to ensure that the Strategy with Africa is owned by the youth and women, as it responds to their aspirations.” See the full EU press release here, and the full communication here.

COVID-19 in Africa: Protecting lives and economies
This report by the Economic Commission for Africa looks at the impact of the pandemic on African people and economies, and highlights the importance of a joint response. Find the report here.

Coronavirus: Debt relief key to helping Africa, says EU Commissioner
Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen discusses the ways in which EU is going to collaborate with Africa to overcome the pandemic, and what this means for the new EU-Africa strategy. Read the article here.

Koronavirus uhkaa murentaa Afrikan kehityspyrkimykset (in Finnish)
The Finnish Development Policy Committee has published an analysis on the impact of the pandemic on development in Africa, highlighting that the virus could turn positive developments into a humanitarian crisis. Read the report here.

Suomalaisten ja etelä-afrikkalaisten kiinnostus kohtaa, yhteistyön muodot hakusessa (in Finnish)
In this blog from the Finnish Ministry for Education and Culture, the author discusses the interests and opportunities related to education collaboration between Finnish and South African actors. Read the post here.

Africa Agriculture Status Report 2019, "The Hidden Middle: Bringing Africa’s SMEs into the Light"
The report looks at the overlooked cohort of essential but unrecognized workers and enterprises' potential role in the transformation of African agriculture and the continent’s long-awaited green revolution. Find the report here.

Bridging Existing and New Approaches for the Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation Between Finland and Africa 
This report is an output of the FinCEAL initiative. It aims to collate the experience and the lessons learned during 6 years of the initiative's activities in support of and enhancing Finnish cooperation with Africa on Science Technology and Innovation (STI). Find the publication here.