Advice on UK and international research priorities
UK Research
UK BRAG
The UK Biodiversity Research Advisory Group (UK BRAG)
identifies research topics to support Biodiversity Action Plans and
is the national biodiversity research platform for the UK in
Europe. JNCC is a member of UK BRAG and provides the
Secretariat.
UK OTs and CDs
The UK Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies
Training and Research Programme is supported by JNCC. It aims
to identify research priorities in the UK OTs and CDs, foster
collaborations with UK research institutions and help build
capacity for conservation science in the UK OTs and CDs. It
is guided by a Steering Group made up of UK OT and CD government
officials, JNCC and the University of Reading.
European Research
EPBRS
The European Platform for Biodiversity
Research Strategy (EPBRS) is a forum that brings together
natural and social scientists, policy-makers and other stakeholders
to identify strategically-important biodiversity research areas.
Its priorities are:
- Using biodiversity components in a sustainable way
- Maintaining ecosystem functions that provide goods and
services
- Conserving, protecting and restoring the natural world
- Halting biodiversity loss.
JNCC supports the Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs (Defra) at EPBRS.
BiodivERsA
BiodivERsA is a European Research
Area Network (ERA-net) project within the European Union’s 7th
framework programme for research. It is made up of a consortium of
21 major research funding agencies from 15 countries. Its aim is to
promote a strategy for biodiversity research in partnership with
other players in the field and organise joint funding to better
integrate biodiversity science. JNCC supported Defra in its
contribution to BiodivERsA (2005-2009) and is a partner in the
second phase of the ERA-net (2010 to 2014).
BiodivERsA has 6 work packages. JNCC is a Task
Leader for work package 2: The European biodiversity research
landscape and science-policy integration. Specifically JNCC is
leading on task 2.1: Develop guidelines to support research project
teams in stakeholder engagement.
As part of the delivery of this task,
JNCC produced guidance on best practice in stakeholder
engagement in April 2012. The guidance is still in draft, so
unavailable for circulation. There is an Executive Summary (PDF, 277 kb) with
further information.
JNCC is organising and hosting a BiodivERsA
workshop on stakeholder engagement in April 2013. This workshop is
by invitation only. Further details on the BiodivERsA Stakeholder Engagement Workshop
web page.
International Research
IPBES
The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem
Services (IPBES) is a developing international
mechanism that aims to strengthen the links between policy-makers
and the research community. It will provide a scientifically sound,
uniform and consistent framework for tackling changes to
biodiversity and ecosystem services. JNCC has provided advice in
support of UK Government negotiations on
IPBES.
Other JNCC advisory statements or consultation
responses on biodiversity research: