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About Vision RD4SD PDF Print E-mail

The main objective of VISION RD4SD is to ensure that Europe is able to contribute to a sustainable development of the world, by formulating policies and decisions based on robust, up to date knowledge. This will be done by developing a shared vision between science funding bodies and national science policy institutions in the European member states on how best to harness research and development for sustainable development (RD4SD).   

Activities

To fulfil this objective a number of activities are planned:

  • To design and actively run a dialogue between the European science policy institutions to make exchange of ideas and experiences efficient and productive towards the development of such a shared vision.
  • To develop concrete strategic goals and road maps that can be used by the science funding bodies and science policy institutions in the preparation of national strategies and action plans to be implemented in the member states.
  • To elaborate a state of the art (overview) of past and ongoing RD4SD in the European Union, including actions taken by funding organisations to promote RD4SD.
  • To draw conclusions and develop recommendations for the design of FP 8 and the realisation of the 2020 ERA Vision.

 

Platform for dialogue

The central tool selected to achieve this objective is to establish a Platform for dialogue and exchange of experiences among science funding bodies, science policy administrations, and science ministries in Europe. This dialogue is supported by country studies providing an overview of how research and development towards sustainable development is being funded, coordinated and evaluated by science policy at the moment. The Platform will offer the opportunity to develop concrete strategies towards harnessing RD4SD on national and European levels.

Workshops and conferences

Consequently, the main activities within VISION RD4SD will be workshops and conferences where European science policy makers, science policy administrators and research funding organisations meet for a structured dialogue on the future of RD4SD. The success of VISION RD4SD is largely dependent on active participation of the funding agencies and science policy organisations in these workshops and conferences, compilation and submission of requested material and willingness to test tools and strategies developed within the coordinated action.

Funding agencies and science policy organisations

VISION RD4SD is built on a group of participants representing the funding agencies and science policy organisations. The consortium has today 25 partners, 2 sub-contractors and 4 participants with observer status. It is still possible to join the project as an observer and thereby be invited to attend our activities during the coming three years.

The two categories of participants, full partners and observers, have different levels of commitments. Partners are expected to actively contribute to the activities organised by the project (workshops, conferences, surveys) and to disseminate the results of the project into the member states of the EU. Observers have a lower level of commitment and can chose to be part of all or just some of the activities of the project.