VISION RD4SD aims 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).

Strategies and solutions

The dialogue results in developing strategies and solutions for the identified challenges and problems. Concrete outcomes are:

• The joint vision on how to harness RD4SD in Europe as a mid- and long-term orientation.
• Stragegies and road maps for joint EU-wide action as well as initiatives on R&D reform processes to be implemented in the Member States.
• Recommendations for the further design and integration of RD4SD in Horizon 2020 and for 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-makers

VISION RD4SD is built on a group of participants representing European science policy-makers, funders and administrators. The consortium has today more than 40 partners and observers from 20 European countries. It is still possible to join the project as an observer and thereby be invited to attend our activities during the coming 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.