Biodiversa+ call 2025: 'BiodivConnect'

Research

Funding organisation:

Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek - Vlaanderen

What?

Restoration of ecosystem functioning, integrity, and connectivity (referred to as BiodivConnect).

A new joint transnational cofunded call for research projects has been launched within the framework of the Horizon Europe Biodiversity+ partnership. This call is focused on fostering innovative research to be integrated into nature restoration practices for interconnected and well-functioning ecosystems and habitats, with special consideration for long-term sustainability and future-proofing of restoration efforts across spatial scales, including their evaluation.

The call covers restoration efforts for biodiversity in all types of ecosystems and habitats, in all regions of the world, encompassing all realms (terrestrial, marine, coastal and freshwater). supporting high-quality research and innovation projects on biodiversity and ecosystem restoration with holistic, systemic, and integrated approaches.

Projects that will be proposed under this call can focus on a wide range of aspects, e.g.: different categories of indicators, multiple scales for restoration upscaling; ecological, socio-economic, and socio-cultural dimensions; and/or varying levels of environmental regulations and policies needing alignment.

They will be expected to demonstrate academic excellence with potential for societal and policy impact regarding biodiversity, aiming to connect science, society, policy, and practices for efficient and sustainable nature restoration.

To adequately address the key challenges of nature restoration, it is essential to support knowledge exchange and capacity building across disciplines and societal sectors, and acknowledge, appreciate and integrate multiple forms of knowledge. This call is arranged into three main topics that partly overlap. Project proposals can address one or more of these main topics.

Topic 1: Setting restoration targets and measuring success
Topic 2: Scaling and transferability of nature restoration efforts
Topic 3: Long-term sustainability of restoration efforts

More elaborate information in view of the call can be consulted on the BiodivERsA-website.

A two-step application procedure will be used.
Step 1 with a closing date for pre-proposals’ submission 7 November 2025 (12:00 CET).
Results step 1: Mid February 2026
Deadline Step 2 to submit full proposals: 14 April 2026 (12:00 CET).
Recommendations for funding: late September 2026
Start projects: 1 December 2026 - 1 April 2027

FWO plans, as is usual in this partnership, to participate with an amount of EUR 750,000, allowing them to award 3 projects at EUR 250,000.

FWO participation will take place by engaging two 'national' FWO channels, being the FWO Research Projects ('FO') and the Strategic Basic Research (SBO), both with some different participation modalities compared to their regular framework (e.g. more limited budget, shorter duration of 36 months, valorisation aspect for SBO, etc.).

Who?

To be eligible, research consortia will have to include teams from a minimum of 3 countries financially participating in the Call, including at least 2 from EU Member States or EU Associated Countries. Note that not all EU Member States or Associated Countries will financially participate in this call.
   

Application?

Proposals (in English only) will have to be submitted electronically. Instructions regarding submission, eligibility and evaluation criteria can be found on the BiodivERsA-website.

The FWO requires pre-registration on a national/regional level as well by filling in an application form on the FWO e-portal before the deadline for submission of the pre-proposals. When you're logged on to the e-portal, you can find it under "Researcher". 
It is strongly recommended to contact the FWO administration about your pre-registration at the latest one week before submission in order to verify admissibility.

Given the pre-proposal already has to be OK in terms of budget, OBI has an internal deadline to check your proposal.
Internal deadline: 30 October 2025

In case the consortium includes more than one partner requesting funding from FWO, a single online form should be submitted containing all relevant information from the different Flemish partners.

Regulations?

All relevant call information can be consulted in on the BiodivERsA-website, also when it comes to the general rules for participation. In addition the ‘national/regional’ FWO eligibility criteria have to be respected, which are of importance when it comes to the eligibility of the Flemish (FWO) subproject.

You can find more information about the FWO regulations on the FWO website.

More information?

Researchers are strongly encouraged to contact the FWO before submission in view of the eligibility criteria, in order to avoid the ineligibility of a researcher, and the project consortium as a whole.

Information about FWO participation can also be obtained by contacting the following FWO colleagues:

• Toon Monbaliu (FO): 
  • europe@fwo.be, 
  • +32 (0)2 550 15 70
• Kristien Peeters (SBO)
  • europe@fwo.be
  • +32 (0)2 550 15 95

Please always contact research@uhasselt.be if you want to apply.

Deadline intern

30.10.2025, 07.11.2025

Contact Hasselt University?

E-mail sarah.szyr@uhasselt.be

Tel. +3211269052