Advancing interdisciplinary, data-driven research at the biodiversity- health interface under a One Health approach

Opis naboru

Proposals are expected to contribute to all the following public authorities, researchers and policymakers have access to robust knowledge foundations and analytical frameworks that enable inter- and transdisciplinary biodiversity-related research and collaboration, address interdependencies and strengthen the operationalisation of the One Health and Planetary Health approaches;researchers, public authorities and global organisations have access to Findable Accessible Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) data[1] supported by enhanced digital infrastructures. These data will build on improved identification, mobilisation and interoperability of existing data across thematic areas relevant to ecosystem and wildlife health, the main drivers of biodiversity loss and their impacts on human and animal health;researchers, affected communities, food producers, data scientists, public authorities, healthcare professionals and animal health professionals, policymakers, risk assessors civil society organisations, private sector actors, societal partners and other stakeholders can assess the health benefits and risk prevention associated with maintaining, improving and restoring ecosystem health. These stakeholders will also be supported in applying evidence-based and tested recommendations, tools and solutions to effectively mainstream biodiversity in the operationalisation of One Health and Planetary Health approaches through biodiversity conservation and restoration actions and multi-host disease prevention. A holistic life and environmental sciences approach that protects ecosystem, human and animal health must account for interdependencies between biodiversity and health domains. Inter- and transdisciplinary research supporting holistic approaches such as One Health and Planetary Health faces persistent barriers related to data quality, fragmentation, accessibility and interoperability, which should be addressed according to the FAIR principles.This topic is expected to support the objectives of the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030[2], the implementation of the Nature Restoration Regulation[3], the European Data Union Strategy[4], the Strategy for European Life Sciences[5], the EU Global Health Strategy[6], the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework[7], the EU One Health Approach and the global One Health agenda.Proposals under this topic should focus on the development of use cases that will tackle the main barriers to the operationalisation of interdisciplinary research and research results at the interface of wildlife and ecosystem health, husbandry, animal, plant and human health.Proposals should cover all the following aspects (use cases, data sharing and interoperability, proof of concept) and most of the interconnected activities:Develop thematic use cases: Develop thematic use cases (minimum six) to test and address critical challenges for biodiversity-focused inter- and transdisciplinary research. Taken together, the six complementary use cases should collectively address the most significant drivers (including their possible interactions) of biodiversity loss (land and sea use change, direct exploitation, climate change, pollution to air, water and soil, invasive alien and proliferating species) and their impacts on health. Health outcomes should include -but not be limited to- human health (infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases including mental health). Use cases including infectious diseases should consider the wildlife-domesticated animals interface, including multi-host pathogens and spillover. Where relevant, proposals may consider the impacts of large-scale natural or anthropogenic disturbances or environmental emergencies on ecosystem, animal and human health. Use cases should be explicitly grounded in biodiversity and ecosystem health and designed to support inter- and transdisciplinary analysis across relevant thematic domains, including a mandatory link to human health. Use cases should cover, considered together, at least three different ecosystem types across terrestrial, freshwater and marine realms and different biogeographical regions.Enhance data sharing and interoperability across thematic domains to support the use cases: Select and mobilise existing datasets (new datasets might be collected only if identified as crucial knowledge gaps) across domains for the use cases; and identify critical data gaps including in view of European data sovereignty. Promote inter- and transdisciplinary research across thematic domains and data sharing practices.Promote inter- and transdisciplinary research across thematic domains, in particular between Life Sciences and Environmental domains, enabled through collaborations within the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC)[8] Federation and with other initiatives such as the Common European Data Spaces.Develop and validate analytical and Data Source Integration tools (including through the use of AI models when appropriate), building harmonised ontologies and create reporting standards that facilitate interoperability of domains.Provide data and software governance recommendations and embed FAIR principles (and CARE[9] principles when relevant) across data and tools governance. Develop a proof of concept for a holistic One Health approach: Build on results from the use cases to develop a proof of concept based on full integration across domains to demonstrate how holistic approaches such as O