There is widespread consensus that Europe needs a new mechanism to manage funding for basic research, which is largely supported at the national funding programme level. To develop such a mechanism requires the existing expertise and experience of national research agencies and associated bodies to be harnessed. This will ensure a science driven approach, and allow a focus on “best practice” models for establishment and operations.

Both the European Commission and the Research Ministers of the Member States have recognized the need for improved European co-ordination specifically in Biodiversity science. While the diversity of biodiversity funding programmes poses many challenges, many Member States have fundamentally similar aims and objectives, implementation and evaluation procedures etc. BiodivERsA will address this and the priorities of the ERA, to cultivate and support Europe’s biodiversity research capacity and capability.

The European Research Area is developing rapidly with respect to the coordination of biodiversity research, through the development of multiple ERA Nets (e.g. MarinERA, BONUS) and an ERA Net specifically linking research direction within the ministries of the Member States.

The overall objective of BiodivERsA is to network Biodiversity Research Funding Agencies in Europe, in order to:

• Contribute to the implementation of the Göteborg 2010 target to halt biodiversity loss, the recommendations of the Malahide Conference (May 2004) and the European Council of June 28th 2004.
• Develop a durable partnership in research funding policy and practice between the partner organisations, thereby creating added value in high quality biodiversity research across national boundaries.
• Increase co-operation between national programmes, developing a transnational research funding programme between the partner organisations.
• Build a platform of co-operation which can be extended to other European countries and other fields of science, beyond the field of biodiversity.
• Contribute to the coordination of biodiversity research funding policies of the Member States in cooperation with developing countries.
• Promote the reciprocal opening of member State biodiversity research programmes through networking of research funding agencies and the publication of at least one joint call for proposals.

The Specific objectives for BiodivERsA include:

• Supporting a coherent and strategy led approach to policy making on research infrastructure in Europe.
• Setting priorities in trans-disciplinary biodiversity research, including socio-economics, and providing incentives for initiating new areas of innovative research.
• Increased interaction, enhanced synergy, reduction of duplication and fragmentation, and the creation of a critical mass for biodiversity research in Europe.
• Optimising the use of existing large biodiversity infrastructure facilities, including improving support for trans-national access to them.
• Providing a focal point in Europe for information on biodiversity science funding.