Academic literature on the topic 'European research council (ERC)'

Launched in 2007, the European Research Council (ERC) aims at pulling out all the stops in supporting ambitious research projects in frontier research by the most talented scientists and scholars. The ERC grants are generous, open to nationals from any country in the world, and subject to one criterion alone: peer-reviewed excellence. We outline the central strategic priorities of the ERC, and briefly describe some impressions from the first two calls.

AbstractEuropean Research Council Executive Agency, (ERCEA), has the mission to encourage the highest quality research in Europe through competitive funding and to support investigator-driven frontier research across all field, on the basis of scientific excellence. In 2019, European Research Council (ERC) updates the Panel Structure in 3 areas: Social Sciences and Humanities SH, Physical Sciences and Engineering PE, Life Sciences LS, 25 panels and 333 sub-panels. Every UE countries are updating own academic body system to align to the ERC. In Italy, this alignment is not possible because Movement and sport science has been together place SH and LS as academic disciplines of Physical training and Sport sciences. This is the vexata quaestio that makes the Italian academic system different from the other EU countries with consequences on the development of Italian research in Europa. Historical review explains why this division exists and why it begun after the second great war and developed to nowadays, determining an atypical model than others European countries. Movement and sport science should to be reasonably placed in an unique scientific area or alignments coherently at the related subpanels according to the scientific evidences, even if they are placed in more ERC areas. Both options can be applied according to ERC thought to resolve the actual problem.

Abstract European Research Council Grants (ERC) have become the most important vehicle for funding scientific research in the EU. Since their creation in 2007, they have provided funding for around 7,000 of the nearly 70,000 proposals for research projects submitted. With a success rate of about 11%, these Grants are highly competitive. Despite major advancement of women’s participation in research activity, women overall remain the minority in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM disciplines). Against that backdrop, this article analyses men’s and women’s presence in ERC Grants. The gender balance in the ERC Grant, have been examined in three dimensions: Excellence Awarded; Scientific Leadership Position; and Time Series Evolution. The results show that female presence is lower than men as submitted (26% vs 74%), granted (22% vs 78%), expert panel members (28% vs 72%), and as a panel chair (26% vs 74%). State-space prediction of the future pattern of these grants shows that time has no clearly beneficial effect on women’s participation as applicants, granted, expert panel members or panel chairs, particularly in the area of Physics and Engineering.

Agencies have become a ubiquitous part of the administrative structure of the EU. They fulfil diverse and important roles in implementing EU policies. As diverse as the tasks of EU agencies are their forms of organization. Few have been established by the Treaties themselves; most have been created on the basis of secondary legal acts. Agency design has, thus, become an important part of EU legislative activity. The future of agencies is, however, very much subject to debate. This article does not analyse agencies in the EU context from an abstract point of view. Instead, it studies possible structural and procedural arrangements for agencies on the basis of a real-life case study, the European Research Council (ERC), chosen from the area of the EU's research policy. The ERC displays not only a rather unusual structure with creative institutional design. It also stands as an example for many controversies about independence and accountability of agencies in the EU. This short article, after introducing the ERC and before looking at the various options for agency design in the EU in general terms, looks at the options for changing the ERC's legal status and architecture. This is used as a canvas to outline some thoughts on the role and independence of agencies in the EU.

The European Research Council has provided substantial research grants across all disciplines during the period 2007–2013. An analysis of the distribution of the ERC (IDEAS) Starting, Consolidator and Advanced grants shows substantial differences by country. On the one hand, the UK excels in the relative number of awards, in its share among the top receiving institutions, in a high proportion of inwards mobile scholars and in the overall financial gain through ERC as compared with the UK’s contribution to the EU budget. In addition, the Netherlands is among the winners in these respects. On the other hand, Italy fares unfavourably according to these measures. In the search for an explanation of the Italian situation, a comparison is undertaken with other European countries of a similar size. The article arrives at the conclusion that low Italian success in efforts to raise such ERC funds is not due to the low average quality of the Italian education and research system, but rather due to low funding, e.g. to a low proportion of the GDP spent on research.

This article addresses European Research Council (ERC) grants in the Archaeology and History panel (SH6). The study was conducted by considering the first two cycles of ERC funding (2007-2020). We introduce to eligibility criteria and evaluation process involved in ERC calls. We show the results of the analysis in terms of most awarded ‘countries’ per call (Starting Grant, Consolidator Grant, Advanced Grant), the profiles of researchers and the main research subjects of 360 granted funding. The inquire is extended to a systematic analysis regarding the profile of scientific members of the commissions (480 scholars) employed to evaluate the proposals. The outcome is that Italian institutions underperforming compared to other major European countries; the success rate of ‘Italian’ proposals is lower than the European average; young Italian researchers very rarely obtain Starting Grants. This is, we believe, partly due to some policies currently still in place – even if no longer sustainable - in Italian universities. There is some correlation between most awarded institutions (by country) and most employed panelists. In the final part, we show the main trending topics of ERC projects.

Abstract. The European Research Council (ERC) marks a new approach to investing in frontier research in Europe. Since its establishment, the ERC has taken numerous actions to tackle imbalances and monitors data from each call. The aim of this paper is to review descriptive statistics of men and women participating in ERC calls in the geosciences. The share of women applying for Starting Grants is on average around 30 %, whereas for Consolidator Grants and Advanced Grants the share is around 25 % and 11 % respectively. Success rate analysis shows no significant gender disparities. The paper provides an overview of the ERC peer-review system, discusses results specific to the geosciences compared to national funding and SHE Figures, and concludes with a review of past actions and future goals.

The Biochemical Society has been asked by FEBS for its views on the structure, organization and role of the proposed European Research Council (ERC). This was discussed at the January Strategy Meeting of the Executive Committee and there was a clear consensus among the members present. These views, which are summarized below, were communicated to FEBS in February.

W tym roku tylko czworo polskich naukowców otrzymało prestiżowe granty Europejskiej Rady ds. Badań Naukowych (European Research Council – ERC). Jedną z tych osób jest dr Michał Németh, turkolog i hungarysta, adiunkt w Zakładzie Hungarystyki Wydziału Filologicznego Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego – w „karaimskim cywilu” prawnuk znanego działacza społecznego z Łucka i poety, Sergiusza Rudkowskiego.

À l'intersection d'une sociologie des professions scientifiques, des sciences et de l'action publique, cette thèse analyse les interactions entre un dispositif particulier de financement sur projet de la recherche européenne d'« excellence », celui de l'European Research Council (ERC), et les logiques de carrières professionnelles des chercheur·es en sciences de l'univers et en histoire, ceci dans le contexte universitaire français. Ancrée dans les travaux étudiant les modifications de la recherche sous l'effet de ce mode de management du financement sur projet, cette thèse étudie la façon dont les identités des chercheur·es, mais aussi les relations individuelles et collectives de la science se reconfigurent à partir de l'appel à projet spécifique que constitue l'ERC. Ainsi, à partir du cas de la sélection d'individus et de projets d'« excellence », ce travail interroge la fabrique des « lauréat·es » à travers un jeu intriqué d'incitations institutionnelles au dépôt de projets, de configurations de marchés universitaires nationaux et internationaux, ainsi que de logiques de fonctionnement et de cultures épistémiques plurielles.Alors que le dispositif sociotechnique de l'ERC à l'échelle européenne et les mesures incitatives au niveau national concourent à renforcer le financement d'une recherche exploratoire, individuelle et d'« excellence », comment dans ce cadre les scientifiques lauréat·es conçoivent-ils·elles leur candidature et l'obtention du projet à l'ERC ? En prenant le parti de suivre les cheminements et les différentes étapes suivies par les lauréat·es dans le cours de « leurs » projets, cette thèse scrute les cheminements individuels vers le statut de candidat·e en identifiant quatre logiques d'engagement (idée, financement, indépendance et carrière). La rédaction du projet questionne quant à elle les formes d'adéquation, d'adaptation et de traduction de soi et de son projet dans la candidature selon la perception des attendus du financeur. Le projet obtenu, c'est à la question de l'identité de chercheur·e des lauréat·es à laquelle nous nous intéressons en analysant les modalités de mise en œuvre d'un « collectif personnalisé en mode projet », non exempt d'un souci du collectif et des carrières d'autrui. Enfin, l'analyse revient de façon plus générale sur les effets de l'ERC sur les trajectoires des scientifiques des deux disciplines observées depuis le point de vue des enquêté·es, interrogeant ainsi l'émergence de voies contemporaines de carrières scientifiques renouvelées
This doctoral dissertation explores the ramifications of a specific European research funding initiative, namely the European Research Council (ERC), within the broader context of the sociology of scientific professions, science, and public action. Focused on researchers in the realms of universe sciences and history within the academic landscape of French universities, this study systematically examines the transformative impact induced by the ERC's project-based funding paradigm on the dynamics of research. Scrutinizing alterations in the identities of researchers and the intricate fabric of both individual and collective scientific relationships, the thesis closely examines the distinct call for projects put forth by the ERC. By analyzing the selection processes leading to the identification of "excellent" individuals and projects, the investigation dissects the intricate interplay between institutional incentives for project submissions, national and international configurations of the university market, operational logics, and a diverse array of epistemic cultures.The socio-technical framework of the European Research Council (ERC) at the European level and the incentive policies at the national level are strategically devised to enhance the support for exploratory, individual, and "excellent" research endeavors. In this context, an inquiry arises: How do the recipients of ERC grants perceive their application process to the ERC and evaluate the success of their respective projects? The narrative meticulously traces the trajectories of laureates throughout the lifecycle of their projects. This involves a close scrutiny of the rationales underpinning their decision to seek ERC funding, the intricacies of candidacy construction, and an exploration of the identities of laureates tasked with orchestrating personalized collectives within the project mode. The dissertation culminates in a thorough analysis of the broader implications of ERC funding on the careers of scientists in the observed disciplines, as articulated by the interviewees

This thesis addresses the question as to why multilevel politics is becoming an integral part of politics in Europe. Multilevel politics is conceptualized as a system which functions through a complex web of political relations within and across levels of decision making. The thesis argues that the rise of multilevel politics can be explained by its institutionalization in terms of the emergence, the evolution and especially the effects of relevant institutions. Based on a mixed-method research project, the influence of European institutions on subnational actors and the alignment of actor motives with institutional characteristics are empirically shown. The first chapter of the dissertation establishes the centrality of institutions for political transformation, examines the role of transnational and domestic institutions for multilevel politics, and contextualizes the research question in terms of institution-actor relations. The second chapter develops a new-institutionalist theoretical framework that explains the emergence, the evolution and the effects of the institutions, and formulates a series of hypotheses with regard to freestanding institutional influence, power distribution, material benefits and political identification. The third chapter outlines the mixed-method research design which addresses individual-level and institutional-level variations through a Europe-wide survey and a comparative case study. The fourth chapter on survey results shows generally favourable views on multilevel politics, and strong associations of these views with the independent variables under scrutiny. The fifth chapter specifies a multivariate model which includes all posited variables and confirms the majority of the hypotheses. Therefore, the new-institutionalist argument is broadly confirmed, while there is relatively weak evidence to sustain sociological explanations. The final chapter compares the Committee of the Regions and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, and examines the institutional characteristics which correspond to the hypothesized variables. It is then concluded that the two institutions share several overarching similarities, and display complementarity in other aspects.

AbstractThe principal aim of this paper is to contest the neoliberal discourse of the World Class University (WCU). The first section provides an understanding of the concept of the WCU within the context of a global competitive model of the knowledge economy and contrasts it with the social-democratic model based on open science and education that also provides links between new modes of openness, academic publishing and the world journal architecture. The paper makes the case for ‘knowledge socialism’ that accurately depicts the greater communitarian moment of the sharing and participative academic economy based on peer-to-peer production, social innovation and collective intelligence. It instantiates the notion of knowledge as a global public good. Profound changes in the nature of technology has enabled a kind of ‘digital socialism’ which is clearly evident in the shift in political economy of academic publishing based Open Access, cOAlition S, and ‘Plan S’ (mandated in 2020) established by national research funding organisations in Europe with the support of the European Commission and the European Research Council (ERC). The social democratic alternative to neoliberalism and the WCU is a form of the sharing academic economy known as ‘knowledge socialism’. Universities need to share knowledge in the search for effective responses to pressing world problems of fragile global ecologies and the growing significance of technological unemployment. This is a model that proceeds from a very different set of economic and moral assumptions than the neoliberal knowledge economy and the WCU.

AbstractGender equality is an increasingly topical issue, but it has deep historical roots. The principle of gender equality found its legitimacy, even if limited to salary, in the 1957 Treaty of Rome, establishing the European Economic Community (EEC). This treaty, in Article 119, sanctioned the principle of equal pay between male and female workers. The EEC continued to protect women’s rights in the 1970s through equal opportunity policies. These policies referred, first, to the principle of equal treatment between men and women regarding education, access to work, professional promotion, and working conditions (Directive 75/117/EEC); second, to the principle of equal pay for male and female workers (Directive 76/207/EEC); and finally, enshrined the principle of equal treatment between men and women in matters of social security (Directive 79/7/EEC). Since the 1980s, several positive action programmes have been developed to support the role of women in European society. Between 1982 and 2000, four multiyear action programmes were implemented for equal opportunities. The first action programme (1982–1985) called on the Member States, through recommendations and resolutions by the Commission, to disseminate greater knowledge of the types of careers available to women, encourage the presence of women in decision-making areas, and take measures to reconcile family and working life. The second action programme (1986–1990) proposed interventions related to the employment of women in activities related to new technologies and interventions in favour of the equal distribution of professional, family, and social responsibilities (Sarcina, 2010). The third action programme (1991–1995) provided an improvement in the condition of women in society by raising public awareness of gender equality, the image of women in mass media, and the participation of women in the decision-making process at all levels in all areas of society. The fourth action programme (1996–2000) strengthened the existing regulatory framework and focused on the principle of gender mainstreaming, a strategy that involves bringing the gender dimension into all community policies, which requires all actors in the political process to adopt a gender perspective. The strategy of gender mainstreaming has several benefits: it places women and men at the heart of policies, involves both sexes in the policymaking process, leads to better governance, makes gender equality issues visible in mainstream society, and, finally, considers the diversity among women and men. Among the relevant interventions of the 1990s, it is necessary to recall the Treaty of Maastricht (1992) which guaranteed the protection of women in the Agreement on Social Policy signed by all Member States (except for Great Britain), and the Treaty of Amsterdam (1997), which formally recognised gender mainstreaming. The Treaty of Amsterdam includes gender equality among the objectives of the European Union (Article 2) and equal opportunity policies among the activities of the European Commission (Article 3). Article 13 introduces the principle of non-discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or handicaps. Finally, Article 141 amends Article 119 of the EEC on equal treatment between men and women in the workplace. The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the Nice Union of 2000 reaffirms the prohibition of ‘any discrimination based on any ground such as sex’ (Art. 21.1). The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union also recognises, in Article 23, the principle of equality between women and men in all areas, including employment, work, and pay. Another important intervention of the 2000s is the Lisbon strategy, also known as the Lisbon Agenda or Lisbon Process. It is a reform programme approved in Lisbon by the heads of state and governments of the member countries of the EU. The goal of the Lisbon strategy was to make the EU the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy by 2010. To achieve this goal, the strategy defines fields in which action is needed, including equal opportunities for female work. Another treaty that must be mentioned is that of Lisbon in 2009, thanks to which previous treaties, specifically the Treaty of Maastricht and the Treaty of Rome, were amended and brought together in a single document: the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). Thanks to the Lisbon Treaty, the Charter of Fundamental Rights has assumed a legally binding character (Article 6, paragraph 1 of the TEU) both for European institutions and for Member States when implementing EU law. The Treaty of Lisbon affirms the principle of equality between men and women several times in the text and places it among the values and objectives of the union (Articles 2 and 3 of the TEU). Furthermore, the Treaty, in Art. 8 of the TFEU, states that the Union’s actions are aimed at eliminating inequalities, as well as promoting equality between men and women, while Article 10 of the TFEU provides that the Union aims to ‘combat discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age, or sexual orientation’. Concerning the principle of gender equality in the workplace, the Treaty, in Article 153 of the TFEU, asserts that the Union pursues the objective of equality between men and women regarding labour market opportunities and treatment at work. On the other hand, Article 157 of the TFEU confirms the principle of equal pay for male and female workers ‘for equal work or work of equal value’. On these issues, through ordinary procedures, the European Parliament and the Council may adopt appropriate measures aimed at defending the principle of equal opportunities and equal treatment for men and women. The Lisbon Treaty also includes provisions relating to the fight against trafficking in human beings, particularly women and children (Article 79 of the TFEU), the problem of domestic violence against women (Article 8 of the TFEU), and the right to paid maternity leave (Article 33). Among the important documents concerning gender equality is the Roadmap (2006–2010). In 2006, the European Commission proposed the Roadmap for equality between women and men, in addition to the priorities on the agenda, the objectives, and tools necessary to achieve full gender equality. The Roadmap defines six priority areas, each of which is associated with a set of objectives and actions that makes it easier to achieve them. The priorities include equal economic independence for women and men, reconciliation of private and professional life, equal representation in the decision-making process, eradication of all forms of gender-based violence, elimination of stereotypes related to gender, and promotion of gender equality in external and development policies. The Commission took charge of the commitments included in the Roadmap, which were indirectly implemented by the Member States through the principle of subsidiarity and the competencies provided for in the Treaties (Gottardi, 2013). The 2006–2010 strategy of the European Commission is based on a dual approach: on the one hand, the integration of the gender dimension in all community policies and actions (gender mainstreaming), and on the other, the implementation of specific measures in favour of women aimed at eliminating inequalities. In 2006, the European Council approved the European Pact for Gender Equality which originated from the Roadmap. The European Pact for Gender Equality identified three macro areas of intervention: measures to close gender gaps and combat gender stereotypes in the labour market, measures to promote a better work–life balance for both women and men, and measures to strengthen governance through the integration of the gender perspective into all policies. In 2006, Directive 2006/54/EC of the European Parliament and Council regulated equal opportunities and equal treatment between male and female workers. Specifically, the Directive aims to implement the principle of equal treatment related to access to employment, professional training, and promotion; working conditions, including pay; and occupational social security approaches. On 21 September 2010, the European Commission adopted a new strategy to ensure equality between women and men (2010–2015). This new strategy is based on the experience of Roadmap (2006–2010) and resumes the priority areas identified by the Women’s Charter: equal economic independence, equal pay, equality in decision-making, the eradication of all forms of violence against women, and the promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment beyond the union. The 2010–2015 Strategic Plan aims to improve the position of women in the labour market, but also in society, both within the EU and beyond its borders. The new strategy affirms the principle that gender equality is essential to supporting the economic growth and sustainable development of each country. In 2010, the validity of the Lisbon Strategy ended, the objectives of which were only partially achieved due to the economic crisis. To overcome this crisis, the Commission proposed a new strategy called Europe 2020, in March 2010. The main aim of this strategy is to ensure that the EU’s economic recovery is accompanied by a series of reforms that will increase growth and job creation by 2020. Specifically, Europe’s 2020 strategy must support smart, sustainable, and inclusive growth. To this end, the EU has established five goals to be achieved by 2020 and has articulated the different types of growth (smart, sustainable, and inclusive) in seven flagship initiatives. Among the latter, the initiative ‘an agenda for new skills and jobs’, in the context of inclusive growth, is the one most closely linked to gender policies and equal opportunities; in fact, it substantially aims to increase employment rates for women, young, and elderly people. The strategic plan for 2010–2015 was followed by a strategic commitment in favour of gender equality 2016–2019, which again emphasises the five priority areas defined by the previous plan. Strategic commitment, which contributes to the European Pact for Gender Equality (2011–2020), identifies the key actions necessary to achieve objectives for each priority area. In March 2020, the Commission presented a new strategic plan for equality between women and men for 2020–2025. This strategy defines a series of political objectives and key actions aimed at achieving a ‘union of equality’ by 2025. The main objectives are to put an end to gender-based violence and combat sexist stereotypes, ensure equal opportunities in the labour market and equal participation in all sectors of the economy and political life, solve the problem of the pay and pension gap, and achieve gender equality in decision-making and politics. From the summary of the regulatory framework presented, for the European Economic Community first, then for the European Community, and finally for the European Union, gender equality has always been a fundamental value. Interest in the issues of the condition of women and equal opportunities has grown over time and during the process of European integration, moving from a perspective aimed at improving the working conditions of women to a new dimension to improve the life of the woman as a person, trying to protect her not only professionally but also socially, and in general in all those areas in which gender inequality may occur. The approach is extensive and based on legislation, the integration of the gender dimension into all policies, and specific measures in favour of women. From the non-exhaustive list of the various legislative interventions, it is possible to note a continuous repetition of the same thematic priorities which highlights, on the one hand, the poor results achieved by the implementation of the policies, but, on the other hand, the Commission’s willingness to pursue the path initially taken. Among the achievements in the field of gender equality obtained by the EU, there is certainly an increase in the number of women in the labour market and the acquisition of better education and training. Despite progress, gender inequalities have persisted. Even though women surpass men in terms of educational attainment, gender gaps still exist in employment, entrepreneurship, and public life (OECD, 2017). For example, in the labour market, women continue to be overrepresented in the lowest-paid sectors and underrepresented in top positions (according to the data released in the main companies of the European Union, women represent only 8% of CEOs).

AbstractBased on the assumption that globalization should not imply homogenization, it is important for education to promote dialogue and intercultural understanding. The first appearance of the term ‘intercultural education’ in Europe dates back to 1983, when European ministers of education at a conference in Berlin, in a resolution for the schooling of migrant children, highlighted the intercultural dimension of education (Portera in Intercultural Education 19:481–491, 2008). One of the mandates of intercultural education is to promote intercultural dialogue, meaning dialogue that is “open and respectful” and that takes place between individuals or groups “with different ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic backgrounds and heritage on the basis of mutual understanding and respect” (Council of Europe in White paper on intercultural dialogue: Living together as equals in dignity. Council of Europe, Strasbourg, p. 10, 2008). Such backgrounds and heritages form cultural identities, not limited to ethnic, religious and linguistic ones, as culture is a broader concept including several layers such as “experience, interest, orientation to the world, values, dispositions, sensibilities, social languages, and discourses” (Cope and Kalantzis in Pedagogies: An International Journal 4:173, 2009). As cultural identities are multi-layered, so is cultural diversity, and therefore it becomes a challenge for educators and researchers to address it (Hepple et al. in Teaching and Teacher Education 66:273–281, 2017). Referring to Leclercq (The lessons of thirty years of European co-operation for intercultural education, Steering Committee for Education, Strasbourg, 2002), Hajisoteriou and Angelides (International Journal of Inclusive Education 21:367, 2017) argue that “intercultural education aims to stress the dynamic nature of cultural diversity as an unstable mixture of sameness and otherness.” This challenge relates to the dynamic concept of culture itself, as socially constructed, and continuously shaped and reshaped through communicative interactions (Holmes et al. in Intercultural Education 26:16–30, 2015).

Abstract Policymakers across Europe have increasingly emphasised the importance of paying close attention to the social dimension of higher education and taking further steps to ensure that the composition of Europe’s universities more adequately reflects the diversity of the wider population. While there have been a number of studies that have explored this through analyses of European- and national-level policy and others that have assessed a range of quantitative indicators related to student diversity, this chapter assumes, in contrast, an interpretivist stance; it is interested in the perspectives of those studying and working ‘on the ground’ within the European Higher Education Area. Specifically, we seek to answer this research question: To what extent do students and staff, across Europe, believe that higher education access and experiences are differentiated by social characteristics (such as class/family background, race/ethnicity/migration background, gender and age)? In doing so, we draw on data from a large European Research Council-funded project, including 54 focus groups with undergraduate students (a total of 295 individuals) and 72 in-depth individual interviews with members of higher education staff (both academic and non-academic). Fieldwork was conducted in three higher education institutions in each of the following countries: Denmark, UK-England, Germany, Ireland, Poland and Spain—nations chosen to provide diversity with respect to welfare regime, relationship to the European Union and mechanisms for funding higher education. We explore commonalities and differences between staff and students and between different countries, before identifying some implications for policymakers keen to promote further social inclusion within Europe’s higher education institutions (HEIs).

The percentage of the world population living in urban settlements is expected to increase to 70% of 9.7 billion by 2050. Historically, as cities grew, the development of new water infrastructures followed as needed. However, these developments had less to do with real planning than with reacting to crisis situations and urgent needs, due to the inability of urban water planners to consider long-term, deeply uncertain and ambiguous factors affecting urban development and water demand. The “Smart Water Futures: Designing the Next Generation of Urban Drinking Water Systems” or “Water-Futures” project, which was funded by the European Research Council (ERC), aims to develop a new theoretical framework for the allocation and development decisions on drinking water infrastructure systems so that they are: (i) socially equitable, (ii) economically efficient, and (iii) environmentally resilient, as advocated by the UN Agenda 2030, Sustainable Development Goals. The ERC Synergy grant project tackles the “wicked problem” of transitioning water distribution systems in a holistic manner, involving civil engineering, control engineering, machine learning, decision theory and environmental economics expertise. Developing a theoretical foundation for designing smart water systems that can deliver optimally robust and resilient decisions for short/long-term planning is one of the biggest challenges that future cities will be facing. This paper presents an overview of related past research on this topic, the knowledge gaps in terms of investigating the problem in a holistic manner, and the key early outcomes of the project.

The results of the research of advanced developments of scientific organizations of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in the direction of “Technology of structural and functional materials” have presented, showing that most of the developments have high and medium level of potential for innovation and commercialization, and low level of potential for transfer and openness. The way to bolstering the implementation of scientific and technical developments using the tools of the European Innovation Council (“EIC”) within the framework of the “Horizon Europe” program have considered.

In the last ten years, public and government perceptions of waste-to-energy have changed considerably. Most people who bothered to visit waste management facilities recognize that landfilling can only be replaced by a combination of recycling and thermal treatment with energy recovery. During the same period, the Earth Engineering Center (EEC) of Columbia University research and public information programs have concentrated on advancing all means of sustainable waste management in the U.S. and abroad. The results of EEC research are exemplified in the graphs of the Hierarchy of Waste Management and the Ladder of Sustainable Waste Management of nations; in this paper, the latter has also been used to compare the waste management status of the fifty states of the Union. This paper also describes how the European Union has directed that thermally efficient treatment of MSW is equivalent to recycling. The rapid growth of WTE in this century is exemplified by the hundreds of new WTE plants that have been built or are under construction, most with, government assistance as in the case of other essential infrastucture. The need for concerted action by concerned scientists and engineers around the world has led to the formation of the Global WTERT Council. By now there are sister organizations of EEC and WTERT in Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Greece (SYNERGIA) and Japan. Others are being formed in other countries.

In the early 1990s the European Union has defined areas characterized by being nitrate vulnerable according to the Council Directive 91/676/EEC. In the same time, some major changes in the Common Agricultural Policy have proposed new actions in farms aimed at reducing the use of fertilizers and pesticides which has been compensated by the payments of agri-environmental measures. The main purpose of this research was to investigate if the technical efficiency of farms in function their location in area nitrate vulnerable whose percentage value is above the average estimated in all Italian regions and if the farming specialization impacts in the technical efficiency. The estimation of these two aspects since 2004 to 2020 using the FADN dataset has been done using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and the Multidirectional Efficiency Analysis (MEA) able to assess the technical efficiency in each used input and produced output. Research’s findings have underlined as farms located in nitrate vulnerable areas have been characterized by an higher level of technical efficiency in and output even if they receive a less amount of agri-environmental payments. The specialization in farms seems to be driver able to impact in the technical efficiency as well.

Floods are one of the most devastating natural disasters that can lead to significant economic and environmental damage and even loss of lives. Flood hazard mapping is one of the measures of disaster risk reduction and becoming a more important function in conserving biological diversity and protected areas now and future. Most of the research is focused on determining flood risk in urbanized areas. In this paper, the protected areas affected by potential floods are studied. Protected areas are according to a directive Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds and Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora. The selected study area is the Batova River catchment. A large part of it is a protected area under both directives and there are recorded a lot of significant floods. The software product HEC-RAS, version 6.0, was used to determine the flooded areas. Flood maps are created for three scenarios: 20-, 100- and 1000-years. The data used to simulate flash floods are precipitation from monitoring network of the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH), a Digital terrain model with pixel cell 6/6m from Military Geographical Service at the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Bulgaria and land cover data from CORINE Land Cover 2018. As a result of the modeling, the inundated areas during rain with different return period have been determined. An analysis was made of the extent to which they affect the protected areas. This approach can also be applied to other watersheds. Based on these studies, an appropriate set of measures could be drawn up to protect these areas and the endangered species whose habitats fall within them and contribute to the preparation of Flood Risk Management Plans. By integrating floodplain management and wildlife conservation, such as the protection of habitat communities have the opportunity to reduce flood risk, and protect species and their habitat while enjoying the natural resources.Floods are one of the most devastating natural disasters that can lead to significant economic and environmental damage and even loss of lives. Flood hazard mapping is one of the measures of disaster risk reduction and becoming a more important function in conserving biological diversity and protected areas now and future. Most of the research is focused on determining flood risk in urbanized areas. In this paper, the protected areas affected by potential floods are studied. Protected areas are according to a directive Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds and Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora. The selected study area is the Batova River catchment. A large part of it is a protected area under both directives and there are recorded a lot of significant floods. The software product HEC-RAS, version 6.0, was used to determine the flooded areas. Flood maps are created for three scenarios: 20-, 100- and 1000-years. The data used to simulate flash floods are precipitation from monitoring network of the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH), a Digital terrain model with pixel cell 6/6m from Military Geographical Service at the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Bulgaria and land cover data from CORINE Land Cover 2018. As a result of the modeling, the inundated areas during rain with different return period have been determined. An analysis was made of the extent to which they affect the protected areas. This approach can also be applied to other watersheds. Based on these studies, an appropriate set of measures could be drawn up to protect these areas and the endangered species whose habitats fall within them and contribute to the preparation of Flood Risk Management Plans. By integrating floodplain management and wildlife conservation, such as the protection of habitat communities have the opportunity to reduce flood risk, and protect species and their habitat while enjoying the natural resources.Floods are one of the most devastating natural disasters that can lead to significant economic and environmental damage and even loss of lives. Flood hazard mapping is one of the measures of disaster risk reduction and becoming a more important function in conserving biological diversity and protected areas now and future. Most of the research is focused on determining flood risk in urbanized areas. In this paper, the protected areas affected by potential floods are studied. Protected areas are according to a directive Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds and Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora. The selected study area is the Batova River catchment. A large part of it is a protected area under both directives and there are recorded a lot of significant floods. The software product HEC-RAS, version 6.0, was used to determine the flooded areas. Flood maps are created for three scenarios: 20-, 100- and 1000-years. The data used to simulate flash floods are precipitation from monitoring network of the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH), a Digital terrain model with pixel cell 6/6m from Military Geographical Service at the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Bulgaria and land cover data from CORINE Land Cover 2018. As a result of the modeling, the inundated areas during rain with different return period have been determined. An analysis was made of the extent to which they affect the protected areas. This approach can also be applied to other watersheds. Based on these studies, an appropriate set of measures could be drawn up to protect these areas and the endangered species whose habitats fall within them and contribute to the preparation of Flood Risk Management Plans. By integrating floodplain management and wildlife conservation, such as the protection of habitat communities have the opportunity to reduce flood risk, and protect species and their habitat while enjoying the natural resources.Floods are one of the most devastating natural disasters that can lead to significant economic and environmental damage and even loss of lives. Flood hazard mapping is one of the measures of disaster risk reduction and becoming a more important function in conserving biological diversity and protected areas now and future. Most of the research is focused on determining flood risk in urbanized areas. In this paper, the protected areas affected by potential floods are studied. Protected areas are according to a directive Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds and Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora. The selected study area is the Batova River catchment. A large part of it is a protected area under both directives and there are recorded a lot of significant floods. The software product HEC-RAS, version 6.0, was used to determine the flooded areas. Flood maps are created for three scenarios: 20-, 100- and 1000-years. The data used to simulate flash floods are precipitation from monitoring network of the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH), a Digital terrain model with pixel cell 6/6m from Military Geographical Service at the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Bulgaria and land cover data from CORINE Land Cover 2018. As a result of the modeling, the inundated areas during rain with different return period have been determined. An analysis was made of the extent to which they affect the protected areas. This approach can also be applied to other watersheds. Based on these studies, an appropriate set of measures could be drawn up to protect these areas and the endangered species whose habitats fall within them and contribute to the preparation of Flood Risk Management Plans. By integrating floodplain management and wildlife conservation, such as the protection of habitat communities have the opportunity to reduce flood risk, and protect species and their habitat while enjoying the natural resources.Floods are one of the most devastating natural disasters that can lead to significant economic and environmental damage and even loss of lives. Flood hazard mapping is one of the measures of disaster risk reduction and becoming a more important function in conserving biological diversity and protected areas now and future. Most of the research is focused on determining flood risk in urbanized areas. In this paper, the protected areas affected by potential floods are studied. Protected areas are according to a directive Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds and Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora. The selected study area is the Batova River catchment. A large part of it is a protected area under both directives and there are recorded a lot of significant floods. The software product HEC-RAS, version 6.0, was used to determine the flooded areas. Flood maps are created for three scenarios: 20-, 100- and 1000-years. The data used to simulate flash floods are precipitation from monitoring network of the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH), a Digital terrain model with pixel cell 6/6m from Military Geographical Service at the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Bulgaria and land cover data from CORINE Land Cover 2018. As a result of the modeling, the inundated areas during rain with different return period have been determined. An analysis was made of the extent to which they affect the protected areas. This approach can also be applied to other watersheds. Based on these studies, an appropriate set of measures could be drawn up to protect these areas and the endangered species whose habitats fall within them and contribute to the preparation of Flood Risk Management Plans. By integrating floodplain management and wildlife conservation, such as the protection of habitat communities have the opportunity to reduce flood risk, and protect species and their habitat while enjoying the natural resources.Floods are one of the most devastating natural disasters that can lead to significant economic and environmental damage and even loss of lives. Flood hazard mapping is one of the measures of disaster risk reduction and becoming a more important function in conserving biological diversity and protected areas now and future. Most of the research is focused on determining flood risk in urbanized areas. In this paper, the protected areas affected by potential floods are studied. Protected areas are according to a directive Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds and Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora. The selected study area is the Batova River catchment. A large part of it is a protected area under both directives and there are recorded a lot of significant floods. The software product HEC-RAS, version 6.0, was used to determine the flooded areas. Flood maps are created for three scenarios: 20-, 100- and 1000-years. The data used to simulate flash floods are precipitation from monitoring network of the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH), a Digital terrain model with pixel cell 6/6m from Military Geographical Service at the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Bulgaria and land cover data from CORINE Land Cover 2018. As a result of the modeling, the inundated areas during rain with different return period have been determined. An analysis was made of the extent to which they affect the protected areas. This approach can also be applied to other watersheds. Based on these studies, an appropriate set of measures could be drawn up to protect these areas and the endangered species whose habitats fall within them and contribute to the preparation of Flood Risk Management Plans. By integrating floodplain management and wildlife conservation, such as the protection of habitat communities have the opportunity to reduce flood risk, and protect species and their habitat while enjoying the natural resources.Floods are one of the most devastating natural disasters that can lead to significant economic and environmental damage and even loss of lives. Flood hazard mapping is one of the measures of disaster risk reduction and becoming a more important function in conserving biological diversity and protected areas now and future. Most of the research is focused on determining flood risk in urbanized areas. In this paper, the protected areas affected by potential floods are studied. Protected areas are according to a directive Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds and Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora. The selected study area is the Batova River catchment. A large part of it is a protected area under both directives and there are recorded a lot of significant floods. The software product HEC-RAS, version 6.0, was used to determine the flooded areas. Flood maps are created for three scenarios: 20-, 100- and 1000-years. The data used to simulate flash floods are precipitation from monitoring network of the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH), a Digital terrain model with pixel cell 6/6m from Military Geographical Service at the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Bulgaria and land cover data from CORINE Land Cover 2018. As a result of the modeling, the inundated areas during rain with different return period have been determined. An analysis was made of the extent to which they affect the protected areas. This approach can also be applied to other watersheds. Based on these studies, an appropriate set of measures could be drawn up to protect these areas and the endangered species whose habitats fall within them and contribute to the preparation of Flood Risk Management Plans. By integrating floodplain management and wildlife conservation, such as the protection of habitat communities have the opportunity to reduce flood risk, and protect species and their habitat while enjoying the natural resources.

In today’s society, digital competence is becoming increasingly relevant, as this competence is necessary to function on both a personal and professional level. Digital competence is essential for students, since it enables them to exist in a digitalised world. Over the last few decades, the concept of digital competence has been used more frequently (Spante et al., 2018), and now it is actively discussed, particularly in terms of policy documents (European Council, 2018; European Commission, 2014; European Commission 2021). During the discussions related to policy, the following questions have been raised: 1) what kind of skills and knowledge people should possess in a knowledge society, and 2) what should be taught to young students and how it has to be done (Ilomäki et al., 2016). The purpose of the present scoping review is to provide a comprehensive overview of relevant research regarding the instruments commonly used to measure digital competence of university students. Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) five-stage framework underpins the scoping review. Three databases were used to conduct a scoping literature review, including ERIC, ProQuest and EBSCO. The inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed publications written in English within the period from 2014 till 2020. Initially, 395 articles in total were selected; the full texts of 43 articles were assessed. Finally, only 13 out 395 articles that met the inclusion criteria were considered in the present research. This paper reports on three main categories: (1) definition of digital competence, (2) development and characteristics of an instrument measuring digital competence, and (3) key findings. The most commonly used framework found during this research was The European Digital Competence Framework for Citizens 2.0. (Vuorikari et al., 2016). A larger part of studies reports on a designed self-assessment questionnaire comprising of multiple-choice items and quantitative evaluation of the competence. The scoping review showed that the majority of the existing tests enable to assess students’ digital information searching, communication and technical skills. The findings of previous studies indicate that students tend to overestimate their digital competence and lack knowledge of basic topics, the ones related to information and data literacy. Our findings point to the necessity to use different approaches for assessing digital competence on different levels.

On the occasion of three decades of implementation of the Council Directive 93/13 EEC on unfair terms in consumer contracts, the paper examines unfair contractual provisions through relevant regulations at the international, European and national level. Analyzing the origin and thirty-year implementation of the European directive on unfair terms in consumer contracts, the paper points out the significant role of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), as well as the circumstance that its case law were systematized in 2019 in the Guidelines on the interpretation and application of the Directive. Different ways of legal protection against unfair contract terms in European consumer protection law are analyzed. Afterwards, the legal regime of unfair contract terms in domestic law is discussed, i.e. the Law on Obligations and the Law on Consumer Protection. It is shown that the first rules related to unfair provisions (regardless of their term) were essentially created in the context of the law of general business conditions and were elaborated much later in the context of consumer law. Such a conclusion is confirmed not only by a temporal comparison of the emergence of special laws on general business conditions and European directives, but also within domestic law, in which they are regulated by the Law on Obligations significantly before the Law on Consumer Protection. The work of international organizations in the context of international consumer law is researched, especially the United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection, adopted under the auspices of UNCTAD.

Researchers working in Switzerland are very successful with applications to the European Research Council (ERC). Our analysis shows: By 2019, 84% of these grantees had previously received funding from the SNSF.

A palynological sampling programme was carried out in three areas of Western Jutland in 2021-22. Our goal was to collect new sediment samples from archaeological excavations and peat deposits to reconstruct patterns in past heathland use and development. The location of the case areas was determined by the potential of the sites for combination with existing palynological data (Solsø Hede) and/or archaeological data (the Vejen area). At Solsø Hede, a pollen core was obtained near Solsø. At Vejen, two separate sediment collections took place. To the north of Vejen, in Gammelby Mose, peat sediments were collected. To the south of Vejen, at Kongehøj, 15 samples were collected from a Bronze Age house floor plan. The sampling programme formed part of the research project called ANTHEA (Løvschal 2021), which focuses on the deep history of anthropogenic heathlands. The project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement no. 853356).

The COVID-19 pandemic hit Europe hard, and measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19 have resulted in a deep recession in 2020. To fight this recession, national governments have mobilised considerable funds to support the economy and prepare for a rebound in the following years. In addition to national efforts, the European Commission has initiated NextGenerationEU, a 750 bn EUR package to support Europe’s recovery, and the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) as its biggest component. The aim of this package is to make Europe’s economies more resilient to future challenges while supporting them in the green and digital transitions. Immediate support for the economy is important to stabilize employment and prevent vicious cycles that appeared during the Great Depression of the 1930s. However, these measures may also hamper change for good when they only aim at restoring the status quo before the crisis. Times of crisis are always times of transformation and innovation – this may also be true for the COVID-19 crisis of 2020 and 2021.The crisis may provide a good environment to push for transformative innovation. The rapid development of vaccines against COVID-19 is a strong sign for the adaptability of national innovation systems to new challenges, and the sense of urgency for change is high. However, one may also ask if national funding and the EU recovery packages are agile enough to support new ideas, new firms and new business models, as potential triggers of transformation. Against this background, the project will analyse Austria’s response to the economic effects of the crisis from an innovation and transformation perspective. In particular, the project will look at the recovery packages from the perspective of the ‘protect-prepare-transform’ framework proposed by the EU Expert group on the Societal and Economic Impact of Research and Innovation (ESIR, 2020): the need to protect the overall wellbeing of individuals during the crisis, the need to prepare for future pandemics and crises and the need to transform the European economy and society towards more resilience against future crises. The analysis will include national funds as well as Austria’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), i.e. its proposal to the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) of the European Commission. This multi-level nature of the recovery measures is further complicated by regional initiatives to mobilise further resources such as EU Structural Funds to fight the COVID-19 crisis.

In 2022, citing the erosion of transparency and academic freedom in Hungary, the Council of the European Union suspended research related EU funding and exchange programmes to Hungarian universities run by newly established public interest trusts. There has been unceasing debate between the EU and Hungary since then, while the recent initial hearings of the universities’ appeals in the Court of Justice of the European Union suggest that lasting suspension will be the outcome. Here we summarize a comprehensive survey that reveals a troubling landscape for the Hungarian academic and research communities as a consequence of the ban. Particularly alarming is the pronounced impact on early career researchers, not just from institutions directly affected by the suspension but, strikingly, from those still eligible for funding. The findings of the survey underscore a pervasive uncertainty among non-Hungarian EU consortia leaders about whether to engage with Hungarian universities and research institutes at all. This climate of doubt may well result in detrimental effects on the international stature of Hungarian research, hinting at long-lasting impediments to the country's scientific competitiveness on the European stage.

The Ukraine war has added to the pressure to address the links between the environment, natural resource management and conflict. This SIPRI Research Policy Paper assesses the priorities of selected European Union (EU) member states regarding climate-related security risks, explores their strategies for pursuing these at EU level and identifies steps for further action. It finds that the appetite to tackle climate-related security risks at EU level is mixed. While maintaining the operational efficiency of the military is a red line, concentrating efforts on research, development and peacekeeping is acceptable even to countries that do not prioritize climate insecurity in their policies. Country strategies for pursuing such efforts involve spotlighting climate security during their respective rotating Council presidencies, working closely with the European External Action Service and the European Commission, and collaborating with like-minded member states. The paper recommends additional steps for action but in order to make effective adjustments to EU processes, climate security will need greater prominence on the EU agenda.

The Southeast Coast Network (SECN) conducts long-term terrestrial vegetation monitoring as part of the nationwide Inventory and Monitoring Program of the National Park Service (NPS). The vegetation community vital sign is one of the primary-tier resources identified by SECN park managers, and monitoring is currently conducted at 15 network parks (DeVivo et al. 2008). Monitoring plants and their associated communities over time allows for targeted understanding of ecosystems within the SECN geography, which provides managers information about the degree of change within their parks’ natural vegetation. 2019 marks the first year of conducting this monitoring effort on four SECN parks, including Fort Pulaski National Monument (FOPU). Twelve vegetation plots were established at Fort Pulaski National Monument in August. Data collected in each plot included species richness across multiple spatial scales, species-specific cover and constancy, species-specific woody stem seedling/sapling counts and adult tree (greater than 10 centimeters [3.9 inches {in}]) diameter at breast height (DBH), overall tree health, landform, soil, observed disturbance, and woody biomass (i.e., fuel load) estimates. This report summarizes the baseline (year 1) terrestrial vegetation data collected at Fort Pulaski National Monument in 2019. Data were stratified across two dominant broadly defined habitats within the park (Maritime Tidal Wetlands and Maritime Upland Forests and Shrublands). Noteworthy findings include: Sixty-six vascular plant taxa were observed across 12 vegetation plots, including six taxa not previously known from the park. Plots were located on both Cockspur and McQueen’s Island. The most frequently encountered species in each broadly defined habitat included: Maritime Tidal Wetlands: smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora), perennial saltmarsh aster(Symphyotrichum enuifolium), and groundsel tree (Baccharis halimifolia) Maritime Upland Forests and Shrublands: yaupon (Ilex vomitoria), southern/eastern red cedar (Juniperus silicicola + virginiana), and cabbage palmetto (Sabal palmetto). Four non-native species identified as invasive by the Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council (GA-EPPC 2018) were found during this monitoring effort. These species (and their overall frequency of occurrence within all plots) included: Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica; 17%), bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum; 8%), Vasey’s grass (Paspalum urvillei; 8%), and European common reed (Phragmites australis; 8%). Two rare plants tracked by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GADNR 2013) were found during this monitoring effort. These include Florida wild privet (Forestiera segregata) and Bosc’s bluet (Oldenlandia boscii). Southern/eastern red cedar and cabbage palmetto were the most dominant species within the tree stratum of the maritime Upland Forest and Shrubland habitat type. Species that dominated the sapling and seedling strata of this type included yaupon, cabbage palmetto, groundsel tree, and Carolina laurel cherry (Prunus caroliniana). The health status of sugarberry (Celtis laevigata)—a typical canopy species in maritime forests of the South Atlantic Coastal Plain--observed on park plots appeared to be in decline, with most stems experiencing elevated levels of dieback and low vigor. Over the past decade, this species has been experiencing unexplained high rates of dieback and mortality throughout its range in the Southeastern United States; current research is focusing on what may be causing these alarming die-off patterns. Duff and litter made up the majority of downed woody biomass (fuel loads) across FOPU vegetation plots.

Overview Skin cancer prevention is a component of the new Cancer Plan 2022–27, which guides the work of the Cancer Institute NSW. To lessen the impact of skin cancer on the community, the Cancer Institute NSW works closely with the NSW Skin Cancer Prevention Advisory Committee, comprising governmental and non-governmental organisation representatives, to develop and implement the NSW Skin Cancer Prevention Strategy. Primary Health Networks and primary care providers are seen as important stakeholders in this work. To guide improvements in skin cancer prevention and inform the development of the next NSW Skin Cancer Prevention Strategy, an up-to-date review of the evidence on the effectiveness and feasibility of skin cancer prevention activities in primary care is required. A research team led by the Daffodil Centre, a joint venture between the University of Sydney and Cancer Council NSW, was contracted to undertake an Evidence Check review to address the questions below. Evidence Check questions This Evidence Check aimed to address the following questions: Question 1: What skin cancer primary prevention activities can be effectively administered in primary care settings? As part of this, identify the key components of such messages, strategies, programs or initiatives that have been effectively implemented and their feasibility in the NSW/Australian context. Question 2: What are the main barriers and enablers for primary care providers in delivering skin cancer primary prevention activities within their setting? Summary of methods The research team conducted a detailed analysis of the published and grey literature, based on a comprehensive search. We developed the search strategy in consultation with a medical librarian at the University of Sydney and the Cancer Institute NSW team, and implemented it across the databases Embase, MEDLINE, PsycInfo, Scopus, Cochrane Central and CINAHL. Results were exported and uploaded to Covidence for screening and further selection. The search strategy was designed according to the SPIDER tool for Qualitative and Mixed-Methods Evidence Synthesis, which is a systematic strategy for searching qualitative and mixed-methods research studies. The SPIDER tool facilitates rigour in research by defining key elements of non-quantitative research questions. We included peer-reviewed and grey literature that included skin cancer primary prevention strategies/ interventions/ techniques/ programs within primary care settings, e.g. involving general practitioners and primary care nurses. The literature was limited to publications since 2014, and for studies or programs conducted in Australia, the UK, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, Western Europe and Scandinavia. We also included relevant systematic reviews and evidence syntheses based on a range of international evidence where also relevant to the Australian context. To address Question 1, about the effectiveness of skin cancer prevention activities in primary care settings, we summarised findings from the Evidence Check according to different skin cancer prevention activities. To address Question 2, about the barriers and enablers of skin cancer prevention activities in primary care settings, we summarised findings according to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). The CFIR is a framework for identifying important implementation considerations for novel interventions in healthcare settings and provides a practical guide for systematically assessing potential barriers and facilitators in preparation for implementing a new activity or program. We assessed study quality using the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) levels of evidence. Key findings We identified 25 peer-reviewed journal articles that met the eligibility criteria and we included these in the Evidence Check. Eight of the studies were conducted in Australia, six in the UK, and the others elsewhere (mainly other European countries). In addition, the grey literature search identified four relevant guidelines, 12 education/training resources, two Cancer Care pathways, two position statements, three reports and five other resources that we included in the Evidence Check. Question 1 (related to effectiveness) We categorised the studies into different types of skin cancer prevention activities: behavioural counselling (n=3); risk assessment and delivering risk-tailored information (n=10); new technologies for early detection and accompanying prevention advice (n=4); and education and training programs for general practitioners (GPs) and primary care nurses regarding skin cancer prevention (n=3). There was good evidence that behavioural counselling interventions can result in a small improvement in sun protection behaviours among adults with fair skin types (defined as ivory or pale skin, light hair and eye colour, freckles, or those who sunburn easily), which would include the majority of Australians. It was found that clinicians play an important role in counselling patients about sun-protective behaviours, and recommended tailoring messages to the age and demographics of target groups (e.g. high-risk groups) to have maximal influence on behaviours. Several web-based melanoma risk prediction tools are now available in Australia, mainly designed for health professionals to identify patients’ risk of a new or subsequent primary melanoma and guide discussions with patients about primary prevention and early detection. Intervention studies have demonstrated that use of these melanoma risk prediction tools is feasible and acceptable to participants in primary care settings, and there is some evidence, including from Australian studies, that using these risk prediction tools to tailor primary prevention and early detection messages can improve sun-related behaviours. Some studies examined novel technologies, such as apps, to support early detection through skin examinations, including a very limited focus on the provision of preventive advice. These novel technologies are still largely in the research domain rather than recommended for routine use but provide a potential future opportunity to incorporate more primary prevention tailored advice. There are a number of online short courses available for primary healthcare professionals specifically focusing on skin cancer prevention. Most education and training programs for GPs and primary care nurses in the field of skin cancer focus on treatment and early detection, though some programs have specifically incorporated primary prevention education and training. A notable example is the Dermoscopy for Victorian General Practice Program, in which 93% of participating GPs reported that they had increased preventive information provided to high-risk patients and during skin examinations. Question 2 (related to barriers and enablers) Key enablers of performing skin cancer prevention activities in primary care settings included: • Easy access and availability of guidelines and point-of-care tools and resources • A fit with existing workflows and systems, so there is minimal disruption to flow of care • Easy-to-understand patient information • Using the waiting room for collection of risk assessment information on an electronic device such as an iPad/tablet where possible • Pairing with early detection activities • Sharing of successful programs across jurisdictions. Key barriers to performing skin cancer prevention activities in primary care settings included: • Unclear requirements and lack of confidence (self-efficacy) about prevention counselling • Limited availability of GP services especially in regional and remote areas • Competing demands, low priority, lack of time • Lack of incentives.