Call for Applications – Book Chapter Contributions from Interdisciplinary Collaborations

Strengthening European climate policy: Governance recommendations from innovative interdisciplinary collaborations

OBJECTIVE

The EU has outlined ambitions to be the first climate-neutral continent, with multiple strategies, initiatives, and directives being developed to support this. The EU Green Deal provides a roadmap for achieving the EU’s climate-neutrality ambition, outlining priority areas of action related to energy. The EU is enforcing a reduction of  55% of their greenhouse gas emissions reductions (GHG) by 2030 (compared to 1990 levels), calling for more ambitious reduction strategies along this path. The achievement of these ambitions requires a complete transformation in the ways in which societies work, operate, mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis. 

The SSH CENTRE is funding 10 interdisciplinary collaborative teams, up to €7,500, to develop a headline policy recommendation related to EU energy policy. To support these interdisciplinary partnerships, each collaborative team will have 2 joint-corresponding authors, one from SSH and one from STEM. Each team will need to write a book chapter of around 3,000 words (including the reference list), which substantiates their policy recommendation. 

The funded collaborative work that underlies the recommendation and the chapter’s discussion is intentionally flexible. The only requirements are that 1) the activities (and associated policy recommendation) use interdisciplinary insights spanning SSH and STEM, and 2) the policy recommendation moves beyond simply highlighting a failure which needs to be addressed. As such, recommendations may act as the starting point for further research, or highlight the priority dialogues which need to occur.

EXAMPLE TOPICS

Policy recommendations both from a theoretical or applicable perspective are welcomed with a focus on, but not limited to: 

  • Urban transformations and climate neutrality: What does a climate-resilient city look like? How do we imagine a climate-just city?
  • Taking inspiration from nature: How can SSH and STEM disciplines work together and help policy makers improve the effectiveness of nature-based solutions in urban adaptation?
  • Living in a warmed world: How can we better adapt to the already happening climate impacts (flooding, droughts, heat waves, etc.) in both urban and rural areas?
  • Adaptation and Loss and Damage within and outside the EU: How can the EU support countries in the Global South in becoming more climate resilient?
  • Ensuring all voices are equally considered: How can the promise of “leaving no one behind” be implemented?
  • Inclusive and participatory climate governance: How can citizen participation and alternative forms of governance be integrated at the local, national and international levels?
  • Climate governance and the achievement of climate targets: How does the organisation of EU institutions impact climate governance in different locations?
  • The promise of the circular economy: If and how can we promote circularity in materials, products, and services in supply chains?
  • Planetary and social boundaries: How can we work towards living within planetary boundaries and taking into account human well-being at the same time? 
  • Ethics and how we “ought to” live: How can we promote climate ethics in the EU and beyond?
  • Going beyond net-zero: How can “real zero emissions by 2050” be interpreted by mixed methods research? Establishing and meeting carbon budgets: How can we ensure that realistic carbon budgets are being set and that appropriate actions to remain within carbon budgets are undertaken?

DEADLINE

The application deadline is Sunday 4 June 2023 at 11:59pm (BST), the application form can be accessed by completing this expression of interest form: Expression of Interest Form  

The information required to complete the application form can be downloaded here: SSH CENTRE Collaborative Teams Application Form 

CONTACT DETAILS

If you have any queries, please feel free to contact the Climate Book editors before submission of a proposal: Ester Galende Sanchez (ester.galende@bc3research.org), Alevgul Sorman (alevgul.sorman@bc3research.org), Violeta Cabello (violeta.cabello@bc3research.org), Sara Heidenreich (sara.heidenreich@ntnu.no) and Christian Klöckner (christian.klockner@ntnu.no) 

INDICATIVE TIMELINE

  • End June 23 – Successful collaborative teams are notified
  • June 23 – Nov 23 – Interdisciplinary research is undertaken by the collaborative teams 
  • Oct 23 – Online symposium for all collaborative teams 
  • Jan 24 – First draft of policy recommendation chapter submitted to editors 
  • Feb 24 – Collaborative teams receive comments on their chapter
  • Apr 24 – Revised policy recommendation chapters submitted to editors 
  • Apr 24 – Collaborative teams receive review comments on their re-submission
  • May 24 – Collaborative teams submit their final manuscript 
  • Sep 24 – The open-access books are published

ELIGIBILITY

  1. Each collaborative team will be composed of at least four researchers, with at least 2 researchers coming from SSH disciplines and 2 from STEM disciplines, all of whom are based at an institution within the EU or a Horizon-associated country (including the UK). 
  2. Each of the collaborative teams will be a new collaboration, understood as the SSH and STEM researchers within the team not having published together before. Nevertheless, individuals from within the same field (i.e. either within the 2+ SSH researchers or within the 2+ STEM researchers) may have published together before.

Following confirmation that an application is eligible, we will primarily assess abstracts on the basis of: 

  • Relevance to the Call for Applications (and thereby the focus of the 3 books within the collection)
  • Academic quality 
  • Novelty in how SSH and STEM disciplines are brought together 
  • Realistic budgetary planning 

There is also the intention to ensure a good balance of (1) gender and (2) geography (North, South, East, West of Europe)). In addition, given that it is a collection, we will make final selections based on synergies and common themes across the abstracts, to thereby help ensure that the collection as a whole has a strong narrative. 

For further details please see the requirements and expectations (available to download here: SSH CENTRE Collaborative Team Requirements and Expectations) and the FAQs for applicants (available to view here: SSH CENTRE Collaborative Teams Google Doc Link).