July 2015 | PACE-Net Plus

PACE-Net Plus is a project funded by the European Commission to strengthen further bi-regional science, technology and innovation (ST&I) cooperation and dialogue between the Pacific Region and the European Union. The project brings together 16 members, from the Pacific region and the EU.

More information: http://plus.pacenet.eu/

Editorial

After a successful workshop on Observation Systems held in Noumea in June, PACE-Net Plus took a significant step with the organisation, in Brussels, of its 2^nd bi-regional dialogue platform.

The coming months will be devoted to the implementation of the seed funding activity. A call for projects was opened until the 31^st of May, and the process of selection of successful proposals is now drawing to an end. Successful projects will be supported by PACE-Net Plus up to the limit of €10,000 per initiative.

The project will also focus this year on innovation, with among others, the finalization of a regional survey launched by the UNIDO partner on New Caledonia, Fiji, Samoa, Cook Islands and Papua New-Guinea. CTA will also lead a complementary survey on innovation niches for food and nutrition security (see below).

Project news & events

A Pacific delegation at the European pParliament & PACE-Net Plus bi-regional platform of dialogue

23-24 June 2015, Brussels

Mr. Maurice Ponga, Member of the European Parliament, welcomed a delegation of the PACE-Net Plus project, coordinated by the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), on its visit to the European Parliament on the 24^th of June 2015. Prior to the visit, Mr. Ponga outlined his commitment towards the overseas countries and territories and the South Pacific nations of the ACP group.

This visit concluded the bi-regional dialogue platform organised by PACE-Net Plus, held on 23-24 June 2015 in the heart of the European quarter in Brussels. The platform gathered some 80 delegates from Europe and the South Pacific, all of them were either senior scientists or decision-makers involved in research in science, technology and innovation.

One of the key objectives of this Platform was to report on and discuss a selection of the project outcomes (state-of-the-art on research in the South Pacific, thematic Think Tanks, seed-funding scheme, etc.).

To sustain this bi-regional dialogue into the future, the project will aim to increase the understanding, within Europe, of the potential and perspectives of the South Pacific nations.

The delegates were enthusiastic in pursuing this dialogue, and reasserted the necessity to establish a regional committee for research in the South Pacific, as well as the importance of the European Union to launch research project calls in a format suitable for the South Pacific region. Also highlighted was the formidable research opportunity represented for both regions by the development of a multi-disciplinary observation system of climate change in the South Pacific.

Workshop on observation systems

11-12 June, Noumea, New Caledonia

PACE-Net Plus and the GOPS jointly organized a scientific workshop on: “Strengthening the Observation systems of Climate change and its impacts in the Pacific, for a sustainable management of resources and adaptation”. This workshop on climate change and its impacts due to natural variability and anthropogenic causes focused on three scientific and technological research areas: 1) Oceanography, ocean atmosphere interaction; 2) Impacts of climate change on the ecosystems and the biodiversity…; and 3) Impacts of climate change on societies.

Key-note presentations introduced discussions about: What types of data and tools are needed? What impact to be addressed with which data? How to use the data and achieve model integration? What partnerships are needed to support and exploit these OS? The central objective was to bring together experts from Pacific countries, from their regional organizations, and from Europe, in order to produce a guidance note for the EU Institutions on this topic, in the perspective of the societal challenges relating to climate change in the Pacific.

See more at: http://plus.pacenet.eu/events/pacific-observation-systems-2015

Seed funding

A seed-funding call for projects closed on the 31^st of May, and the process of selection of successful proposals is now drawing to an end. Among the 70 proposals received, a first round of successful projects will be supported by PACE-Net Plus up to a limit of €10,000 per initiative, and these results and will be published in August on the PACE-Net Plus website. A second round will follow in September 2015.

More information: http://plus.pacenet.eu/funding/pacenetplus-seed-funding-2015

Survey on innovation niches for food and nutrition security

CTA has launched a survey questionnaire on innovation niches for future EU-Pacific cooperation on Food Security. It aims to assess the perspective of different stakeholders on the innovation niches CTA identified and to solicit the recommendation of different stakeholders on future cooperation. The questionnaire is available online for scientists, for policy makers and for farmers (forms adapted). For more details, please contact R. Leyh (leyh@cta.int). If you know a person concerned by this survey, please share this request and the link to the online survey. CTA thanks you for your help and cooperation.

Other news & opportunities

Pacific update conference

15-16 July, Suva, Fiji

Pacific Updates are designed to bring together leading thinkers and policy makers from the Pacific. In the 2015 edition, which took place at the University of the South Pacific in Suva, over 60 papers were presented and 18 sessions on topics such as gender inequality, aid and development, trade, migration, tourism, education, disaster risk management, and macroeconomic and fiscal policy were held.

More information: http://devpolicy.crawford.anu.edu.au/png-and-pacific-updates/pacific-update

Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions - research fellowship programme

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) support researchers at all stages of their careers, irrespective of nationality. Researchers working across all disciplines, from life-saving healthcare to ‘blue-sky’ science, are eligible for funding.

The MSCA also support industrial doctorates, combining academic research study with work in companies, and other innovative training that enhances employability and career development.

A call is currently open until 10^th September 2015. See more at: http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/opportunities/h2020/calls/h2020-msca-if-2015.html

PACE-Net Plus Platform, 23-24 June 2015: “Make the voice of the South Pacific heard in Brussels”
© IRD / Jean-Michel Boré

Contacts

Newsletter and PACE-Net Plus project: fadhila.lemeur@ird.fr or nejma.andre@ird.fr

PACE-Net Plus newsletter