The GCBC 2025 Research Symposium Open Day

The GCBC 2025 Research Symposium Open Day

The GCBC 2025 Research Symposium Open Day

Join us online for the GCBC Research Symposium Open Day – 4 March 2025

Each year, the GCBC hosts a research symposium focused on sharing big ideas, transformative practice, and stories of impact. This year we are inviting the entire GCBC community to be part of the Symposium by taking part in an online Open Day on Tuesday 4 March 2025 from 10:00 – 17:00 hrs, UTC.

Register to attend online via Eventbrite here.

Or paste this link into a new browser window: https://url.uk.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/4KH4CngPRT3jAWQHRcVSJ_I0C

The Open Day programme will feature four engaging sessions featuring speakers from around the world:

  • Opening Session: Why supporting innovative research at the intersection of climate change, biodiversity loss, and poverty alleviation matters (10:00 – 11:15 GMT)
  • Panel Discussion 1: Contributing to global goals – Exploring the science behind national and global frameworks and targets (11:15 – 12:30 GMT)
  • Panel Discussion 2: Strengthening the connection between evidence and policy with a focus on practice from across the GCBC community (13:30 – 15:00 GMT)
  • Panel Discussion 3: Harnessing private sector investment in Nature-based Solutions (15:30 – 17:00 GMT)

By registering to attend online via Eventbrite you will be able to join the discussions that are most relevant to you. You do not have to register to attend specific sessions.

Join us on Tuesday 4 March for this very special online learning event.

Related events

The GCBC Research Grant Competition 3 (RGC3) is now officially open for Concept Note applications!

The GCBC Opportunities Portal is now open to receive Concept Note submissions for projects that address either one (or both) of the Third Research Grant Competition (RGC3) themes.  

The Opportunities Portal provides applicants with access to the Invitation to Apply Pack, a comprehensive range of resources to assist applications for RGC3 grant funding. Only applicants registered on the portal via www.gcbc.org.uk can access these essential documents and submit Concept Notes.   

Register Here  

The two research themes of this RGC3 are:  

  • Theme 1: Using biodiversity to improve the climate resilience of agricultural, food and bioeconomy value chains – Transforming agrifood systems at scale to incorporate nature-based solutions that build biodiversity back into production landscapes to boost climate resilience and reduce poverty (open to all GCBC focus regions). 
  • Theme 2: Biodiversity hotspots in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) – Building sustainable businesses from nature to adapt to climate change, protect biodiversity, and tackle poverty (focused in SIDS). 

The Concept Note application window closes on Sunday 16 March, 2025 at 23:00 hrs, UTC.  

Following the assessment of Concept Notes, successful applicants from this first round will then be invited to submit Full Proposals for their proposed projects which align with the RGC3 themes.  

The GCBC, a UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), aims to fund a mixed portfolio of up to twenty grants in RGC3, covering a range of topics and geographies across both themes. Grants sums of between £100,000 and £1 million are offered for projects of 12-36 months duration. 

The GCBC will accept applications for projects with activities in GCBC-eligible countries in Latin America (including Central America), the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South-east Asia and the Pacific and Small Island Developing States. A list of GCBC eligible countries is available below in the Resources section. To be accepted for funding under the GCBC programme projects must demonstrate: 

  • Fit to GCBC: All proposals need to address poverty alleviation and climate resilience, focusing on approaches that better value, protect, restore and sustainably manage biodiversity. 
  • Fit to theme: Proposals must address research questions within one of the themes set out above. 
  • GESI: All proposals must incorporate clear plans to factor in gender, equality and social inclusion from the outset. 
  • R&D: Proposed work must meet the definition of research and development: creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge – including knowledge of humankind, culture and society – and to devise new applications of available knowledge (OECD, 2015). 

 

Resources for RGC3 Applicants

A series of webinars to provide supporting information for Concept Note applications for RGC3 were recently completed.

Watch the Webinars here:

RGC3 Themes

GCBC Delivery Principles

Concept Note Preparation

Research for Impact

If you are considering applying but have not yet registered, the GCBC has produced several resources to assist applicants for RGC3 funding: 

Download the List of GCBC Eligible Countries here

Download the RGC3 Theme Paper here 

Download Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) here

Download the Invitation to Apply Overview here 

Download the GCBC Research Strategy here 

  

 

Research Grant Competition 2 (RGC2): The GCBC awards £13.4 million in UK ODA grants for research to find nature-based solutions to climate change and poverty reduction   

RGC2 awards 18 new project grants worth £13.4 million based on the theme: “Driving innovation in how biodiversity can support climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods through practice and governance”.

Initial concept note applications for the second GCBC research grant competition (RGC2) numbered 507 from lead delivery partners in 60 UK-ODA eligible countries. This response more than trebled the 155 applications submitted for the first round of grants in 2023. From the initial concept notes, 56 applications were selected to submit full proposals.    

Grant awards were made using several criteria, including applications’ contribution to the context of the RGC2 theme. These involved assessing applicants’ understanding of how addressing evidence gaps in the potential of nature-based solutions using less utilised species (plants, animals, insects, fungi, trees etc.) can contribute to:   

  • improving poor livelihoods through more resilience to climate change;  
  • meeting resource or service demands; and  
  • protecting and conserving traditional knowledge and biodiversity.  

Filling these evidence gaps is critical to finding innovative approaches to guide practice and governance.  

Climate change, biodiversity loss and poverty are three of the most pressing challenges facing the world today and are fundamentally inter-linked. Climate change, driven by human activity, is increasingly and negatively affecting people and the natural environment. Biodiversity loss, which also results from human activity, is causing degraded landscapes and soil and increasing food insecurity. This exacerbates climate risk by reducing the resilience of natural and managed ecosystems. Unfortunately, those living in poverty are often the most vulnerable and the least able to respond to the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss. 

By working in partnership with scientists, research institutions and practitioners around the world, the GCBC seeks to develop innovative research and scalable approaches to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. This will have an impact on ecosystem resilience to climate change, halting and reversing biodiversity loss, contributing to poverty alleviation and helping countries to achieve a nature-positive future. The GCBC is funded by the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs working in partnership with DAI as the Fund Manager Lead and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew as the Strategic Science Lead. 

The 18 projects awarded under RGC2 will be implemented in 16 UK ODA-eligible countries in the Global South; seven countries from Latin America (including Central America) and the Caribbean (Brazil; Colombia; Ecuador; Dominican Republic; Guatemala; Panama; Peru); six from Sub-Saharan Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo; Ethiopia; Ghana; Kenya; Tanzania; Republic of Congo); and three from South East Asia and the Pacific (Cambodia; Indonesia; Vietnam).  

Eleven of the RGC2 projects cover broad thematic areas: Agroforestry; Community led approaches; Integrated land / water management; and Forest restoration. Seven of the projects cover more uniquely focused research areas: Seagrass restoration; Carbon markets; Biodiverse seed bank; Mangrove restoration; Peatlands; Land use (landscape level); and Underutilised species for soil restoration.  

This new round of 18 diverse and innovative projects represents a consolidation of the ‘Global Centre on Biodiversity for Climate’ as Defra’s flagship ODA R&D programme.  These new projects will continue GCBC’s growing reputation for delivery of high-quality evidence about the effective and sustainable use of biodiversity for climate resilience and to improve livelihoods.” said Professor Gideon Henderson, Chief Scientific Adviser, UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

“As fund management lead, DAI is delighted to continue our relationship with Defra and especially to welcome the successful applicants who are joining the GCBC’s project portfolio for the next phase of the programme’s development. Through this project round, we will continue to support scientists, academics and research institutions working to build stronger capacity, increase collaboration, deliver high-impact projects and share learning on the biodiversity-climate-livelihoods nexus that will have an impact on ecosystem resilience to climate change, halting and reversing biodiversity loss and contributing to poverty alleviation,” said Luqman Ahmad, Senior Vice President, DAI. 

“As strategic science lead, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew also welcomes the new projects to the growing portfolio. The new evidence, data and knowledge across pressures/drivers, solutions and enablers for the different themes of the grant competitions will support the adoption of systems approaches in tackling the nexus of climate, biodiversity and livelihoods. By understanding and managing the complex interactions between science, society and the multiple interacting systems through temporal and spatial scales it will be possible to recommend solutions – orientated approaches for transformative change across different sectors and regions,” said Professor Monique Simmonds, Deputy Director, Science (Partnerships), The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.   

The 18 Projects funded by RGC2:

Assessing Carbon Credits as a Sustainable Funding Mechanism for Participatory Forest Management in Tanzania – Lead Grantee: Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania (Country: Tanzania)

Biodiversity for climate and social resilience: Empowerment of coastal communities in sustainable production practices in Ecuador – Lead Grantee: Escuela Superior Politecnica del Litoral – ESPOL, Ecuador (Country: Ecuador)

Biodiversity science in support of community-led conservation of threatened local forests in Tompotika, Central Sulawesi: Protecting biodiversity, ecosystem services and climate resilient local livelihoods – Lead Grantee: Missouri Botanical Garden (MBG), USA (Country: Indonesia)

Biodiversity potential for resilient livelihoods in the Lower Omo, Ethiopia – Lead Grantee: University of Leeds, UK (Country: Ethiopia)

BREL-Borneo: Benefits of Biodiverse Restoration for Ecosystems and Livelihoods in Borneo – Lead Grantee: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK (Country: Indonesia)

Cataloguing and Rating of Opportunities for Side-lined Species in Restoration of Agriculturally Degraded Soils in Sub-Saharan Africa (CROSSROADS-SSA) – Lead Grantee: University of Aberdeen, UK (Country: Ethiopia)

Creation of an Intercultural biodiverse Seed Bank with the indigenous “Resguardo Puerto Naranjo” for enhancing restoration and conservation efforts in degraded areas in the Colombian Amazon – Lead Grantee: Fundación Tropenbos, Colombia (Country: Colombia)

EMBRACE: Engaging Local Communities in Minor Crop Utilisation for Biodiversity Conservation and Livelihood Enrichment – Lead Grantee: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI), Ghana (Countries: Ghana and Kenya)

Enabling large-scale and climate-resilient forest restoration in the Eastern Amazon – Lead Grantee: Lancaster University, UK (Country: Brazil)

Exploring sustainable land use pathways for ecosystems, food security and poverty alleviation: opportunities for Indonesia’s food estate programme – Lead Grantee: University of Sussex, UK (Country: Indonesia)

Forest restoration on Indigenous lands: Restoring biodiversity for multiple ecosystem services, community resilience and financial sustainability through locally informed strategies and incentives – Lead Grantee: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama (Country: Panama)

Integrated Land and Water Management of the Greater Amanzule Wetland System – Lead Grantee: University of Education, Winneba, Ghana (Country: Ghana)

NATIVE: Sustainable Riverscape Management for Resilient Riverine Communities – Lead Grantee: University of Lincoln, UK (Countries: Colombia and Dominican Republic)

Nature based solutions for climate resilience of local and Indigenous communities in Guatemala – Lead Grantee: University of Greenwich, UK (Country: Guatemala)

Realising the potential of plant bioresources as new economic opportunities for the Ecuadorian Amazon: developing climate resilient sustainable bioindustry – Lead Grantee: Universidad Tecnica Particular de Loja, Ecuador (Country: Ecuador)  

Recognising and rewarding the contribution of Indigenous knowledge for the sustainable management of biodiversity – Lead Grantee: Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), USA (Country: Cambodia)

TRIALS: Translating Research into Action for Livelihoods and Seagrass: Establishing scientific foundation for seagrass restoration and blue carbon potential, with sustainable livelihood development for coastal communities in Central Vietnam – Lead Grantee: WWF-UK, UK (Country: Vietnam)

Using biodiversity to support climate resilient livelihoods in intact tropical peatlands – Lead Grantee: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK  (Countries: Peru, the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo)  

 

Photo Credit (Detail): Laitche

 

 

 

 

Assessing Carbon Credits as a Sustainable Funding Mechanism for Participatory Forest Management in Tanzania

Country: Tanzania

Lead Partner: Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania

Summary: Tanzania is rich in biodiversity but faces rapid deforestation and severe poverty. Villages own 46% of forests, but resource limitations hinder effective management and deforestation continues apace. Carbon credits offer potential incentives for climate mitigation and biodiversity preservation, yet their applicability to village forests remains unproven at scale.

This project aims to collaborate closely with local communities to evaluate the feasibility of carbon credit schemes, considering costs, benefits and governance. Additionally, it will focus on capacity-building initiatives for village governments and stakeholders, empowering them to navigate carbon markets effectively. Through this approach, the project aims to harness the power of carbon markets to combat climate change, safeguard biodiversity, and alleviate poverty in Tanzania’s forested areas.

Photograph (detail): Laitche

Biodiversity science in support of community-led conservation of threatened local forests in Tompotika, Central Sulawesi: Protecting biodiversity, ecosystem services, and climate resilient local livelihoods

Country: Indonesia

Lead Partner: Missouri Botanical Garden (MBG), USA

Summary: This project will empower the communities of Tompotika, Sulawesi to protect their forests from the urgent threat of nickel mining concessions and enhance their nature-based livelihoods. The project will collaboratively (1) characterise Tompotika’s plant biodiversity through botanical inventories, species extinction assessments, climate modelling, and key ecosystem services; (2) document traditional ecological and biocultural knowledge to prioritise climate resilient species that support livelihoods and provide important ecosystem services; (3) establish a community-run plant nursery for cultivation of selected species; and (4) disseminate this knowledge to internal and external stakeholders through community education and outreach as well as scientific publications and presentations.

Through a combination of biodiversity science and capacity building, this work will support the collaborative development of conservation proposals and promote the sustainable cultivation of economically important species to alleviate poverty and support climate resilience for the communities of Tompotika.

Photograph (detail): Enrico Kumesan

 

BREL-Borneo: Benefits of Biodiverse Restoration for Ecosystems and Livelihoods in Borneo

Country: Indonesia

Lead Partner: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK

Summary: Bornean lowland forests harbour globally important biodiversity and carbon stocks but are severely degraded and reduced in extent. In Indonesia, there are government and community initiatives to restore forests, but due to capacity constraints, only a small suite of species is used, meaning restored forests lose potential to capture carbon and support livelihoods.

This project will increase the number of native Bornean species available in forest restoration supply chains in Kalimantan, by (i) removing supply constraints through providing new data on distributions and germplasm supply; (ii) aiding take-up of under-utilised species by restoration actors through new planning tools; and (iii) supporting monitoring, reporting and verification of biodiversity benefits of restoration.

The outcome will be an increased area under higher-biodiversity restoration, which has benefits for carbon capture and also livelihoods, through restoration supply chain involvement and potential for biodiversity credit trade.

Photograph (detail): Denis Luyten

Forest restoration on Indigenous lands: Restoring biodiversity for multiple ecosystem services, community resilience and financial sustainability through locally informed strategies and incentives

Country: Panama

Lead Partner: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama

Summary: The project’s focus is on a social-ecological system with participative and linked social and biophysical research and training leading to an innovative, Indigenous forest restoration initiative. Social justice and equity principles will drive payments for ecosystem services to protect biodiversity, mitigate climate change, and improve the lives of people who rejected an extractive industry. Contextualised results from complex local to national governance provide vital information for regional scaling.

Photograph (detail): Fran Hogan

Enabling large-scale and climate-resilient forest restoration in the Eastern Amazon

Country: Brazil

Lead Partner: Lancaster University, UK

Summary: The Brazilian Amazonian state of Pará has an ambitious target to restore 7.4 million hectares of tropical forest by 2036, accounting for >50% of the restoration targets of Brazil. Restoring diverse forests at scale requires unlocking the potential of natural regeneration. This project will achieve this by guiding where restoration needs to happen to maximise benefits for climate, people and biota. It will also investigate how to ensure the long-term permanence of natural regeneration, also called secondary forests, in the landscape; currently, most natural regeneration is converted back to agriculture within five years.

This work, co-created with a diverse range of Amazonian stakeholders, addresses three overlooked challenges when it comes to restoration of tropical rainforests. First, by bringing biodiversity to the centre of restoration planning, it defines where restoration will maximise species diversity, landscape connectivity, and support species of conservation concern. Second, it goes beyond the carbon sequestration and makes a novel assessment of the local and regional climate benefits of restoration. Third, it helps to ensure the permanence of restoration by understanding key threats, such as fires. Finally, the project will co-develop a user-friendly prioritisation tool to help guide implementation and make natural regeneration a scalable solution for the climate and biodiversity crises in Amazonia.

Photograph (detail): Vinícius Mendonça

Realising the potential of plant bioresources as new economic opportunities for the Ecuadorian Amazon: developing climate resilient sustainable bioindustry

Country: Ecuador

Lead Partner: Universidad Tecnica Particular de Loja

Summary: The Ecuadorian Amazon region has few and very marginal economic opportunities for local communities and farmers. Economic stressors usually trigger the need to extract valuable resources from primary forests, i.e. high value timber species. Some of these species can be used for essential oil production. The legal, economic, and biophysical technical parameters, as well as the potential for essential oil production of these promising species, will be assessed through robust scientific methods. This will serve to establish a sustainable climate-smart industry as an economical alternative, producing highly demanded essential oils. This in turn will halt biodiversity loss of selected species while contributing to local livelihoods.

Photograph (detail): Fährtenleser

Watch the second GCBC learning event: Spotlight on forest landscape restoration in Kenya

The second Learning Event webinar featured engaging and insightful presentations from five organisations involved in delivering the GCBC funded project; Understanding Cherangany links to human wellbeing and was held on 12 November 2024.

This forest landscape and restoration project is an example of a Kenya led interdisciplinary partnership which has come together to understand how natural forest resources can be used and managed sustainably for human wellbeing. The aim is to promote positive long-term impacts for biodiversity, poverty alleviation and ecosystem resilience to climate change in Kenya’s Cherangany forest landscape.

The following speakers joined us to share a summary of the project, early results, and why work like this is essential:

  • James Mutunga Joshua, Nature Kenya
  • Dr Paul Muoria, Kenyatta University
  • Dr Ronald Mulwa, National Museums of Kenya,
  • Dr Musingo Mbuvi, Kenya Forestry Research Institute
  • Dr James Mwangombe, Kenya Forest Service
  • Mr Solomon Cherongos, a representative from the Cherangany community. 

The presentations were followed by a Q&A, providing speakers with opportunities to expand upon their themes.

The recording of the webinar is available here for those who were unable to attend the live event.