The OurMED project has contributed to a new policy brief titled “Bridging the Gap: Funding Transdisciplinary Research for Sustainable Land and Water Management in the Euro-Mediterranean Region”. This policy brief highlights the growing importance of transdisciplinary research in addressing complex challenges such as soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and water scarcity in the Mediterranean region, identified as a major climate change hotspot.
Drawing on experiences from several EU-funded projects, including OurMED, the brief analyses current limitations in EU funding frameworks and explains why existing mechanisms often fail to fully support genuine science–practice collaboration. It shows that while stakeholder engagement is increasingly encouraged under programmes such as Horizon Europe and PRIMA, transdisciplinary research requires more flexible timelines, dedicated resources, and long-term commitments to ensure trust-building, co-creation of knowledge, and lasting impact.
The policy brief puts forward concrete recommendations for EU funding agencies, calling for more adaptable funding structures, stronger recognition of collaborative process quality, and increased investment in capacity building for both researchers and stakeholders. By better aligning funding conditions with the realities of transdisciplinary research, the brief argues that Europe can significantly strengthen sustainable land and water management and accelerate progress towards the objectives of the European Green Deal.
Please find the full policy brief here.
