Research Funding

Soil Mission calls (work programme 2024, see pages 268-299)

The call for proposal on the Soil Mission work programme 2024 has been published. Topics include: soil health in Living Labs(LL), LL in urban areas, dynamic monitoring of soil erosion, systems to quantify nitrogen fluxes, pollinators and key ecosystem functions, soil biodiversity for for healthy cropping systems, high spatial-resolution monitoring approaches for carbon farming, forest peatsoils, soil health in Africa. The calls will be presented in 25.4.24 at the Soil Mission Info day. Calls will be open on 8.5.2024 with a deadline of 8.10.24 

ProBioDev call for proposals by the IUCN french Committee. 

Launched on 9th April, this call will enable the funding and implementation of approximately ten projects led by civil society partnerships (comprising both a French CSO and a local CSO) with a focus on nature conservation. Eligible project themes include biodiversity conservation and Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for addressing climate change mitigation and adaptation. The grant amounts range from €100,000 to €250,000, representing a maximum of 90% of the total project budget. The duration of grants is a maximum of 24 months. Deadline for proposals submissions: Sunday, May 26th

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Academic Papers

The new International Yearbook of Soil Law and Policy is now out in open access, with a special focus on sustainable soil management and climate mitigation and adaptation. There are many fascinating chapters on e.g. carbon farming and soil protection related related legislations and policies in different national and international contexts

 

Soils can be home to pathogenic organisms; what may it mean to approach diseases from the perspective of 'pathogenic landscapes'?

 

How may architecture take soil care seriously, both in design and use of bio-based materials?

 

As carbon farming is taking off both as a subject of technological research and policy, this article offers a timely summary of the state of play in both areas

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A new paper propose one-sentence definitions of soil to encourage others to publish their own definition. The authors defined soil as ​ “the layered material at the earth's surface, which has resulted from chemical and biological processes and physical organisation of minerals and organic matter, and which supports terrestrial ecosystems and humanity.”

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EUSO found a new way to map Arsenic contamination in European soils using LUCAS 2009 soil samples. This model is also useful for predicting Arsenic contamination risks, which can help policymakers protect the environment and public health

 

A scoping review on soil microbiome and gut health suggest to further explore how ingesting soil-bound microorganisms could support immunological resilience

 

A study on multiple sites in Germany found that under hedgerows, 36 ± 49 % more soil organic carbon (SOC) was stored compared to cropland, and conclude that planting hedgerows on 3 % of German cropland could increase SOC stocks by 13 Tg C

 

This article on the Ambivalence in Environmental Care studies seagrass care practices of knowledge-making and restoration, and argues that developing care-centric narratives can promote more-than-human aquatic relations

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Soil Art, Entertainment, and Outreach

In the latest Solid Science podcast by Carlos Guerra (Germany) and Romy Ziess (Germany), Frank Ashwood (Australia) discusses "Visual Elements in Ecology". Frank Ashwood explains how to visually document the small organisms beneath our feet

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Fundraiser for Soil

Feed the Soil with The Land Gardeners

Soil is one of our greatest natural assets – the role it plays is fundamental to life on earth. Widespread deterioration in soil health has significant environmental, economic and societal consequences. This project will explore ways to feed the soil with organic composts to rebuild soil health. Contribute to their campaign here

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Soil Events

The materials for the Carbon Farming Summit are now available online, and you can sign up to their focus groups which will be discussing different aspects of carbon farming

 

European Mission Soil Week 2024 (12-14 November 2024) will include engaging activities, keynote interventions, panel discussions, networking, and more! On 14 November, there will be an exclusive side event, open to Mission Soil funded projects only, featuring cluster meetings on data and knowledge management, soil indicators and monitoring, as well as communication and stakeholder engagement

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