Case Study: Research Policy Interface Thematic Group

National Biodiversity Action Plan

Sets the national biodiversity agenda for the period 2023-2030 and aims to deliver the transformative changes required to the ways in which we value and protect nature

https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/4th-national-biodiversity-action-plan.pdf

Academics and Institutional Affiliation:

Jane Stout

Trinity College Dublin

Evidence of policy outcome referencing the role of the research:

No specific reference to the research in the policy document itself, but research stimulated the inclusion of the following:

• Actions 2A7, 2B13, 3B9, 5A5 - specific reference to the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan that was developed as a result of research into pollinator loss at Trinity College Dublin

• Action 36B aligns - with research on Bioeconomy through the BiOrbic Bioeconomy Research Centre (Jane Stout is TCD PI)

• Actions 4D informed by research on Natural Capital and developing Ecosystem Accounting methodologies, as well as establishment of Natural Capital Ireland

Research undertaken that informed or underpinned the policy outcome:

• See publications in Google Scholar

• Research » All-Ireland Pollinator Plan and list of Publications » All-Ireland Pollinator Plan

• and  BiOrbic Research Ireland Centre for Bioeconomy, Home | INCASE, Home | FOR-ES, Nature+Energy - MaREI

Key learnings for you from this research-policy bridging process:

• Body of work and collaboration needed, not just single studies, and this needs collating and translating for policy relevance

• Research often underpins/informs organisations that influence policy – it’s rarely a piece of research itself that directly leads to policy changes

• Researchers need time and training to do the above – a direct line of communication needs facilitating between researchers and policy-makers, otherwise complex issues can be misinterpreted (on both sides)

SDGs impacted:

SDG 115