São Paulo School of Advanced Science

The central objective of ESPCA Co-designing biodiversity assessments is to train young environmental scientists and technicians to design, obtain and analyze appropriate biodiversity data to inform effective environmental action programmes and policies.

We aim to encompass biodiversity from the major taxa to genetic, phylogenetic, functional, and sociocultural dimensions, developing comprehensive and adaptable assessment procedures that meet real-world demands.

The School is aimed at young researchers (especially doctoral and postdoctoral students) and technicians (analysts, researchers) from government agencies and NGOs in the environmental area, both in Brazil and in other countries.

The School is designed as an intensive, problem-oriented two-week course. In the initial part, the two central approaches of the School will be explored concomitantly: on the one hand, the demands for biodiversity information from governmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as private sectors and social actors. On the other hand, the range of current possibilities for evaluating different taxonomic components (structural and functional) of biodiversity.

In the second five-day period, participants will work in groups on projects focused on real demands and problems, such as ways to compare diversity between structurally distinct ecosystems, mechanisms for assessing the effects of modalities or cultivation on biodiversity (e.g. conventional vs. organic) or the positive impact of biodiversity conservation actions.

After the end of the School, the teams will have 12 weeks to present final reports of their work, which may be in the form of a scientific article or a technical guide.

All participants will have the opportunity to present papers (completed or ongoing research, or technical papers in environmental agencies or NGOs) in the form of flash talks.

60 participants will be selected, 30 from Brazil and 30 from other countries. The selection will take into account geographic and gender representation, aiming to promote the diversity of training and experience of the School's participants, and will be guided by the following criteria: a) Curriculum vitae, prioritizing the relationship between the candidate's area of training/activity and the School's theme, as well as their academic merit; b) Motivation letter, in which the candidate must explain the reasons for applying to the School and how their participation will benefit their future training and work; c) Sufficient fluency to communicate in English, declared in the application form by the applicants.