Under the Weave-UNISONO call, researchers from Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, together with partners from Switzerland and Austria, will examine the genomes of beech forests in terms of their capacity to adapt to variable environmental conditions.
The Polish team, led by Prof. Dr hab. Jarosław Burczyk from Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, in the project entitled 'Seeing the forest through the trees: understanding the significance of individual-level genetic variation for the functioning of beech forests', together with partners from Switzerland and Austria, will investigate the importance of the genetic diversity of European beech for the ability of forests to adapt to climate change. The researchers will analyse over a thousand tree genomes from across the entire range of the species, using genomic data, environmental monitoring and remote sensing techniques. The research will provide a better understanding of why individual trees differ in their resistance to drought and other environmental factors, and which traits are heritable. The project will also produce a pangenome of European beech, presenting the full genetic diversity of the species. The results obtained are intended to help protect beech forests and to support the adaptive management of their genetic resources under progressing climate change. The Polish budget for the project is over PLN 2.5 million. The proposal was evaluated by the Swiss agency SNSF, and NCN together with the Austrian agency FWF accepted the results of this evaluation under the Weave programme.
Weave-UNISONO and Lead Agency Procedure
Weave-UNISONO is a result of multilateral cooperation between the research-funding agencies associated in Science Europe and aims at simplifying the submission and selection procedures in all academic disciplines, involving researchers from two or three European countries.
The winning applicants are selected pursuant to the Lead Agency Procedure according to which one partner institution performs a complete merit-based evaluation of proposals, the results of which are subsequently approved by the other partners.
Under the Weave Programme, partner research teams apply for parallel funding to the Lead Agency and their respective institutions participating in the Programme. Joint research projects must include a coherent research program with the added value of the international cooperation clearly identified.
Weave-UNISONO is carried out on an ongoing basis. Research teams intending to cooperate with partners from Austria, Czechia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium-Flanders are urged to read the call text and apply for funding.