ALTER-Net Conference 2013: Science underpinning the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy
15-18 April
Augustinian Monastery, Ghent, Belgium

Together with the European Commission, ALTER-Net will host a major conference on science to support the European Union’s Biodiversity Strategy.

The primary focus of the conference will be the objectives and targets of the EU's 2020 Biodiversity Strategy, which should be realized by the end of this decade. Being a science-policy interface network, ALTER-Net wants to help the EU in realizing these targets by providing scientific knowledge, e.g. by pointing out possible weaknesses, opportunities and necessities, and by helping to find solutions and evidence-based actions.

The program of the 4-day conference is developing well. It will feature half-day sessions on each EU target and will include a mix of oral presentations and workshops. The workshops should result in workable suggestions to EU policymakers.

During the conference it will be possible to present your work that is relevant to the conference theme through poster presentations.

Several side events are also planned, e.g. a Summer School Alumni event, a full-day workshop on 'Ecosystem services at the interface between supply and demand', a workshop on ALTER-Net multi-site experiments and a meeting to exchange ideas for new ALTER-Net initiatives.

There is no registration fee for participants from ALTER-Net partner organisations (just a small charge for the two optional social events). ALTER-Net also has a limited budget available for travel grants for people working in ALTER-Net institutes or invited speakers. Travel grants will be awarded on a first come, first served basis.

For details of the conference, including the draft programme, how to register and how to apply for a travel grant, please visit the ALTER-Net website: http://www.alter-net.info/outputs/conf-2013. The closing date for registration is 22 March.