BETTER Life

Bringing Excellence to Transformative Engaged Research in Life Sciences through Integrated Digital Centres

Name of the project: Bringing Excellence to Transformative Engaged Research in Life Sciences through Integrated Digital Centres

Acronym: BETTER Life

Grant provider: European Commission

Programme: Horizon Europe

Duration: 2022 – 2025

The general objective of the project “Bringing Excellence to Transformative Engaged Research in Life Sciences through Integrated Digital Centres” — short BETTER Life — is to establish the EU Digital Centre of Excellence for Socially Engaged Research in Life Sciences (hereinafter EU BETTER Life Centre). The Centre will be an inter-institutional support structure for developing capacities of early career researchers (PhD students and researchers not yet fully independent) (hereinafter ECR) aiming to foster socially engaged research (SER) to tackle societal challenges in their surrounding ecosystems while consolidating the EU BETTER Life Centre as a world reference in planning, supporting, and implementing SER in life sciences.

EU BETTER Life Centre addresses the issue of research engagement and collaboration as a key element to generate wide impact in the surrounding ecosystems and diverse stakeholders. Recent studies agree that there is a growing need for collaborative and interdisciplinary research in addressing global challenges and that ECRs play a key role in challenging the existing academic barriers and consolidating the field. In Europe, this claim is supported by the MORE4 Report that shows that only 32% of researchers collaborate with non-academic sectors or receive any transferable skills training and only 24% of researchers have moved to other sectors during the research career (a decreasing number compared with previous reports). This phenomenon is similar in the universities that are a part of this consortium – there is a need to establish support structures for early carrier researcher to upgrade soft skills, developing tools, and find the connections with the surrounding ecosystem to socially engage their research. Our consortium is committed to address this challenge in life sciences, which is the key field of strength across the institutions, by engaging the partners in creating the support structures to build individual, intra-institutional, and inter-institutional capacities, engaging with the surrounding ecosystem, and constructing in international framing guidelines.

Latest updates

  • BETTER Life’s Contribution at the Czech Political Science Congress

    BETTER Life’s Contribution at the Czech Political Science Congress

    On September 12th and 13th, members of the BETTER Life team, Milan Školník and Michael Haman, attended the Congress of the Czech Political Science Association, held in Ústí nad Labem, Northern Bohemia. This is a prestigious professional association, as evidenced by the participation of representatives from various relevant institutions who presented their contributions at the […]

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  • 🌲 BETTER Life Summer School: Addressing Overtourism and Conservation in Krkonoše National Park 🌲

    🌲 BETTER Life Summer School: Addressing Overtourism and Conservation in Krkonoše National Park 🌲

    One of the two groups from the BETTER Life Summer School ventured to Krkonoše National Park (KRNAP) to tackle a pressing environmental and economic challenge: “Developing Ski-Resorts and New Ski-Slopes vs. Protecting Biodiversity and Nature.” This dilemma, intertwined with the broader issue of overtourism in KRNAP, was at the center of the group’s fieldwork. Participants engaged with key stakeholders, including representatives from […]

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  • 🌿 BETTER Life Summer School: A Journey from Classroom to National Parks 🌿

    🌿 BETTER Life Summer School: A Journey from Classroom to National Parks 🌿

    The BETTER Life Summer School kicked off with two days of interactive teaching at CZU in Prague, where participants dove into the world of Socially Engaged Research (SER). Senior researchers from the BETTER Life and other projects shared their insights and experiences, offering real-world examples of SER through various EU-funded projects that utilized transdisciplinary research methods. Lively round table discussions allowed participants to engage […]

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  • 🌞 BETTER Life Summer School Has Begun! 🌍

    🌞 BETTER Life Summer School Has Begun! 🌍

    We are excited to announce the start of the BETTER Life Summer School on Ecosystem Services, Tourism, Community Engagement, and Conservation Strategies in National Parks, taking place from September 9 to 14, 2024. This week-long immersive program will bring together students, professionals, and experts from across the globe to explore critical environmental and community challenges. Participants will dive into […]

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  • BETTER Life on Zenodo

    BETTER Life on Zenodo

    The BETTER Life project is now proudly featured on Zenodo, a leading open-access repository, where it continues its mission of advancing socially engaged research in life sciences. By hosting its resources on Zenodo, the project offers free access to a wealth of scientific data, reports, publications, and other valuable materials. Zenodo’s platform ensures that the […]

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  • Presenting the BETTER Life E-Zine: June 2024

    Presenting the BETTER Life E-Zine: June 2024

    We are excited to share our latest BETTER Life E-Zine, highlighting recent developments in socially engaged research (SER) in life sciences. Read the E-Zine here: https://betterlifehorizon.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/E-ZINE-2024.pdf This issue covers:• Twenty Years in the EU: An Interview with Professor Michal Lošťák• BETTER Life Welcomed South Korean Gwacheon Delegation• BETTER Life Project Contributes Groundbreaking Research on Bioeconomy […]

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  • Toolkit Series: N.10 – Taking Different Perspectives: A Collaborative Boardgame

    Toolkit Series: N.10 – Taking Different Perspectives: A Collaborative Boardgame

    Explore the power of collaboration and diverse viewpoints with BETTER Life’s innovative educational boardgame! 🌍 This engaging tool helps participants understand the advantages of cooperation among Quadruple Helix actors while addressing real-world challenges aligned with the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030. 🌱 Key Features:🔄 Role-playing different organizational entities🎯 Balancing individual and communal goals⏳ Time-based rounds tied […]

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  • Register Now: Immersive Summer School on Socially Engaged Research in National Parks

    Register Now: Immersive Summer School on Socially Engaged Research in National Parks

    Join us for an immersive Summer School focusing on socially engaged research through Ecosystem Services, Tourism, Community Engagement, and Conservation Strategies in National Parks! Click Here to Register Date: September 9 – 14, 2024 Theme: Ecosystem Services, Tourism, Community Engagement, and Conservation Strategies in National Parks During this engaging Summer School, you will have the […]

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  • Bootcamp III at Educons University: Bridging Academia and Industry through the BETTER Life Project

    Bootcamp III at Educons University: Bridging Academia and Industry through the BETTER Life Project

    BOOTCAMP III CONNECTING STAKEHOLDERS WITH ECRs was held at Educons University on Thursday, June 6, 2024. The Vice-Rector for Science and International Cooperation, Prof. Dr Andrea Andrejević Panić, and Assistant Provincial Secretary for Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry, Dr Mladen Petreš, welcomed the representatives of the Board of Directors of the Faculty of Business Economics, […]

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