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 Project Contributes Groundbreaking Research on Bioeconomy Engagement in Southeast Asia

    BETTER Life Project Contributes Groundbreaking Research on Bioeconomy Engagement in Southeast Asia

    The members of the BETTER Life project have recently published an article titled “Bioeconomy in Countries of the Mekong Region: Stakeholder Understanding and Perceptions in Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos.” This groundbreaking research delves into the societal engagement aspects surrounding the bioeconomy concept in Southeast Asian countries. Through a comprehensive analysis comprising qualitative document examination and […]

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  • Toolkit Series: N.2 – Academic Bridge

    Toolkit Series: N.2 – Academic Bridge

    Are you ready to forge connections between academia and municipalities for transformative local development? Welcome to the Academic Bridge’s Matchmaking Map – an innovative tool designed to strengthen collaboration across the European Union! 🔍 Explore Opportunities: Dive into the digital platform where municipalities showcase their unique interests, spanning environmental sustainability, urban planning, social development, and […]

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  • Toolkit Series: N.1 – BETTER Life Social Engaged Research Self-Reflection ToolToolkit Series: N.1

    Toolkit Series: N.1 – BETTER Life Social Engaged Research Self-Reflection ToolToolkit Series: N.1

    Tailored for Early Career Researchers (ECRs) in the life sciences, the BETTER Life Socially Engaged Research Self-Reflection Tool is your compass for navigating the intricate landscape of engagement with diverse audiences. At its core, the Self-Reflection Tool offers a structured framework designed to guide ECRs through the nuances of engagement efforts and activities. By aligning […]

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  • Introducing the BETTER Life Toolkit: Empowering Socially Engaged Research!

    Introducing the BETTER Life Toolkit: Empowering Socially Engaged Research!

    Are you an early career researcher or a passionate advocate for socially engaged research in life sciences? Look no further! Our BETTER Life Toolkit is here to elevate your endeavours and drive positive change. The tools have been designed to support early career researchers and those driving socially engaged research in universities. More specifically, they […]

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  • The Third Issue of the BETTER Life Newsletter is here

    The Third Issue of the BETTER Life Newsletter is here

    Dive into the future with the third volume of the BETTER Life project Newsletter! Experience the highlights of our three-day virtual Winter School, explore the Digital Centre of Excellence (DCoE), and discover the impact of Tools for socially engaged research shaping the DCoE. From empowering capacity-building initiatives to the intellectual buzz at the Think Tank […]

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  • Think Tank “Science Pub” at CZU: Academics and Mayors in a Unique Dialogue

    Think Tank “Science Pub” at CZU: Academics and Mayors in a Unique Dialogue

    On 23 November 2023, a meeting was held in the representative premises of the Rector’s Office of the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZU), which broke the traditional barriers between academics and mayors of municipalities. This initiative, which took place within the framework of the BETTER Life project funded by the European Union, became […]

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  • BETTER Life in E³UDRES² Ent-r-e-novators Project Newsletter

    BETTER Life in E³UDRES² Ent-r-e-novators Project Newsletter

    In an exciting partnership aimed at fostering innovation and transforming the landscape of research and development, the BETTER Life and E³UDRES² Ent-r-e-novators projects have joined forces. The E³UDRES² Ent-r-e-novators project is working to create a European Research and Innovation Center for Smart and Sustainable Regions, promoting open science and innovation. In tandem, the BETTER Life […]

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  • Science Pub: Bridging Municipalities and Academia #vedeckahospudka

    Join us for an engaging Science Pub at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague on November 23, 2023. Expect collaborative discussions between academia and community leaders, a showcase of university initiatives, an experience exchange, and a taste of local cuisine and brewery. Your participation will help forge a community where science meets everyday life. […]

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  • BETTER Life Digital Centre of Excellence under the Construction

    BETTER Life Digital Centre of Excellence under the Construction

    The creation of the EU Digital Centre of Excellence is one of the biggest goals of the BETTER Life project, and the consortium is finalizing the development of such a centre these days. But what the so-called Digital Centre of Excellence (shortly DCoE) is? What should it look like? Simply speaking, the DCoE should serve […]

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