Successful evaluation of BECC

Published 30 April 2015

2010-2014 43 Swedish strategic research areas (SRA’s) was funded by the Swedish government, BECC is one of the SRA’s. During 2014 the SRA’s was evaluated. Today the evaluation, together with recommendations for the future, was announced and the BECC environment can be proud to achieve a positive and successful evaluation statement. BECC is also one of four highlighted SRAs out of the 9 situated at Lund University.

The short evaluation statement about BECC is:

Performance: Excellent/good
Strategy: Excellent/good
Added value: Good

“This is an SRA which focus on the effects of climate change on natural resources, ecosystem services and biodiversity that utilises genuine collaboration between LU (78%) and University of Gothenburg (22%). The number and quality of their publications is impressive, with a high percentage of their papers in the top 10% and top 1% most cited papers in the World of Science. These papers address the needs of society in Sweden and internationally. The SRA funding has been used to create a common research environment that can contribute to important research questions. The SRA has a board that supports their development by ensuring a strategic allocation of the funding. There is also a stakeholder panel which oversees and guide the research programme and a communication office that has helped facilitate the translation of the science for the public.

There are excellent networks established with agriculturalists and foresters, science and technology in the industry, government policymakers and relevant international bodies. There is a good integration of the research with education at Masters, PhD and Post-doctoral levels and a joint graduate training programme. The programme is well organized with a strong strategy and solid management framework and infrastructure for effective development.”

Read the pressrelease from Lund University about the evaluation here (in Swedish)

About the evaluation

The Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet), the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research (FAS now Forte), the Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning (Formas), the Swedish Energy Agency (Energimyndigheten), and the Swedish Agency for Innovation Systems (VINNOVA) was responsible for carrying out the evaluation. External reviewers as well as an expert panel conducted the evaluation.

Read more in the evaluation report. Tthe acronym EffnatLU stands for the BECC research environment. You can find the short statement on page 34 and the longer evaluation statement on page 103.

Link to Evaluation of the Strategic Research Area Initiative 2010-2014 (open evaluation pdf)

You can also find the recommendations from the authorities here (information in Swedish from Vetenskapsrådet).

Read the press release about the evaluation here (information in Swedish from Vetenskapsrådet)