Understanding if and how species are able to rapidly adapt to climate change is a major and challenging problem of modern biology. Can evolution operate quickly enough? Theory suggests that the genetic basis of most phenotypic traits is polygenic, and evolution can be rapid if it harnesses this reservoir of standing variation spread across the genome - ‘Poly2Adapt’. Recent theoretical advances suggest that the signature of real-time polygenic selection can be identified using time-series genomic data. Moreover, a recent paradigm-shift, framed in the ‘omnigenic model’ suggests that all genes which are broadly expressed, or in general all genomic regions broadly available in euchromatin, contribute to the heritability of complex traits. How can we use these theoretical advances in concert? Benefiting from a unique genomic time-series dataset comprising 1,000 samples from 2000 to 2021, the aim of Poly2Adapt is to quantify the polygenic variation relevant to real-time adaptation to climate change in the King penguin, a keystone species occupying one of the most climate change-impacted ecosystems. Coupling genomic time-series analysis with gene expression and chromatin accessibility data, I will rigorously test the theories of the polygenic (O1) and omnigenic (O2) models, using this information to develop metrics of adaptation potential (O3) for the conservation of other at-risk species. This will be the first study to detect the footprints of real-time adaptation proposed by the polygenic and omnigenic models in a wild species. The objectives are directly relevant to the priorities of Horizon Europe, ‘to tackle climate change’, in particular Mission 1: Adaptation to Climate Change. I will harness interdisciplinary expertise from the host, secondment and collaborators to deepen my skills in evolutionary theory, bioinformatics, and population and conservation genetics. Together, we are well-positioned to employ powerful new approaches to pursue this timely research.

RADIANT implements a suite of strategic and fully inclusive multi-actor engagement methods to co-develop solutions and tools to ensure that agrobiodiversity in the form of underutilised crops (UCs) is realised via Dynamic Value Chains (DVCs). RADIANT characterises DVCs as ’a system-state where open information sharing among all value-chain actors allows resilient adaptation to disruptions and sustainable economic development’. RADIANT adopts a ‘Theory of Change’ approach, where desired system-level states, such as crop diversification, environmental and agrobiodiversity preservation, and fair economic development are monitored and mapped to identify and implement the necessary transformation avenues. RADIANT’s 28 multi-actor consortium is composed of highly skilled value chain actors, researchers, and end-users. The scientific excellence of the work plan will release the value of UCs and enable a transformation towards sustainable DVCs that foster agrobiodiversity in educational, financial, technological settings and effectively provisions UCs to farmers’ fields and consumers’ tables. This will be achieved via eight complementary work packages to: identify, collect, and multiply the genetic resources of core UCs for breeding and farming; widen UC recognition by capturing their ecosystem services; enhance their processing by co-creating novel food and non-food products; invite stakeholders and aspiring participatory farmers into a capacity-building, mentoring-network to trial, test, and embed UCs in sustainable DVCs; co-creating Apps and ‘UC-Transition Diaries’ to record their transformation; and engage stakeholders to co-design policy instruments, and deliver a decision support tool to create sustainable avenues for DVCs. In sum, the RADIANT approach will empower value chain and policy actors to reach out to 1 million farmers and more than 60 million potential consumers to promote the uptake of UCs in farming, processing, manufacturing, and retailing practices.

Public academic institutions are recognized as an actor capable of energizing entrepreneurship ecosystems to transform the business sector and strengthen the general welfare through sustainable entrepreneurship. Since sustainable entrepreneurship and innovation has been getting more and more attention, the USE IPM aims at encouraging entrepreneurship focused on sustainability, and creating innovative solutions that respect a three-norms framework: doing good, avoiding harm, and protecting both, the society and the planet. The improvement of the relationship between the academic and non-academic sector in widening countries will be achieved via implementing practices for gaining benefits with sustainability justification. This is considered highly valuable for improving the competitive posture for both types of institutions (academics and business) and making entrepreneurial ecosystem of widening countries more inspiring and supportive for new business ideas development. The primary goal is to enhance knowledge and skills of talents from widening countries in the field of research and innovation (R&I) and, consequently, to raise the capabilities of the widening academic institutions in order to increase their value regarding the sustainable entrepreneurship ecosystem(s). Moreover, the USE IPM will contribute to enhancing the career prospects, not only of the talents involved in the project, but of other researchers at the widening sending institutions as well, as talents will share knowledge gained during the secondments towards the non-widening, EU countries. Additionally, the USE IPM will boost the entrepreneurial and innovation process management skills of business representatives by transferring the acquired knowledge and skills via trainings implemented though 4 directly impacted centers for entrepreneurship and innovation (onwards EI centers). These centers will be established and/or consolidated thanks to the acquired knowledge and skills, gained during the workshops at EU academic institutions. The main results of the USE IPM include: 28 seconded talents to 5 partners from EU countries (5 non-academic partners), 4 established and/or consolidated EI centers in 4 different widening countries, 200 young people (young USE IPM trainees) educated on the acquired acquis, 80 trained business representatives (business USE IPM trainees) in the field of entrepreneurship and innovation, 40 innovative solutions created during the internships, under the cross-sectoral teams and 10 best practices for cross-sectoral talent circulation identified. Last, besides contributing to the reversion of brain drain in their countries via increasing youth employability, the USE IPM will strive to improve a better gender balance in a male dominated, entrepreneurship sector.

The basis of higher education is the development of MSc and PhD programs, that could greatly benefit from international cooperation and state-of-the-art teaching methodologies. The growing human population will need a continued input from agricultural sector, that will be increasingly challenged by climate change. It is thus crucial to develop higher education programs in the agricultural field. Climate smart crop development (CSCD) could be accomplished when crop adaptation to a changing environment is improved. Climate change management (CCM) would be the second pillar in achieving a sustainable agriculture and in eliminating hunger (2nd FAO objective). The main aim of AdaptNET is to strengthen education, research and innovation capacities in the area of CCM & CSCD by promoting information exchange from higher education institutions (HEIs) of EU, and building capacities in HEIs in India. This will be achieved by tuning existing MSc and PhD programs, developing new MSc programs, and implementing the blended learning approach.AdaptNET aspires to improve the capacity for sustainable cooperation and create a long-lasting international network of excellence, that could continue its activities after the end of the project, also by involving local NGOs and governmental bodies.The outputs of AdaptNET will be:● Advanced professional competences of teachers● Revised & updated PhD curricula● Updated MSc programs● Use of new pedagogical methods & QA mechanisms● Establishment of e-laboratories at Indian (PC) partners● Establishment of e-learning systems at PC Universities to support students, as well as professionals in Life-Long learning.It is foreseen that PC participants will master the innovative teaching techniques, and their academic mobility will be stimulated, allowing mutual cultural enrichment & sustainable international partnership between EU & PC partners.