Abstract

SOILBIO is an Interdisciplinary Thematic Platform (ITP) promoted by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) to stimulate collaborative project initiatives that brings together multidisciplinary research groups focused on soil science distributed among its different institutes, which are spread across Spain. Enhancing research group coordination, and exploiting synergies among different teams, is posed as an essential approach for advancing research, making a substantial impact, and successfully securing funding at both National and International landscapes. In addition, SOILBIO seeks to facilitate connections between CSIC, academy and industry by bridging paths with private companies aimed to advance global soil research and conservation.

SOILBIO enhance research connectivity by serving as a central hub for research groups, fostering collaboration, and enabling knowledge exchange. This initiative empowers research teams to engage proactively in national and international funding endeavors, promoting coordinated efforts and providing information. Furthermore, SOILBIO actively promotes partnerships and networks within the soil research community, offering a comprehensive directory of soil experts and research groups while promoting research excellence through the identification and promotion of soil-related initiatives and long-term networked research experiments. In a nutshell, the platform's objectives are to Promote research excellence, Facilitate research connections; Support grant participation and Strengthen partnerships and networking.

The SOILBIO platform faces several critical challenges, which demand thoughtful planning and strategic responses. Securing sustainable funding to support research activities is paramount for its continued impact. Additionally, the platform navigates the complexities of interdisciplinary collaboration, addressing hurdles in fostering national and global partnerships among diverse soil research groups and initiatives. Effective communication and outreach strategies are vital for disseminating SOILBIO's objectives and achievements to a broad audience, including researchers, policymakers, educators, end-users, and the general public. Moreover, maintaining active member engagement hinges on creating an inclusive and purpose-driven culture within the SOILBIO network. Finally, SOILBIO remains committed to addressing urgent environmental and agricultural concerns, such as climate change, soil degradation, and sustainable agriculture, through ongoing research and actionable initiatives in the EU framework, particularly the EU Soil Strategy and its relate EU Soil Mission “A Soil Deal for Europe”.

This poster presentation offers an overview of these challenges and outlines essential imperatives that will guide SOILBIO's path toward long-term sustainability and enhanced global collaboration. At the EARMA 2024 conference, we will share our objectives, current project status, management revitalization activities, dissemination promotion, and our future outlook.