Open access Educational Materials on Naturally Occurring Molecules – sources, biological activity and useNatural compounds have always attracted interest due to their potential effects on human being. Their use is widespread and is rather rising due to false belief that they are always better and safer than conventional drugs. This belief is often the background for companies producing preparations containing such compounds. Hence, the major aim of this project is to prepare comprehensible, free and easily accessible materials reporting both positive and negative aspects of natural compounds used for several commonly used indications (infections, menopause and gynaecological problems, benign prostatic hyperplasia, cough, cardiovascular diseases, CNS, skin and GIT disorders), as well as of vitamins and sympathomimetics, according to the most recent scientific evidence. Special materials will be also prepared for their interactions with conventional drugs. The novelty and strength of this material will be based on several aspects: 1. They will be freely available, 2. There will be three versions, one for professionals in the form of open access publications, one for students of biomedical disciplines and one for laypersons, both latter as attractive e-learning material in Moodle platform. In particular, in the current situation in the World, the need for a quality and easily accessible e-learning materials is apparent.3. Materials for students and laypeople will be prepared in English and 8 native languages of participating universities (Czech, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Portuguese, Slovak and Slovene), 4. Materials will be prepared by common work of experts from different fields (pharmacologists, pharmacognostics, toxicologists, microbiologists, analytical chemists and E-learning experts).The team is well balanced not only from the scientific point of view, but it also encompasses collegues with solid experiences in a similar e-learning project (e.g. TOX-OER project, www.toxoer.com) as well as many young and talented colleagues.

Subterranean ecosystems host a broad diversity of specialized and endemic organisms that account for a unique fraction of the global taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity. Furthermore, they deliver crucial nature’s contributions to people—especially the provisioning of potable water to more than half of the world’s population. Yet, these out-of-sight ecosystems are systematically overlooked in post-2020 biodiversity and climate change targets. Only 6.9% of known subterranean ecosystems overlap with the global network of protected areas, with just a few of these areas designed to account for their vertical dimension. Two main impediments are responsible for this lack of protection. First, subterranean biodiversity patterns remain largely unmapped, even in areas with a long speleological tradition such as Europe. Second, we lack a mechanistic understanding of subterranean species' response to human-induced perturbations. The project DarCo aims to map subterranean biodiversity patterns across Europe and develop an explicit plan to incorporate subterranean ecosystems in the European Union (EU) Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. To this end, we have established a multidisciplinary team of leading scientists in subterranean biology, macroecology, and conservation science from a broad range of European countries. The project is articulated in three interconnected work packages devoted to direct research (WP2–4), plus a fourth package (WP5) aimed at maximizing the dissemination of results and engagement of stakeholders to implement practical conservation. First, by compiling existing databases and leveraging a capillary network of international collaborators, we will gather distribution data, traits, and phylogenies for all major subterranean animal groups, including crustaceans, mollusks, insects, and vertebrates (WP2). These data will serve to predict species responses to human threats using Hierarchical Modelling of Species Communities (WP3). Models' predictions of biodiversity change will provide the basis for a first dynamic mapping of subterranean life in Europe. By intersecting maps of diversity patterns, threats, and protected areas, we will design a plan to protect subterranean biodiversity complementing the current EU network of protected areas (Natura 2000), while taking into account climate-driven shifts in subterranean ecoregions (WP4). Finally, through target activities in WP5, we seek to raise societal awareness about subterranean ecosystems and invite stakeholders to incorporate subterranean biodiversity in multilateral agreements. In compliance with the European Plan S, we will make all data open and re-usable by the development of a centralized and open database on subterranean life—the Subterranean Biodiversity Platform. This will ensure that future generations will be able to build upon knowledge accumulated on subterranean biodiversity and monitor the effectiveness of today’s protection measures in the years ahead.

University of Ljubljana (UL) is intensively implementing the internationalization plan in accordance with the national plan. Erasmus+ program and EPS are an important part of this strategy. By the year 2020 we plan to increase the number of incoming and outgoing students by 30% and the number of foreign professors by 25% by 2020, to strengthen promotion, monitoring, information provision, preparation of students and staff and to measure the effects of the exchanges. In the contractual year 2015, the UL concluded 1,828 Inter-institutional agreements before the implementation of active mobility. The lists of agreements and information about partners, study programmes and terms of participation are published on UL websites.Pursuant to the ECHE principles, the UL makes sure that students and staff are suitably prepared before, during and after mobility. To standardize procedures at the faculty level, we adopted instructions for providing international exchange and practical training, which are publicly available. In this way, we ensured the transparency of procedures and equal treatment of all candidates. In 2015, we performed an analysis of the procedures carried out by members before, during and after mobility. In 2015, the UL performed 1,092 exchanges for study purposes and 419 exchanges for the purposes of practical training. The outgoing mobility number increased by 14% for studies and by 20% for practical training. Fastest growing number is the number of incoming students 1198 before and 1317 in year 2015. Staff mobility for teaching purposes was utilized by 146 persons, and 58 persons went on mobility for training purposes, while UL received 202 staff from abroad. 224 participants from environments with fewer options received additional ESS funding and 4 students with special needs received financial assistance. All UL faculties participated in the E+ programme. The stakeholders of the programme were given assistance before mobility and had approved documentation before leaving to the host institution. Information about the public call is sent by the University Office for International Relations. An online application is available for students and staff. Candidates with special needs are also invited to apply. Information about the public call is transmitted via different channels including ICT and social media. Before and after the public call is published, the UL and members organise various promotional and support activities, both for outgoing as well as incoming students.Before their arrival, incoming students receive information about visas, insurance, accommodation and transportation. The Student Organization (ŠOU) helps them to integrate socially. They receive a list of websites where they can see programmes and courses offered in English (course catalogue). All incoming students have the same access to libraries and to social and cultural activities at the University, free of charge, as home students. Furthermore, members set up a tutorship system for foreign students. The UL has 400 beds available at student dorms and more in private accommodation for E+ students.Following selection at UL faculty, the University Office provides participants with financial agreements and ensures that the final report and supporting documents are submitted following mobility. Learning agreements are signed before departure. A prepayment of 80% for students is paid after signing a grant agreement, and the remaining 20% is paid after the completion of mobility. At the time of reporting over 79% of students received recognition for the ECTS credits obtained. There is considerably less recognition in practical training, as it is frequently not a part of the compulsory study programme; however, it is written in the diploma supplement. Reports have shown that staff is satisfied with the support received before and during mobility in 100% of the cases and with the recognition of their mobility in 48% of the cases. Reports made by students and employees have shown that participation in an exchange is a valuable experience and brings added value to their personal and professional development. In 2015, we organized STT Week which attracted 251 colleagues from 13 countries.Learning outcomes and the impact of mobility participants are shown both on personal as well as professional levels. Students reported that their skills improved drastically and that mobility had a significant effect on their confidence and abilities (92%) and adaptation to act in new situation (92%). Staff in their mobility highlighted the strengthening of cooperation with partner institutions (94%) and increased job satisfaction (85%).Reporting on the project and its results was done monthly for the stakeholders of the program within the institution, that is, the leadership, the deans and departmental E+ coordinators of the program. The wider audience was informed of the project results through the media, printed publications and study fairs.

The diversity, complexity and volume, as well as privacy and regulatory considerations, necessitate a collaborative and federated approach to life-science data. For scientists to find and share data across Europe and world-wide, ELIXIR needs to continuously develop and connect its services. The international ecosystem provided by ELIXIR – with 220 institutes in 23 Nodes, connecting hundreds of bioinformatics services – is globally unique and a competitive advantage for European research. Through our national Nodes ELIXIR has the geographical spread, service portfolio and expertise to fulfil our ambition that every European project uses FAIR data based on common standards, tools and services. The initial operational phase of ELIXIR, supported by the H2020 ELIXIR-EXCELERATE project, focussed on the coordination and delivery of bioinformatics services from national Nodes. This lay the foundation for a coordinated European infrastructure. ELIXIR-CONVERGE will build on these achievements to deliver another critical component: the provisioning, across Europe, of distributed local support for data management based on a toolkit for researchers that enables lifecycle management for their research data according to international standards. ELIXIR-CONVERGE will develop the national operations of such a distributed research infrastructure to drive good data management, reproducibility and reuse in a heterogeneous funding landscape. Over 36 months and with partners from our 23 Nodes, ELIXIR-CONVERGE takes the next step to realise a European data federation where interconnected national operations, strategically managed via national research infrastructure roadmaps, allow users to extract knowledge from life science’s large, diverse and distributed datasets. By connecting ELIXIR Nodes to provide FAIR data management as a service, ELIXIR-CONVERGE will build national capacity and create a blueprint for operating sustainable Nodes in distributed research infrastructures.