The European LTER network has taken a major step towards socio-ecological long term research by establishing several (how many) LTSER platforms during the last five years. The socio-ecological approach has been recognized as crucial for responding to the knowledge needs of assessing and enhancing sustainability. The development of research strategies for the LTSER platforms raise several challenges Socio-ecological research requires collaboration between a wide range of disciplines as well as between researchers and other stakeholders to reflect the societal realities. These challenges require a new, inter- and transdisciplinary way of planning and doing research.

The long-term biodiversity research network of Europe, the ALTER-Net, developed and tested a framework to identify key gaps in knowledge for managing emerging, policy-relevant issues of sustainability. The framework was piloted by identifying knowledge needs for bioenergy-biodiversity interlinkages. The framework funneled four research plans from 262 ideas in two days by using a method developed to enhance interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary dialogue. Altogether 40 researchers and stakeholders from various disciplines, institutes, sectors and European countries participated in the process.

The challenges of building research strategies for the newly established LTSER platforms need to be taken seriously to ensure that all disciplines find the collaboration fruitful. The ALTER-Net´s interdisciplinary framework provides a useful model for building long term research strategies by fostering motivation of all parties by a systematic and effective dialogue method and task force activity.       

The main steps of building LTSER platform research strategies with the ALTER-Net framework:

-          define an overarching theme

-          make a synthesis on existing knowledge beyond disciplines and sectors

-          organize workshop for researchers and stakeholders, use a facilitator

-          use dialogue method to facilitate interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary interaction:  brain storming,  organizing and selecting ideas, building plans

-          have post-workshop sessions to follow based on need