1.Soil functions and ecosystem services     
2.Sustainable agriculture and forestry     
3.Contamination        
4.Social and economic issues related to research on:     
- soil contamination      
- agricultural and forest soils with special emphasis on climate change     
  
         

Within the three research topics of the 3rd SNOWMAN network call, the specific areas of interest for research and development projects were defined by the common 
priorities in the partner countries. The research questions should give you inspiration to answer open questions which serve to better understand or deal 
with the problems encountered within the three topics:      
1. Soil functions and ecosystem services     
	functional soil biodiversity;     
	integrating soil ecosystem services in decision making.     
2. Sustainable agriculture and forestry     
	impact issues of agricultural and forest practices on soil quality;     
	the role of soil in the adaptation and mitigation of the agriculture and forestry sectors in Europe to climate change.     
3. Contamination     
	risk assessment and management;     
	soil filtering capacity;     
	regional or/and area management.     
     
For the 4th SNOWMAN Network Call ten major “issues” in the context of social and economic research related to soil have been defined on the basis of the overlapping 
themes. These issues are (in no specific order):     
     
1.Consideration of soil (quality) in the holistic approach to land management and redevelopment.     
2.Assessment of the trade-offs between different soil services.     
3.Ignorance and the appeal of (using) the soil.     
4.Ownership relationships with regard to soil.     
5.Formal framework for achieving the efficient and sustainable use of soil     
6.Sectoral (or private) versus social (or public) value systems.     
7.Fragmented share of costs and benefits.     
8.Consideration of specific characteristics of the soil system as an object of concern in environmental management and policy      
9.Communication, risk perception and awareness raising:     
9a. Risk perception of contaminated soils by different stakeholders and communication with the general public.     
9b. Communication and awareness-raising (on all soil issues, not just contamination)     
10.Management of uncertainties (related to all soil issues) in decision-making processes.     
 
         

- All partners are eligible for funding by the relevant research funder.     
- Proposal contains at least two independent legal entities from at least two SNOWMAN funders’ countries.     
- Partners from countries which are not SNOWMAN Funders have financial support (evidence must be provided in the form of a letter of commitment).     
- State of the art and references are included.     
- Intellectual Property agreement and dissemination plan are included.     
- Application templates have been completed correctly. All necessary Annexes are included.     
- Application submitted in compliance with published deadlines.     
- Declaration is accepted by all participants.