The first edition of the Rudolf de Groot ESP Summer School 2025 is set to provide early-career researchers with hands-on training in value transfer methods for ecosystem service valuation and mapping. With growing global efforts to integrate nature into economic decision-making, understanding how to quantify, transfer, and map ecosystem service values has become crucial for both research and policy applications.

This summer school will take place from 1-5 September 2025 at the University of Aveiro, Portugal. The course will offer a comprehensive mix of seminars, practical applications, discussions, and field excursions, equipping participants with the skills needed to apply value transfer methods in real-world scenarios.

Lectures will cover the theoretical foundations of value transfer methods, data sources, mapping techniques, and validation approaches. Participants will also gain practical experience through case studies, applying valuation methods and discussing their relevance in contemporary environmental research.

Upon completion, participants will receive a certificate equivalent to 3 ECTS credits (subject to recognition by their home institution). Additionally, attendees will have the opportunity to contribute to a joint journal paper to be submitted to the scientific journal Ecosystem Services.

The programme is open to PhD candidates, PostDocs, and early-career researchers with backgrounds in ecology, economics, geography, or environmental sciences. Participants will have the opportunity to present their research and explore how value transfer methods can be integrated into their work.

The applications will open on 14 April 2025. Everyone, who wants to participate, can sign-up no later than 14 May 2025. The results will be announced on 31 May 2025

For more information and application instructions, please click here.