ESP Summer School 2026

1-5 September 2026 | Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain

ESP Summer School 2026: Ecosystem services modelling and biodiversity indicators

📅 1–5 September 2026 📍 Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain

The second edition of the Rudolf de Groot ESP Summer School 2026, will provide early-career researchers with theoretical and practical training on ecosystem‑service modelling and biodiversity assessment for addressing the ECO‑RESILIENCE 360º themes of nature‑based solutions, ecosystem risks and adaptation.

Ecosystem services underpin human well‑being but are increasingly jeopardised by climate change, land‑use change and biodiversity loss. Effective management requires robust models and biodiversity indicators, yet many early‑career researchers lack training in these tools.

This Summer School will:

Train early‑career researchers in cutting‑edge methods for modelling ecosystem services and assessing biodiversity indicators.

Foster interdisciplinarity by integrating ecological, social and economic approaches to socio‑ecological systems.

Generate a network of young scientists and senior mentors that strengthens collaboration between the Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF), the Ecosystem Services Partnership (ESP) and international partners.

Produce open‑source educational materials, a shared dataset and a synthesis report summarising methods, case studies and policy recommendations.

This Summer School is organized in collaboration with the Ecosystem Services Partnership (ESP), an international network dedicated to promoting research and the practical application of ecosystem services through conferences, training, and projects.

🌍 Key Topics Covered:

✅ The role of ecosystem service valuation in policy and decision-making

✅Methods for value transfer, including unit value, value function and meta-analytic function transfer approaches

✅Application and mapping of ecosystem service values using value transfer methods

✅Hands-on applications with real-world case studies

👥 Who Should Apply?

PhD candidates, PostDocs, and early-career researchers with a background in ecology, economics, geography and/or environmental sciences. Participants will present their research and explore how value transfer can be applied to their work

📝 Important Dates:

📌 Applications open: 13 April 2026

📌 Application deadline: 15 May 2026

📌 Results announced: 05 June 2026

📌 Registration deadline: 10 July 2026

💵 Estimation of costs:

€500 (excluding flights and accommodation)

The costs include:

Venue & lectures
Morning coffee, lunch, and afternoon tea (5 days)
Dinner (1 day)
Excursion

All other expenses are the responsibility of the participants

Contact your host institution for funding opportunities

About the summer school

To transform the current economic decision-making process, it is important to mainstream nature into different forms of private and public decision-making. The valuation of ecosystem services in general, and monetary valuation of ecosystem services in particular, is playing an increasingly important role in the integration of nature into private and public decision-making.

Monetary valuation is institutionalized in official UN frameworks (such as the System of Environmental Economic Accounting – Ecosystem Accounting; SEEA-EA), is being addressed in private and influential initiatives (such as the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures; TNFD) and has the potential to contribute to many of the targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). With the increase in available primary valuation studies (see e.g. the Ecosystem Services Valuation Database; ESVD), value transfer is increasingly used to estimate the (monetary) value of ecosystem services.

With the increase in available primary valuation studies (see e.g. the Ecosystem Services Valuation Database; ESVD), value transfer is increasingly used to estimate the (monetary) value of ecosystem services. These monetary ecosystem service values are important: i) to raise societal awareness about the value of nature, ii) for sustainable natural resources management (by internalizing the value of nature) and iii) for natural capital accounting (by recognizing the value of nature in national accounts).

This summer school will present, discuss and apply recent advances, considerations and applications of value transfer methods for the integration of nature in private and public decision-making. Lectures will not only cover the various value transfer methods, data needs and sources, mapping approaches and validation techniques, but also reflect on the meaning and importance of ecosystem service valuation and natural capital accounting. Students will obtain theoretical knowledge on the functioning, pros, cons and suitability of the different valuation methods as well as hands-on experience working with the different valuation methods in a practical case study. In addition, students will have the opportunity to present their own research, identify the role of value transfer in their research, and discuss how value transfer could be integrated in their research.

Output

Upon completion, participants will receive a certificate of 3 ECTS (recognition of external credits to be determined by your home institution). In addition, there will be the opportunity to contribute to the joint journal paper that will be submitted to Ecosystem Services.

Speakers and Program

Coming soon

Eligibility

The Rudolf de Groot ESP Summer School 2026 is open to PhD candidates, PostDocs and early career researchers, with a background in ecology, environment, geography, economics, etc., and with an interest in the economic valuation of natural capital and ecosystem services. English proficiency is required and knowledge about ecosystem services is desirable. All participants are asked to present their current research and indicate how they expect to use the knowledge obtained in the summer school in their research. The summer school will take place from 1 to 5 September 2026 at CREAF, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. Participants are expected to bring their own laptops, with text (e.g. MS-Word), presentation (e.g. MS-PowerPoint), spreadsheet (e.g. MS-Excel) and GIS (e.g. QGIS) software installed for the practical exercises. The summer school has a limit of 25-30 participants.

The application will open on 13 April 2026.