Research Newsletter - Issue 64: Funding Opportunities

The Environmental Protection Agency 2021 Research Call is now open. The EPA is seeking proposals from the research community to help identify solutions to climate change and other emerging and complex environmental problems. Funding is available under the four EPA Research 2030 interconnected research hubs:

Addressing climate change evidence needs
Facilitating a green and circular economy
Delivering a healthy environment
Protecting and restoring our natural environment

Proposals are invited in response to 46 research topics. The projects are expected to start in late 2021/early 2022 and will range from 12-month to multi-annual research projects.

The call deadline is 14th July 2021. For further information see the EPA website.

Research Support Contact: Helen.burke@dcu.ie

The details regarding the 2021 SFI Research Infrastructure Programme have now been launched by SFI. The Programme supports the research community in building and sustaining the required infrastructural capacity to accomplish high-quality, high-impact and innovative research in areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics that demonstrably enhance and support enterprise competitiveness and societal development in Ireland.

Applications to the SFI Research Infrastructure Programme 2021 will have a minimum budget request of €500,000 direct costs. An additional 10% cash cost share is mandatory in all applications; therefore the total infrastructure cost must be at least €550,000. There is no maximum budget request.

For the 2021 Research Infrastructure call, each eligible Research Body in the Republic of Ireland may submit applications from a maximum of six Lead Applicants employed at that Research Body. There will therefore be an internal selection process to determine the DCU candidates who will then proceed to full application submission to SFI. To be eligible to submit a proposal to the SFI Research Infrastructure 2021 call, the applicants must first be approved by the DCU Research Office. The completed Expression of Interest (EoIs) forms must be submitted to research@dcu.ie by Thursday, the 27th May, 5 pm.

SFI deadline for the submission of Expressions of Interest by institutions is the 7th of June 2021, 1 pm. SFI deadline for the submission of full proposals is the 2nd of July 2021, 1 pm.

Research Support Contact: kieran.odwyer@dcu.ie and ecaterina.mcdonagh@dcu.ie

Wellcome have launched a request for proposals in relation to workplace mental health. They are looking to commission up to 20 teams to look at the evidence on one promising approach for preventing or addressing mental health problems in the workplace.

They are particularly interested in research focused on people who may be marginalised within the workforce and workers in low- and middle-income countries. All research teams should involve people with lived experience of mental health problems in the reviews. Applications from any global location, sector and career stage are encouraged.

Applications can be made by individuals or teams and the deliverables will be due by March 2022. The deadline for expressions of interest is 28th June 2021. To find out more see the Wellcome website and register for their webinar that will be held on Thurs 17 June.

Research Support Contact: Helen.burke@dcu.ie

The 2021 SFI Discover Programme provides funding for projects that support the STEM education and public engagement sector.

Applicants can apply for:

Project Funding of up to €50,000 for a maximum of one year, for projects that support the STEM education and public engagement sector in Ireland, by developing and extending capacity in this area and also exploring and encouraging novel means of public engagement. Partnership projects (e.g. between different sectors and organisations, such as scientists and ethicists, educators and artists) are welcomed.
Regional or National Initiative Funding of up to €300,000 over a maximum 24 months for a project/programme of significant scale that will have, at a minimum, regional or national impact and clearly aligns to the Call objectives.

The aim of the SFI Discover Programme Call is to support projects that address one or more of the following objectives:

Stimulate and create debate and dialogue amongst the public, and opportunities for dialogue with STEM experts, on topics of societal importance where STEM has a key role.
Inspire and create greater public awareness of the impact of STEM on society and its connection and contribution to everyday life.
Support and build engagement with, and participation of, a broader range of civil society and community groups through specific and appropriate targeted interaction, ideally involving co-creation and/or co-design.
Use new ways, including through the arts and creative approaches, to understand and engage with those who would not typically engage with STEM, with particular emphasis on equal access, inclusion and diversity.
Build an awareness, curiosity and confidence in the scientific method through relevant experiences.
Provide insights into STEM-related careers and discoveries while breaking down any barriers to entry including negative stereotypes.
Support projects which develop capacity and skills for the delivery of STEM Education and Public Engagement (EPE) in Ireland.

SFI have released a pre-recorded webinar on the Discover Programme website and the DCU Research Development and Research Support Office will be hosting a workshop for the call on Thursday 3rd of June, 10:00-11.30am, via Zoom. You can register for the workshop here. The TORA deadline has been set for the 24th of June 2021 and the call will close on Thursday the 1st of July 2021 at 13:00hrs (Irish Time).

Research Support Contact: adam.platt@dcu.ie

The EU has recently announced the new Citizenship, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV), which will run from 2021-2027, replacing the previous Europe for Citizens and the Rights, Equality and Citizenship programmes.

The following recently announced calls may be of interest to researchers:

Call for proposals to promote equality and to fight against racism, xenophobia and discrimination

Funding is provided for projects that address one of the five priorities listed in the call document, with research being a component. The maximum allowable budget varies between each priority but applicants cannot apply for less than €75,000.

Funder deadline is 15th June 2021.

European Remembrance

The objective of this call for proposals is to support projects aimed at commemorating defining events in modern European history, including the causes and consequences of authoritarian and totalitarian regimes, and at raising awareness among European citizens of their common history, culture, cultural heritage and values, thereby enhancing their understanding of the Union, its origins, purpose, diversity and achievements and of the importance of mutual understanding and tolerance.

Strand 1 “Commemoration of and research and education about crimes committed under totalitarian regimes” may be of interest to researchers. Holocaust remembrance, research and education will be a priority of the call in addition to historical events that are generally unknown and/or have not been previously a focus of research. The total available budget for the call is €4,515,000.

Funder deadline is 22nd June 2021.

Call for proposals to protect and promote the rights of the child

This call for proposals will contribute to responding to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, by promoting ways to mainstream and embed children’s rights in the responses to this and any other emergency situations. In parallel, it will promote gender-sensitive responses to the different needs of children following from or heightened by the Covid-19 pandemic. It will also contribute to the implementation of the actions put forward by the EU Strategy on the rights of the child.

Funded activities include, research, capacity building, training activities, information campaigns, etc. Ultimately, projects should result in concrete or new actions. The maximum available budget is € 2,160,000 and applicants cannot apply for less than €75,000.

Funder deadline is 7th September 2021.

Research Support Contact: adam.platt@dcu.ie

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is inviting applications for funding from eligible Irish Research Performing Organisations (RPOs) to submit joint research proposals to the EJP SOIL 1st External Call [Towards healthy, resilient and sustainable agricultural soils], either as partners or coordinators.

The budget at the moment is €12.12M, but is expected to increase as more funders confirm their participation. Current estimation is that between 6-10 projects will be funded. DAFM will fund Irish RPOs in proposals that have been selected by the External Call Board of Funders board for funding. DAFM is providing a maximum total funding of €750,000 for Irish applicants in respect of this Call. The maximum funding available per project is €375,000. The maximum funding available for a partner is €250,000, or €300,000 for a coordinator. Non-RPO Irish researchers, such as industry or stakeholders, may partake in the projects on a self-financing basis.

The deadline for pre-registration is 25th June 2021 and the deadline for final proposal submission is 7th of September 2021.

A partnering tool exists to support applicants to find new partners and to offer their expertise for partnerships. At the moment 23 people have registered as coordinators within the submission system, with 18 people listed in the partnering tool offering/requesting expertise. If you are interested in submitting an application but have not found a consortium yet, please register your details.

For further information and to submit a proposal please see the EJP Soil website and see the National Guidelines for Irish Applicants. A full list of national Guidelines can be found on the DAFM Research and Codex website.

Research Support Contact: Helen.burke@dcu.ie

The Royal Irish Academy (RIA) and the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE), with the support of the Scottish Government Office in Ireland and the Department of Foreign Affairs, are pleased to invite applications for the Ireland–Scotland Bilateral Network Grants.

In 2021, the Ireland–Scotland Bilateral Network Grants invites applications that address the of ‘Revival, Resilience and Recovery: Cultural and Arts Sectors post Covid-19’. The main objectives of the scheme are:

To strengthen co-operation and learning between Scotland and Ireland through bilateral funding for joint projects;
To foster partnerships/networks within and beyond academia;
To encourage the initiation of new partnerships and/or the development of existing partnerships;
To contribute to policy discussion in Ireland and Scotland in the specified thematic area.

The call closes at 12 noon on 11th of June 2021. For further details please visit the RIA website.

Research Support Contact: sumona.mukherjee@dcu.ie

The Geothermica and SES ERA Nets will soon announce a joint call for transnational projects addressing smart energy solutions and geothermal energy. The geothermal topics will be funded by the Geological Society of Ireland (GSI) and other SES topics are eligible for funding from Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). The call is expected to launch in early June.

Research Support Contact: Helen.burke@dcu.ie

The Earth Surface Research Laboratory (ESRL) is a GSI-funded lab, hosted at Trinity College Dublin, providing bulk rock analyses for geoscientists on the island of Ireland. They will soon open a call for applications for research projects using the new facilities for geochemical analyses. The call is expected to launch in late June, with a closing date in mid-late July. The cost of analyses at the ESRL will be covered by the GSI as part of their support for geoscience research through national research infrastructure.

Research Support Contact: Helen.burke@dcu.ie