Deadline: 31-Dec-2025
The IEN’s MARÉIRE project is pleased to announce a grant opportunity for Postgraduate Research Project Grant Programme focused on environmental topics in the context of offshore renewable energy.
This funding is part of a broader capacity-building initiative to support the development of research and expertise related to the interactions between the environment and offshore renewable energy within the environmental non-governmental organisation (ENGO) sector.
The focus areas include studying the environmental impacts of offshore renewable energy on marine biodiversity across all development stages, developing monitoring and assessment methods, creating mitigation strategies and biodiversity-friendly solutions, integrating marine spatial planning, analyzing renewable energy and biodiversity protection policies, conducting sustainability assessments, examining port and harbour development impacts, collecting valuable baseline data, and exploring ecosystem interconnectedness alongside socio-economic impacts.
A total of €10,000 is available to support this initiative, with a maximum grant allocation of €2,000 per project, which increases to €2,500 when an Irish ENGO is included in the proposal. Collaborations with ENGO groups from the Irish Environmental Network are strongly encouraged, with priority consideration given to such projects. Funding may be used to facilitate a placement, create content, or support other agreed activities between the student and the ENGO partner, thereby fostering collaboration between academia and the environmental sector.
Eligible projects may be desk-based, lab-based, or field-based, but applicants must present a clear methodology, scope, and plan for dissemination. Selected projects are expected to present outcomes both at a conference and to the Irish Environmental Network and its members.
The initiative is open to postgraduate students currently enrolled at accredited Irish institutions. Masters students may align their proposals with their final dissertations, while PhD students can focus on one or more chapters of their thesis.
Applicants must prepare a comprehensive proposal including a project title, summary, two-page proposal with aims, methodology, timeline, ENGO partnership details if applicable, a CV, a letter of support from their academic supervisor, a letter of support from the ENGO partner where relevant, and a detailed budget. The assessment will consider relevance to offshore renewable energy and marine biodiversity, scientific merit, innovation, ENGO partnership, feasibility, and budget justification.
Funded projects must be completed within 18 months, with a final report and financial statement required at the end. All resulting outputs should acknowledge the support of the Irish Environmental Network and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.
For more information, visit IEN.
