Deadline: 31-Dec-2025
The IEN’s MARÉIRE project is pleased to announce a grant opportunity for research projects 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 environmental impacts of offshore renewable energy on biodiversity across all development stages, intersections with the EU Nature Restoration Law, monitoring and assessment methods, mitigation strategies and nature-based solutions, marine spatial planning, policy analysis, sustainability assessments, impacts of port and harbour developments, baseline data collection, and the interconnectedness of ecosystems with socio-economic impacts.
A total of €50,000 is available to support this initiative, with a maximum grant allocation of €10,000 per project. Eligible projects may be desk-based, lab-based, or field-based, provided that applicants clearly define the methodology and scope of the research. Results must be of publishable standard and presented to the IEN and their members upon completion. The project must be completed within 18 months of receiving funding, and a final report including findings and recommendations must be submitted.
They invite researchers to submit proposals for projects that align with these themes, specifically focusing on offshore renewable energy technologies such as offshore wind, tidal, and wave energy, and their interactions with the environment. Applicants must serve as the principal investigator for the study and demonstrate the competence to undertake the research. The research should be of high scientific quality, innovative, and potentially high impact, with a clearly justified budget. All publications, presentations, or reports resulting from this project must acknowledge the funding support provided by the MARÉIRE project at the Irish Environmental Network.
Proposals will be assessed based on relevance to offshore renewable energy and marine biodiversity, scientific merit and methodology, innovation and impact, partnership with an eNGO, and feasibility and budget justification. Applications should include a project title, summary, a detailed proposal, CVs of the applicants, a letter of support from a partner eNGO if applicable, and a detailed budget breakdown.
For more information, visit IEN.
