Deadline: 1-Dec-22
The Environmental Research and Education Foundation [EREF] is now inviting proposals to address all areas of integrated solid waste management, with a strong focus towards research that increased sustainable solid waste management practices.
Research topic areas
Pre-proposal topics must relate to sustainable solid waste management practices and pertain to the following topic areas:
- Climate change impacts on and from solid waste management
- Quantifying the circularity of materials
- Quantifying the environmental burden of plastic waste
- Environmental Justice relating to solid waste
- Waste minimization
- recycling
- Waste conversion to energy, biofuels, chemicals or other useful products. This includes, but is not limited to, the following technologies:
- Waste to energy
- Anaerobic digestion
- composting
- Other thermal or biological conversion technologies
- Strategies to promote diversion to higher and better uses (e.g. organics diversion, market analysis, optimized material management, logistics, etc.)
- country filling
Funding information
- It should be noted that proposed research in excess of $300,000 or longer than 3 years should contain sufficient details that justify the need for the higher than average amount requested and longer project duration.
Eligibility Criteria
- Non-US Institutions
- There are no restrictions regarding geographic location. Any US or non-US institutions are eligible to apply.
- Non-Academic Institutions
- Proposals will be accepted from non-academic institutions provided the principal investigators are qualified to conduct the research.
- Who Can Serve as a Principal Investigator
- Principal investigators (PI) must be qualified to do the work proposed and should be experts in the subject matter referenced in the pre-proposal/proposal. Typically this would include full-time faculty at academic institutions, post-doctoral employees, and principals or senior personnel at non-academic institutions. Graduate students are not eligible to be principal investigators. However, graduate students are encouraged to consider applying to EREF’s scholarship program.
- Multiple pre-proposal submissions
- Pre-Proposal submissions are limited to two (2) submissions per principal investigator during a particular submission period. Beyond this, the PI cannot be listed as a PI or co-PI on other submissions that round, but may be listed as a supporting investigator on other submissions.
- Repeat submittals
- Pre-proposals that did not receive an invitation to submit a full proposal may re-submit a revised version of the original pre-proposal once, and thereafter, approval must be obtained by EREF beforehand. In the event a research topic is very closely related to a prior submittal by the same entity, EREF staff will make any determinations regarding whether or not a submitted proposal constitutes a re-submittal.
- In Kind Services and Additional External Funding
- Because the amount of funding for research is limited, EREF encourages submitting parties to form partnerships with other funding sources (real dollars or in-kind services). Parties should identify the sources and amounts of external funding in their submissions. It is preferred that real dollars from external sources be managed through EREF rather than going to the research institution directly. Note that in such instances this does not reduce the amount of these funds that go to the research institution.
- Including Educational Objectives/Efforts in Research Proposals
- Pre-proposals do not need to contain specific or direct educational objectives. There is no special consideration given to proposals when such objectives are included. If the proposed research includes substantial efforts related to education, these may be deemed an educational project.
- Educational Projects
- Grants are typically not provided to support the development of educational projects. However, collaborations or partnerships with entities seeking to develop educational materials for sustainable solid waste management, including conferences or events, which advance the Foundation’s educational mission may be considered. It is preferred that this be done with EREF being a primary stakeholder/partner in the event and that utilizes a revenue model that covers expenses for the project. To be considered, proposed concepts should be discussed with EREF and should include:
- A description of how the concept is unique or provides a value-add to the solid waste field
- How EREF might be included as a partner/stakeholder, and (iii) how it relates to EREF’s mission.
- Grants are typically not provided to support the development of educational projects. However, collaborations or partnerships with entities seeking to develop educational materials for sustainable solid waste management, including conferences or events, which advance the Foundation’s educational mission may be considered. It is preferred that this be done with EREF being a primary stakeholder/partner in the event and that utilizes a revenue model that covers expenses for the project. To be considered, proposed concepts should be discussed with EREF and should include:
For more information, visit https://erefdn.org/research-grants-projects/how-to-apply-for-grant/