The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) through Ireland’s development cooperation program, Irish Aid, and the Marine Institute (MI) has established a new program called ‘Our Shared Ocean’ to support research, knowledge exchange, and capacity building in partnership with Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The program will run until December 2026 with a total investment of €3.8 million funded by the DFA, and administered by the MI.
The Mobility and Travel Grants 2023 is one of a suite of competitive calls under the Our Shared Ocean Programme that will address specific ocean, climate, and sustainable blue economy-related challenges faced by SIDS; support the building of scientific and technical capacity to address such challenges; and promote the exchange of knowledge and expertise between Irish institutions and their counterparts in SIDS to underpin longer-term cooperation.
As part of the Climate and Oceans focus of A Better World, Ireland’s policy for international development, and the associated national Strategy for Partnership with Small Island Developing States (SIDS), there is an ambition to build closer partnerships between Ireland and the SIDS. The Our Ocean Wealth Summit on 10th June 2019 provided an important milestone in this effort. Political leaders and UN Permanent Representatives from almost 30 SIDS traveled to Ireland, took part in SeaFest and the Summit, and met Irish political
leaders and officials. The Summit addressed shared experiences of island nations and discussed the critical challenges faced by many of the SIDS which are on the front line in dealing with climate change impacts and vulnerable, in particular, to sea-level rise and extreme weather events.
Applicants for funding under the Our Shared Ocean Programme should address a topic under one of the three themes as outlined in Table 1 of the website, and also state how their award will contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (refer to Annex 1) by 2030, link to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
Location:
IrelandBenefits
- For Research Conferences and Workshops Maximum of 2,000 Euro per award. Minimum application value of 500 Euro.
• Conference/Workshop Registration costs are covered.
• Travel and Accommodation costs (best value basis – breakfast or meals may be included) are covered.
• Other Costs e.g. Visa, are covered. - For Training Courses Maximum of 2,000 Euro per award. Minimum application value of 500 Euro.
• Training Course Registration costs are covered.
• Travel and Accommodation costs (best value basis – breakfast or meals may be included) are covered.
• Other Costs e.g. Visa are covered. - For Research Visits Maximum of 6,000 Euro per award.
• One return flight (economy class) is covered.
• SIDS internal flights from the mainland airport to the island airport are covered.
• Accommodation costs (best value basis – breakfast or meals may be included) are covered.
• Visa and vaccination fees are covered.
• Local travel is covered.
• Consumables are covered.
Eligibilities
For Research Conferences and Workshops Eligibility, this award is open to:
- Students currently carrying out an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in a marine-related discipline and registered at an academic institution from eligible SIDS. Students may only apply for funding for events taking place up to the final date of their college registration. Proof of support by their Supervisor is required.
- Research Assistants carrying out marine-related research and employed at academic or research institutions from eligible SIDS.
- Early-stage Post-Doctoral contract researchers carrying out marine-related research and employed and employed at academic or research institutions from eligible SIDS. Early stage Post-Doc being within six years of Ph.D. award (2017 onwards).
- Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Other Representative Organisations from eligible SIDS. SME/NGO representatives are not required to present at international conferences/workshops.
For Training Courses, this award is open to researchers in marine or marine-related research from:
- Eligible SIDS hosted in a Public or Private Research Performing Organisation.
For Research Visits this award is open to researchers in marine or marine-related research from:
- Eligible SIDS hosted in a Public Research Performing Organisation in Ireland (refer to Annex 3).
- An Irish Public or Private Research Performing Organisation (RPO) hosted in an RPO (Public or Private) in an eligible Small Island Developing State (refer to Annex 2).
Application Process
- Applications should be made via the Marine Institute’s online portal Research Information Management System (RIMS).
- If you are already registered on RIMS please visit http://marine.smartsimple.ie.
- To register as a new user please email [email protected] with a password request, please include details of your organization.
- The Mobility and Travel Grants call will remain open on a two-monthly rolling basis, subject to continued funding availability, and submission deadlines as follows:
1. Friday, 3 March 2023
2. Friday, 5 May 2023
3. Friday, 7 July 2023
4. Friday, 1 September 2023
5. Friday, 3 November 2023 (for events up to 31st March 2024)
Application Deadline: November 3, 2023
Application ClosedOfficial link
