Offshore Energy Research Association of Nova Scotia (OERA) has launched a funding call for marine renewable energy proposals with increased budget and diversified research stream.
OERA’s annual ‘open call program’ – which supports two joint competitive marine geosciences and marine renewables research calls every year – has been updated ahead of this year’s call deadline set for June 16.
While the program focus remains on capturing modestly budgeted, shorter-duration research projects, a new funding option has been introduced to support larger, two-year projects on an exceptional basis, according to OERA.
Namely, the open call application process now features two funding streams – with the first supporting projects requesting up to C$25,000 in research funds, while the second has been introduced to support projects requesting a maximum of C$50,000.
Applicants must specify at the on-set of the application process which funding stream they are submitting under, as applicants will be unable to submit to both stream on a particular intake, OERA noted.
Available funding has increased for the ‘stream 1’ part of the call – from C$20,000 per project awarded earlier per project. The competitive process will result in up to four project awards at C$25,000 each for this stream, according to OERA.
The newly introduced ‘stream 2’ will award one project with the funding support of C$50,000, conditional on the project meeting all criteria, OERA said.
Following the assessments and funding recommendation approvals – which may lat up to 12 weeks to complete, according to OERA – the successful applicants will be notified of the call outcome.
OERA is an independent, non-profit organization that funds and facilitates collaborative offshore energy and environmental research and development including examination of renewable energy resources and their interaction with the marine environment, with the aim to enable the sustainable development of Nova Scotia energy resources.