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Grants
Hybrid
About the Call for Grant
The Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF) Research Grants program is a major international funding initiative dedicated to advancing sustainable materials management and solid waste practices. EREF funds scientific projects that expand waste minimization, optimize recycling ecosystems, and reduce the environmental footprint of waste processing. The fund values rigorous data-driven projects that offer scalable, practical solutions transferable across the global waste management industry.
Eligibility
EREF features highly inclusive global institutional eligibility:
- Non-U.S. Institutions: There are no geographic restrictions. Academic institutions and universities worldwide (including Kazakhstan and Central Asia) are fully eligible to apply.
- Non-Academic Institutions: Companies, private labs, and independent research entities can apply, provided the principal investigators are qualified to lead technical workflows.
- Principal Investigators (PIs) must be full-time faculty, post-doctoral researchers, or senior tech personnel. Graduate students cannot act as PIs but can be funded as project staff.
Priority Areas
- Waste Minimization and Sustainable Recycling Operations
- Modern Landfill Design, Management, and Resource Recovery
- Human Health & Environmental Safety in Solid Waste Ecosystems
- Waste-to-Energy Innovations and Biomass Management Processes
Format:
Funding Metrics & Two-Stage Submission Process
💰 Funding Amount & Scope:
Grants typically range from $15,000 to over $500,000, with a recent historic average of $160,000 per project. Proposals exceeding $300,000 must include extraordinary technical justification regarding implementation costs. EREF covers indirect institutional overhead up to a maximum of 25%.
⏱️ Project Duration:
Most funded research projects are structured around a 2-year timeline. Long-term projects up to 3 years are accepted under strict review.
📅 Application Deadlines:
EREF operates a bi-annual intake system with two fixed deadlines per year for Pre-Proposals:
- May 1 (Spring Round)
- December 1 (Winter Round)
🔄 Evaluation Workflow:
1. Pre-Proposal: Applicants must submit a concise, highly formatted 2-page concept paper using the official EREF template in English.
2. Full Proposal: Projects passing staff screening and Research Council evaluation are invited to submit a comprehensive proposal (notified within 12 weeks).