Application Deadline:
31 December 2025
About Organisation
The Irish Environmental Network (IEN) is a coalition of Ireland’s leading environmental non-governmental organisations (ENGOs), dedicated to advancing environmental protection, conservation, and sustainable development. IEN provides a unified platform for its member organisations to collaborate on policy advocacy, public awareness campaigns, and grassroots initiatives that address urgent environmental challenges. Through capacity-building, research support, and networking opportunities, IEN strengthens Ireland’s environmental movement and ensures civil society’s voice is represented in national and international policy processes.
The MARÉIRE Project is one of IEN’s flagship initiatives, focused on fostering research and expertise at the intersection of renewable energy and environmental conservation. By encouraging collaboration between academia and ENGOs, the project aims to generate high-quality, publishable research while also ensuring its practical application in addressing climate and biodiversity challenges.
About the Grant
The Postgraduate Research Project Grant Programme under the MARÉIRE initiative supports innovative research on the environmental impacts of offshore renewable energy, including offshore wind, tidal, and wave energy. This program funds postgraduate students in Irish institutions who are conducting studies relevant to marine biodiversity, policy analysis, sustainability, and ecosystem health in the context of renewable energy development.
Grants of up to €2,500 are available per project, with priority given to those collaborating with Irish ENGOs. Research may be desk-based, laboratory-based, or field-based, provided applicants clearly define the methodology, expected outcomes, and dissemination plan. Projects should contribute to advancing scientific knowledge, provide practical insights for environmental policy and conservation, and build long-term partnerships between academia and ENGOs. Funded projects must be completed within 18 months and results presented both at academic conferences and to IEN members.
Who can Apply?
The programme is open to postgraduate students enrolled at accredited Irish institutions. Both Master’s and PhD candidates are eligible:
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Master’s students may align projects with their final dissertations.
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PhD students can submit proposals focusing on one or more thesis chapters.
Applicants must demonstrate the competence to carry out independent research and present a well-structured proposal with clear aims, methodology, and budget justification.
Collaborations with ENGOs are highly encouraged, as applications with an ENGO partner may receive increased funding (up to €2,500 instead of €2,000). Proposals must include support letters from the student’s academic supervisor and, if applicable, the ENGO partner. All research must focus on offshore renewable energy and its environmental or socio-economic impacts, ensuring scientific rigour, innovation, and policy relevance.
How to Apply?
Applicants must prepare a comprehensive proposal including a project title, summary, two-page research proposal, timeline, CV, academic supervisor’s letter, budget, and where relevant, an ENGO partnership letter. Applications should demonstrate strong scientific merit, relevance to offshore renewable energy and biodiversity, innovation, and feasibility. Completed proposals should be submitted to the Irish Environmental Network within the specified deadline.
Application Deadline
The deadline for submitting proposals is 31 December 2025. All required documents must be completed and submitted before the closing date to be considered for funding.
Last Date To Apply
For more information, please visit the grant website here.
