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SSRP’s five interdisciplinary research themes

The Sussex Sustainability Research Programme (SSRP) Centre of Excellence stands tall as a beacon of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary sustainability research at Sussex and beyond. Over the last six years, the programme has catalysed research that provides Science for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) whilst navigating the intricate web of interactions among and driving synergies between them. With 58 seed fund projects and 30 externally funded projects under its belt, SSRP continues to support excellent research and actionable solutions that have real-world impact.

SSRP is now excited to unveil its latest annual research funding opportunity titled 'Scaling up Sustainability Research', welcoming submissions until Wednesday, 5 June 2024. The aim of this funding call is to provide support for developing large platform bids. These bids would scale up the excellent cutting edge research being carried out by sustainability researchers at Sussex, in conjunction with partners worldwide. SSRP is inviting current SSRP Fellows, and other researchers, including early-career researchers from across campus to apply.

Aimed at fostering collaboration and catalysing research aligned with SSRP’s five thematic areas, projects funded under this SSRP Round 9 Call for Proposals are expected to contribute to one or more of the following themes:

• Ecosystems, rights, and justice
• Planetary health
• South Coast sustainability
• Sustainable climate and food systems
• Sustainability frontiers

Prof Joseph Alcamo, Director of SSRP, remarked, "The SSRP would like to help Sussex researchers take advantage of large funding calls from UKRI and elsewhere so they can scale up their excellent research. New opportunities are becoming available – In particular, researchers can now submit bids to the huge Horizon Europe research programme which the UK has just re-joined. Funds from the SSRP call can help researchers develop the partnerships they need in Europe to tap this new source of support.“

SSRP will assist successful applicants by pre-identifying promising calls and providing guidance to researchers seeking to align their projects with relevant external funding opportunities. Moreover, applicants interested in Horizon Europe are encouraged to indicate potential EU partners in their proposals, with funds available to support networking and relationship-building activities.

The SSRP Fund #9 Guidance Document outlines all the details of this unique funding opportunity, with a total of £90k available to support three to four projects ranging between £20-30k each. The deadline for submission is set for 5 June 2024, providing ample time for interested researchers to prepare and submit their proposals. If you are looking for research collaborators, make sure to check out our Sustainability Search Database which allows you to filter by SDG, keyword and geographical area.

In addition to promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, SSRP encourages early-career researchers to apply, underscoring their commitment to nurturing talent and fostering a vibrant sustainability research community.

Please complete the Application Form and submit electronically by 12:00 noon on Wednesday, 5 June 2024 to SSRP Senior Programme Manager Sephora Imomoh at S.M.Imomoh@sussex.ac.uk. Late submissions will not be considered. If you have any questions or would like to give an early indication of intention to apply, please do get in touch. 

Further information regarding the scope, eligibility, key dates and review criteria can be viewed on SSRP’s funding webpage.

Take a look at SSRP’s Project Spotlight for an overview of the type of projects supported most recently, covering diverse areas such as ecosystem recovery, territorial and indigenous rights, waterway resilience, equitable forest restoration, and place-based research for sustainability transitions.

Further information: /research/centres/sussex-sustainability-research-programme/resources/funding#Fund9