Funding

FUNDING CALL ANNOUNCEMENT – PoC CALL 4 OPEN

“Clean Growth Through Carbon Recycling by Chemoautotrophs”

Deadline: 16 October 2023

Applications are invited for The Carbon Recycling Network, Proof of Concept (PoC) scheme. Funds are available to support projects up to 10 months duration which are at Technology Readiness Levels 1-4 in the exciting area of ‘Clean Growth’.

Call Title: ‘Clean Growth through carbon recycling by chemoautotrophs’

Reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 will require extensive technological advances across the UK. This challenge can be assisted, by investment into the utilisation of waste C1 gases, particularly CO2, by chemoautotrophic bacteria. This Carbon Recycling Network POC call, aims to support projects which seek to develop processes for the re-use and exploitation of single carbon greenhouse gases and will contribute to this UK challenge. Applications centred on chemoautotrophs that focus on gas fermentation or seek the potential of anaerobic digestion as a gas fermentation feedstock are encouraged to apply.

• POCs are awarded at 80% FEC. The awardee at the academic institution MUST be willing to provide the remaining 20% FEC.
• Although an industrial partner is not required for PoC funding, it is encouraged.
• To Apply for a PoC award please read the PoC Operational Guidelines and complete the PoC Application Form.

Please submit your completed application form to: ccnet@nottingham.ac.uk

• OPENS: 09 August 2023
• CLOSES: 16 October 2023, 17:00h BST
• FUNDS AVAILABLE: UP TO £70,000 at 80%FEC, (£87,500 at 100%FEC) for each project from a total funding pot of £350,000 at 80% FEC (£437,500 at 100%FEC).
• ELIGIBILTY: Applicants must be members of The Carbon Recycling Network and be BBSRC eligible.

Research projects should be within Technology Readiness Levels 1-4.

The deadline for submitting applications is 17:00h BST on Monday 16th October 2023.

Please note: This is likely to be the last call for PoCs from the Carbon Recycling NIBB whose funding ends in March 2025.

The Carbon Recycling Network Business Interaction Vouchers (BIVs) aim to encourage collaboration and partnerships between academic and industrial partners, the application MUST be in the remit with The Carbon Recycling Network aims

BIVs are funded at 100%FeC and provide funds of up to £20,000 for a defined piece of work undertaken by an academic with an industrial partner, who should co-fund the project with cash or in-kind contributions.

All participants named on the application must be members of The Carbon Recycling Network and based in the UK.

To apply for a BIV please read the BIV-Operational Guidelines and fill in the BIV-FORM.

Please submit the completed application form to: ccnet@nottingham.ac.uk

Joint Call: The Carbon Recycling Network and BBNet: NO CARBON LOST: Eliminating CO2 Production from Biomass-based Fermentation Processes

Deadline: 8 July 2022

To slow global temperature rises, we must dramatically reduce the use of fossil carbon as sources of energy, fuels and chemicals and instead use biomass. The sustainable recycling of agricultural and forestry biomass carbon into gaseous or chemical products can be accomplished through biological conversion processes based on anaerobic digestion or fermentation, respectively. The latter requires the prior deconstruction of the biomass into either sugars or synthesis gas (syngas) through the respective action of either lignocellulolytic enzymes or thermal gasification. However, traditional, carbohydrate-based fermentation processes, such as ethanol production, waste more than one third of the carbon which is not incorporated into the product but lost in the form of CO2.  Eliminating this loss would reduce GHG emissions and improve productivity, potentially by >50%.

The two NIBBs, the Carbon Recycling Network and BBNet (The Biomass Biorefinery Network) wish to fund proof of concept projects that will enable a step-change in fermentation processes to further reduce the carbon footprint of biomass exploitation. These will improve the conversion of biomass to fermentable carbon (sugar) and underpin the design, build and test of innovative organisms (monocultures & synthetic communities) and bio-processes that can maximise the conversion of this sustainable carbon to chemical commodities without CO2 release.

The envisaged bio-manufacturing solutions will contribute to the UKs as well as global NetZero targets by eliminating CO2 production during biomass-based fermentation bioprocesses, while simultaneously improving productivity through incorporation of the lost carbon into the chemicals and material being manufactured.

Applications are invited from the Carbon Recycling Network and BBNet to apply for Proof of Concept (POC) funds

OPENS: 25 May 2022

CLOSES: 17:00, 8 JULY 2022

FUNDS AVAILABLE: UP TO 4X £50,000

ELIGIBILTY: Carbon Recycling Network & BBNet membership & UKRI-BBSRC eligible

• POCs are awarded at 80% fEC.  The awardee at the academic institution MUST be willing to provide the remaining 20% fEC.
• POC funds are to support projects of less than 12 months
• The POC project needs to be at Technology Readiness Levels 1-4
• Although an industrial partner is not required for POC funding, it is encouraged

The Carbon Recycling Network has funds available for summer studentships to fund undergraduate students who wish to gain experience in the field of C1 gas fermentation, primarily using chemoautotrophs, and exploring the potential of anaerobic digestion (AD) as a gas fermentation feedstock generator.