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Eligibility
Evaluation criteria
schedule
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Our 2025 call for projects is now closed

Who are we?

Pure Ocean is an endowment fund created in 2017 in Marseille, France.
Its main mission is to support innovative applied research projects worldwide, contributing to the protection of fragile marine ecosystems and biodiversity.
In addition to funding research projects, Pure Ocean organizes conferences and promotes races and sporting challenges to raise awareness of the Ocean’s critical situation.

Our 4 priority themes: the "Pure Ocean Challenges"

(based on the United Nations’ 10 Ocean Decade Challenges)

🟠 Understanding marine pollution and combating its origins

🟢 Protecting biodiversity and restoring degraded marine ecosystems

🟡 Strengthening the resilience of marine ecosystems and the people who depend on them in the face of climate change

🔵 Improving our knowledge of the ocean-system

Special features of the 2025 Call for Projects

This year, a special attention will be given to projects:

Developing marine conservation initiatives managed by local communities and indigenous peoples

Exploring nature-based solutions for the preservation of blue carbon ecosystems

Operating in key oceanic areas : the French littoral, Middle East/Asia and Africa coasts

scientific commitTee

Gilles Boeuf

Professor, Research Director

Anna Zivian

Professor, Principal Investigator at Ocean Conservancy

Kartik Shanker

Research Lecturer at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

Abdelmalek Faraj

Doctor, General Director of INRH in Morocco

eligibility

  • The project must address one or more Pure Ocean Challenges.

  • We seek out and support projects in all regions of the world.

  • There is no age limit, but candidates in the early stages of their career are particularly encouraged to apply.

  • Only non-profit organizations (NGOs, universities, research institutes) can apply and receive funding.The project can however include a collaboration with organizations from the private sector (companies, startups, etc.).

  • Applicants must clearly outline their co-financing opportunities in their budget, as well as a minimum operating budget in the event that Pure Ocean is unable to grant the full amount requested.

  • ✋ Exclusion criteria

 

  • Pure Ocean only support scientific projects addressing a clearly-defined research question.

  • The funding may not be devoted solely to awareness-raising, clean-up initiatives, events, art, advocacy or training projects.

  • For-profit (such as startup development), promotional, or advertising projects are outside the scope of this Call.

  • Application found incomplete, or written in another langage (other than English) at platform closure will be disqualified.

evaluation criteria

Applications will be evaluated according to one main criterion: impact, i.e. the tangible and lasting benefit provided by the project’s implementation, in the context of one or more of the Pure Ocean Challenges. The Scientific Committee will grade and rank the proposals based on 5 equally-weighted criteria :

 

💡 Innovation – The project proposes an innovative approach (technological, social, nature-based or exploratory innovation)

 

🎯 Relevance – The project specifically targets one or more Pure Ocean Challenges

 

📋 Consistency -The specific objectives of the project and the means to achieve them are clearly defined and achievable.

 

🤝 Collaboration – The project involves the active participation and collaboration of several players*, and encourages inter/transdisciplinarity.
*If the project is local in scope, at least one of the players must guarantee that it is rooted in the local area and involves local people.

 

📣 Multiplication – The project includes a plan for disseminating the results, adapted to the various target audiences, as well as the actions required to engage them.

Proposals qualified in Phase 2 will be invited to define their specific qualitative and quantitative “key impact indicators”.

Agenda of the 2025 Call

This year, Pure Ocean’s Call for Projects is organized in 2 selection phases:

1️⃣ Phase 1 is open to all applications meeting the eligibility requirements.
It involves completing a short online form describing the general outline of the project, presentation of the leader and organisation, a graphical abstract and keywords.

2️⃣ 40 applicants will be qualified in Phase 2 and invited to submit their full proposal.

The completion of the full online form will allow for an in-depth evaluation of the project’s context, objectives, methods, expected impacts and outreach.

Amount granted

Selected projects will receive up to €40,000/year (average €25,000/year), for a duration of one to two years, at the discretion of our
Scientific Committee.
A two-year project can therefore receive a maximum of €80,000 and support for certain projects can be renewed.

how to apply ?

Apply !

CLOSED

Complete in English.

Incomplete applications will be disqualified.

If you have any questions, please contact. Charlie: science@pure-ocean.org.

key dates

  • The Call opens on September 1st, 2024.

  • Phase 1 closes on October 1st, 23:59 CET.

  • Phase 2 opens on October 16th, 2024. Qualified applicants will be notified by email before October 15th, 2024

  • The Call closes on December 1st, 23:59 CET. 10 finalists will be contacted by mid-February, 2025.

  • Grantees will be announced on March 21st, 2025.

Discover the 7 2024 winners

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