FRB and Mirova Foundation Launch €50,000 Call for Proposals to Assess the Impact of Terrestrial and Marine Wind Energy on Biodiversity

French researchers are invited to apply for a call for proposals, provided by FRB and the Mirova Foundation, that seeks to assess the impact of terrestrial and marine wind energy on biodiversity in France and in Europe.

The Fondation pour la Recherche sur la Biodiversité (FRB – Foundation for Biodiversity Research) is a foundation for scientific cooperation. The FRB helps to coordinate research on biodiversity, to encourage multidisciplinary and partnership-based approaches, particularly with businesses and private research, and to pool resources around collective proposals on these issues.

In collaboration with the Mirova Foundation, FRB is offering funding for research projects with the aims of assessing the impact of terrestrial and marine wind energy on biodiversity and examining the effectiveness of measures intended to reduce the impact. Projects are expected to produce operational recommendations to support the implementation of best practices within the sector.

The call is interested in projects that examine one or several practices that have a potential direct or indirect effect on biodiversity, be it positive or negative, taking into account one or several elements of biodiversity. The following research topics are of particular interest:

  • Characterisation of the impact of wind energy and analysis based on the tracking of the mortality of birds and bats in France.
  • Tools for reducing the impact of terrestrial and marine wind energy.
  • Compensation strategies for the impact of wind energy.
  • Territorial planning for wind energy projects.

Projects may focus on questions relevant to the natural sciences and, complementarily, the humanities and social sciences. Funded projects will allow for an exploratory approach with the aim of developing research work that is already underway. It is intended to aid in taking on new questions emerging from a research project that has been funded elsewhere. Funding enables the project leader to develop their research action or to create a new research dynamic.

The project leader must be affiliated with a French research organisation. Proposals are expected to be anchored in an initial project funded through public or private, local national or international organisations (eg synthesis projects from biodiversity synthesis centres). Initial projects must be receiving funding or must have been completed within the year preceding submission of the application. The geographical area of interest for study includes terrestrial and marine French (including non-metropolitan France) or European territories.

Each project will receive €50,000 for up to one year. Example uses of funding include workshops, staff costs, operating costs and mission costs. Work sessions at the Cesab site in Montpellier may be possible, depending on availability. In such cases, mission costs, accommodation costs and costs for food and drink must be specified in the project budget.

Applications must be submitted by 12 September 2023.

(This report was the subject of a ResearchConnect Newsflash.)