Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation Launches Formally

The Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation programme has launched formally, following the approval of the Department for International Development. The ESPA programme, a partnership between the NERC, Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and DFID, was established in 2007 but the past two years have seen the development of the concept of the programme. Today, the three funders announced that funding had been agreed. The project has been formally launched under the banner of the Living With Environmental Change partnership.

Funding for the ESPA programme will total £40.5 million, combining £27 million of DFID’s development research funding together with £13.5 million of UK Research Council funding. The ESPA programme will explore the sustainable management of ecosystems and how this can contribute to poverty alleviation in developing countries.

The first call for applications has opened: Funding Stream 1 is a one-off opportunity for shorter-term, innovative, conceptual development type projects submitted as a Programme Framework grant.
Funding Stream 2 has two submission opportunities: one to win catalyst funding through a Partnership & Project Development grant, in preparation for a second submission opportunity for a larger Research Consortium grant. Further details can be found at the NERC website. The closing date for submissions is 3 March 2010.

Source: Research for Development