The ESPA Programme Executive Board invites Expressions of Interest (EOI) to attend a Grant Development Workshop near London on 2–4 July 2012. This is the first stage in an application process for major ESPA projects which will be followed by outline proposals and full proposals.

This Announcement of Opportunity (AO) is for empirical ESPA projects where original in situ research will lead to a significantly increased understanding of ways to enhance the benefits that poor people in low-income countries will derive from multiple ecosystem services. ESPA projects will be required to deliver research excellence with impact.

Projects will generate new data and knowledge from integrated studies of a wide range of ecosystem services. This call is specifically focussed on how ecosystems and their services in multi-functional landscapes can better support enhanced multidimensional well-being of poor people in low-income countries. This requires detailed in situ studies of ecosystems, their functions and processes, the goods and services that emerge, and the governance and decision-making processes involved.

Applications are invited for funding in the range of £1m to £2m Full Economic Cost (FEC). This call has a total available budget of up to £10m. Projects will be funded for a maximum duration of three years with an expected start date between 01 April 2013 and 30 June 2013. In administration of the grant, standard NERC guidelines will apply.

Applicants submitting EOIs must ensure that they, or a nominated Co-PI/Co-I, are available to attend the Grant Development Workshop on the 2–4 July 2012. If a Co-PI/Co-I is to be nominated to attend the workshop in place of the PI, this must be done at the time of application.

All participants at the Grant Development Workshop will be eligible to submit outline proposals.

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