The Natural Environment Research Council, in partnership with the Department for International Development and the Economic and Social Research Council, invites outline proposals for consortium grants under the programme on Unlocking the Potential for Groundwater for the Poor. Consortium grants will provide an opportunity to undertake large-scale, complex and interdisciplinary social and natural science research addressing the programme’s aim of enabling sustainable use of groundwater for the benefit of poor people. Proposals should address at least two of the following three themes:

•understanding the resource;

•governance, institutions and access;

•impacts of future trends.

The primary focus of the research must be low-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa, where there is a clear impact of the research on the poor, projects may be undertaken in middle-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Projects must be interdisciplinary and include both social and natural science.

Linkages with sub-Saharan institutions must be established, and UPGro encourages collaboration with non-academic and community organisations. There are no other restrictions on where researchers are located or their nationality, nor are there restrictions on the geographical location of the research institution.

The total budget for this call is £7.6 million. Proposals may request a budget of up to £1.9m at 100 per cent of full economic costs. UK organisations will receive 80 per cent of full economic costs, and non-UK organisations will receive support of 100 per cent of direct costs plus a proportion of indirect costs. Between three and five consortium grants are available, and projects may last for up to four years each.

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