Audacious Sustainability Grant (ASG) - Decarbonization
The Fund for Scientific Research - FNRS (Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique - FNRS - F.R.S.-FNRS) is launching a new funding instrument specifically focused on sustainability issues: the Audacious Sustainability Grant (ASG). This first ASG is dedicated to decarbonization challenges.
- Category
- Awards & Philanthropic Funding
- Profile
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Permanent research status (R3) and Senior research position (R4)
Financing description
Objective
The objective of the Audacious Sustainability Grant (ASG) – Decarbonization call is to support research projects addressing sustainable issues linked to decarbonization with an original and audacious character but which do not find support in traditional funding circuits due to a lack of preliminary data, the absence of previous work or an unusual methodology.
The term “audacious” means that there is a significant risk that the project will produce little or no tangible scientific results because of its innovative nature or its complexity.
Scope
The Audacious Sustainability Grant (ASG) – Decarbonization call is part of the field of decarbonization and mitigation of carbon emissions, with the central ambition to promote the development of concrete solutions to prevent or reduce climate change, as well as limit its impacts .
It should therefore not improve our understanding of climate change and its mechanisms, but rather support research based on exact and natural sciences (SEN) and oriented towards operational responses. The research projects should contribute, in a tangible way, to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions or their sustainable management.
The Audacious Sustainability Grant (ASG) – Decarbonization call is therefore intended to support research projects developing innovative mitigation approaches, whether it concerns carbon capture, reduction or transformation technologies, the development of green technologies with high disruptive potential, or even effective strategies for managing and strengthening large natural ecosystems.
The main areas concerned include:
- innovative approaches to managing natural carbon reservoirs, such as forests and oceans;
- the development of clean alternative energies contributing directly to the reduction of emissions;
- the development of less energy-consuming technologies and processes;
- technologies to prevent, control or reduce greenhouse gas (CO) emissions ₂, CH ₄, …);
- technologies for capturing, storing, recycling or transforming these gases;
- research on all types of innovations, including those which have no or little potential for high return on investment (or valorization).
Applicants should also consider socio-economic inequalities that could be generated or aggravated by decarbonization innovations/solutions
Observational approaches are excluded from the scientific scope in order to favor the emergence of projects focused on concrete solutions.
Access conditions
Eligibility criteria
The research project is conducted by a promoter within a university of the French Community of Belgium (Communauté française de Belgique - CFB).
To be a promoter, one must:
- either be :
- Research Associate (Chercheuse qualifiée ou Chercheur qualifié - CQ) ;
- Senior Research Associate (Maître de recherches - MR) ;
- or Research Director (Directrice ou Directeur de recherches - DR) of the F.R.S.-FNRS ;
- either carry out a Ulysse Incentive Grant for Mobility in Scientific Research (Mandat d’impulsion Scientifique – MISU);
- either carry out a FED-tWIN mandate;
- either hold an academic or scientific appointment on a permanent or probationary basis within the institution.
For further details, including any additional conditions that apply, please refer to the instrument's regulation.
Accumulation rules
The number of applications that can be submitted by a promoter is limited to one per call.
Important : only the conditions detailed in the regulations and the accumulation rules document will be taken into consideration for administrative control. The elements included on this page are for information purposes only.
Funding characteristics
Duration
The funding is for a period of 2 years.
Amount
The instrument allows you to request a maximum total budget of €120,000.
Eligible costs
The following cost categories are eligible:
- Staff
- Operating costs
- Equipment
For more information on staff eligibility, please see the instrument regulations.
For more information on the different categories and eligible costs, please consult the financial guide.
Submission of an application
Procedure
Submitting an application is done online on the e-space platform.
The application must be drafted in French or English.
Timeline
- Opening of the call: 05-06-2026
- Closing of the call:
- Promoter validation: 07-07-2026
- Validation of the rectoral authorities: 17-07-2026
- Evaluation: November 2026
- Funding decision: December 2026
- Start date of projects: 01-01-2027
Evaluation
Evaluation modalities
Applications are evaluated in 2 stages:
- An individual evaluation carried out remotely by experts
- An evaluation carried out by the International Scientific Commission SEN-4 of the F.R.S.-FNRS.
Evaluation criteria
The criteria taken into account in the evaluation of applications are as follows:
| Criteria | Weight |
Qualities of the promoter:
| 20% |
Qualities of the research project:
| 20% |
| Audacious nature of the proposal | 20% |
| Potential impact in the field of sustainable development and more broadly, where applicable | 20% |
| Issues of socio-economic inequalities generated or aggravated by decarbonization innovations/solutions | 20% |
Open science practices can constitute a valuable element of the file (and more particularly of the CV), without constituting a mandatory evaluation criterion.
Useful documents
Regulations: Rules and regulations of the AG instrument
Scientific part (to be completed following the given Instructions ):
Financial guide : Guide pratique des frais
Contact
Phone
Jackeline ROGGEMAN 02/504.93.42