Stockholm, 7 July 2015
Mistra Closing the Loop II
Call for research programme proposals
The programme comprises four to eight (4–8) projects.
Programme form
Budget
The projects are expected to pursue activities common to
the whole programme, in order to exchange experience
and ideas and investigate possible synergies.
Mistra is investing a maximum of SEK 40 million over
four years.
SEK 2 million is reserved for special initiatives involving
communication and collaboration among the projects.
Co-funding
Every project must be co-funded, with the funds provided
corresponding to at least 30% of Mistra’s investment.
Applications to be received
by Mistra not later than
Friday 16 October 2015 at 5:00 pm. The application
should be sent to mail[at]mistra.org as a single PDF file.
Annex
Approved Costs in Mistra Projects
Contact person
Christopher Folkeson Welch +46 707-323 074,
chris.welch[at]mistra.org
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Call for research proposals
Mistra Closing the Loop II: Valuable Resources from
Industrial Waste
Call
The Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research (Mistra) invites
researchers, jointly with companies and organisations, to apply for funding of research
projects aimed at developing new knowledge and boosting collaboration among
different stakeholders. The purpose is to render industrial waste usable by upcycling it
so as to yield valuable resources by efficient, sustainable means. A new approach and
interdisciplinary research are needed for a shift from present-day waste management
to sustainable resource conservation, with a focus on material recovery. We also need
to bring about efficient, functioning, closed ecological cycles with low impact on the
environment and health, for which requirements include a higher degree of
cooperation among various stakeholders. Mistra intends to invest, over four years, a
maximum of SEK 40 million, of which SEK 2m is intended for programme-wide
communication activities and collaboration among individual projects.
The aims are to
 demonstrate the importance of the secondary raw-material market for
improved sustainability
 develop generic methods and principles for improved resource efficiency
within the circular economy
 boost knowledge of resource flows in society, investigate policy instruments
and develop innovative technical processes for value-enhancing upcycling of
industrial by-products and waste into chemicals, materials and products
 strengthen the competitiveness of Swedish industry through innovative
development of technology and materials with a high environmental profile
and increased business gains
 reduce environmental impact in Sweden, the EU and worldwide.
Background
Mistra is a research foundation that invests some SEK 200 million annually in strategically
important research for a good living environment. It invests in strong research environments
that, in cooperation with users (such as companies, organisations and government agencies),
seek to effect change by solving key environmental problems and helping to achieve society’s
sustainable development. The research also aims to boost Sweden’s future competitiveness.
In 2012, Mistra started the programme ‘Mistra Closing the Loop: from waste to resource’
(www.closingtheloop.se). This programme has comprised seven individual projects spanning a
broad area and, as a common denominator, involving recovery of resources from industrial
processes. An overarching synergy project ties all the components together. The present seven
individual projects of the programme will end in autumn 2015, and we are now calling for
research proposals for a second phase of the programme.
The background report drawn up ahead of the first application call for Mistra Closing the Loop,
which is just as topical today, is available to read on Mistra’s website,
http://www.mistra.org/forskning/pagaende-forskning/mistra-closing-the-loop.html.
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Who can apply?
The Mistra Closing the Loop II programme will comprise four to eight (4–8) projects.
Applicants must be researchers from universities, other higher education institutions
or research institutes, jointly with partners from suitable commercial stakeholders.
The latter must provide financial resources or work inputs corresponding to 30% of
Mistra’s contribution to the projects. Mistra encourages small companies to take part
in the programme.
Overall, the research programme is intended
 to be intersectorial and interdisciplinary, and to have a clear system perspective
 to link together flows and strategically important stakeholders
 to have potential to create major technical leaps forward and to be innovation-driven
 to have a high environmental profile
 to apply a market perspective
 to include social and economic aspects, such as policy instruments and business models
 to be oriented towards the needs of industry in Sweden.
Each individual project must
 have interdisciplinary and intersectorial components
 maintain high scientific quality
 have a potential to create strategic environmental change in the management of
industrial waste products
 be groundbreaking and innovative.
The research programme is oriented mainly towards the following industrial sectors:
 forest industry (paper and pulp)
 chemical industry, including plastics
 metal and steel industry, including engineering
 recycling industry.
Research to prevent waste through modified design, material choices, consumption
behaviours or other such means is not prioritised in this call. Nor is upcycling of
hazardous or household waste a priority.
Application process and review
The application must be written in English (apart from a summary in Swedish). If the
application exceeds the prescribed number of pages, the excess pages will not be taken into
account in the evaluation.
The project application must include the following parts:
1.
Cover page with the following information:
Project title
Amount of funding applied for
Main applicant (name, postal and email addresses, telephone numbers)
Co-applicant (name, department/company/institute)
2. Summary (maximum one page)
3. Summary (in Swedish, maximum one page)
4. Project description (maximum 10 pages)
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5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Project organisation (maximum one page)
Project budget (maximum one page)
Time schedule (maximum one page)
CVs for applicant(s) and primary researchers (maximum one page per person)
Relevant publications (applicants’ own, maximum of 10).
Note that the project description must clearly identify which environmental problems are to be
solved and which strategic aims and target groups are relevant. How the results will be
communicated should also be described.
Within the programme, collaboration among different academic disciplines and with companies
of various sizes is expected. Depending on the orientation of the research, expectations may also
include collaboration with government agencies and other public institutions. One or more
academic institutions, companies and/or organisations may be specified as partners in the
project application. Researchers who are working outside Sweden can be included in this team
and thus in the project application, but the main applicant must be a university, other higher
education institution or research institute in Sweden.
Project applications are evaluated in terms of their scientific quality, benefits, communication
and organisation. The evaluation also takes into account how well each project contributes to
the whole programme. Mistra reserves the right to withdraw the call if not enough applications
fulfil the requirements specified.
Time schedule
2015
July
16 October, 4:00 pm
November
December (preliminary)
Publication of call
Deadline for project applications to reach Mistra
Evaluation of applications
Award decisions taken by Mistra’s Board
2016
January
April (preliminary)
Programme start with project leaders’ meeting
Project start
Contact
Christopher Folkeson Welch, Programmes Director, +46 (0)707 323 074,
chris.welch[at]mistra.org.
For financial queries, please contact Mistra’s Head of Administration/CFO Birgitta Jonsson
Palmgren, +46 (0)8 791 3480, birgitta.jonssonpalmgren[at]mistra.org.
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