EPFL – Gaznat Research Program
© Gaznat
Gaznat and EPFL have established a strategic cooperation to set up a competence pole on CO2 capture, storage, and use for the production of synthetic gas in Western Switzerland. This cooperation has involved the creation of three Gaznat chairs at EPFL and of a fund designed to support research projects in this specific field. Eleven projects were already selected through two calls for proposals held in 2016 and 2018. A third call for proposals is now open, with a deadline set on Wednesday 28 April 2021 (17:00 CEST).
The third call for proposals is intended for projects with a focus on:
- Carbon dioxide management: CO2 capture, CO2 utilization, geological storage of CO2, etc.
- Gas supply of mobility (CNG, LNG, hydrogen)
- Power-to-gas technologies: integration with power systems as well as injection of hydrogen into the gas networks
- Biogas and synthetic gases
Collaborative projects (involving at least two EPFL laboratories/research groups) with a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) between 4 and 6 are strongly encouraged.
Applicants must be employed as professors or maîtres d’enseignement et de recherche (MERs) at EPFL for the full proposed duration of the project.
Adjunct professors (“professeurs titulaires”) and MERs who are not financially independent must include a letter of commitment from their host professor or head of unit.
Applicants may submit one or more applications as main applicants and/or co-applicants.
The total budget for this call for proposals is CHF 1.278 million.
Funding is available for 24-month, 36-month, and 48-month projects.
Eligible direct costs include and are limited to:
- Personnel costs for personnel specifically hired to work on the project
- Equipment and material of enduring value
- Research funds: i.e., consumables, direct costs of infrastructure use, open research data costs, open access publication costs, expenses of third parties (subcontracting) as well as travel, conference, and workshop costs
20% overheads will be charged on the total direct costs of the project.
Please read carefully the application guidelines.
All required documents must be submitted via the online submission platform.
All documents must be submitted in English.
The deadline for this third call for proposals is Wednesday 28 April 2021 (17:00 CEST).
Each application will be evaluated by a scientific committee comprised of two EPFL and two Gaznat representatives.
The evaluation process includes two stages:
- In Stage 1, the committee will evaluate the applications based on the documents submitted via the online submission platform.
- Shortlisted applicants will be informed by mid-June 2021.
- Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview, including a 15-minute presentation of their project, to be held at EPFL or via Zoom on 25 June 2021.
Granted applicants will be informed by mid-July 2021, and they must begin their project on 1 November 2021. They will sign a research project contract with Gaznat, based on a template which can be provided upon request ([email protected]).