Three international research grants for 2025 are now open:
1. Chemistry for Climate Action Challenge 2026 (Deadlines: 1 Oct 2025)
2. Call for Proposals: Small Scale Projects (SSPs) 2026 in Thailand and Laos (Deadlines: 10 Oct 2025)
3. ERC Starting Grant (Deadlines: 14 Oct 2025)
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1. Chemistry for Climate Action Challenge 2026
The Chemistry for Climate Action Challenge 2026 is now open for applications, offering opportunities for innovators to advance green and sustainable chemistry solutions in the Global South.
Funding Organization: The Elsevier Foundation

Scope: Green chemistry with the focus areas focus areas including Waste Utilization; Alternative Energy Sources; Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health; Climate Change Mitigation; Community Empowerment; Sustainable Agriculture; Water Resource Management; Health and Well-being.
Applicants are encouraged to submit scale-ups of early-stage projects, particularly those where the prize represents a major share of the required budget and where local implementation partners are directly involved. Projects outside the Global South, those without a strong scientific chemistry component, or those lacking a gender dimension are considered out of scope.
Award: Two winning projects will receive a prize of $25,000 each.
Application Process: Applications must be submitted online at: https://app.oxfordabstracts.com/stages/79044/submitter The Top 5 finalists will be invited to present their proposals at the 10th Elsevier Green & Sustainable Chemistry Conference (18-20 May 2026, Dresden, Germany) to compete for the two Challenge prizes. The winners will be announced at the end of the conference.
Application Deadline: 1 October 2025
Further information: https://elsevierfoundation.org/partnerships/inclusive-research/chemistry-for-climate-action-challenge/
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2. Call for Proposals: Small Scale Projects (SSPs) 2026 in Thailand and Laos
Funding Organization: Embassy of the Czech Republic in Bangkok

Scope: The projects can focus on various sectors – for example environment, agriculture, health, education, social services etc. All projects should be based on the principle of sustainability – that is sustaining the benefits for the long term without an additional external support.
Eligibility: Only organizations with legal capacity in Thailand or Laos can submit an SSP proposal, including:
• local non-governmental, community and not-for-profit organizations,
• local academic institutions working on local projects,
• international, intergovernmental, multilateral and regional institutions, organizations and
agencies working on local development activities,
• municipal, regional or national government institutions or agencies of the recipient
country working on local projects.
Award: Between 200,000 CZK (approx. 9,500 USD) to 500,000 CZK (approx. 23,500 USD) maximum.
Application Process: All proposals should be delivered to the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Bangkok BOTH in electronic form (editable Excel format file (.xlsx) AND scanned .pdf or .jpg file with a stamp/signature, to emails: bangkok@mzv.gov.cz and Viktor.Michalik@mzv.gov.cz), AND paper form to the address:
Viktor Michalik Embassy of the Czech Republic 71/6 Ruam Rudee Soi 2, Ploenchit Rd. Lumpini, Pathumwan,Bangkok 10330
Application Deadline: 10 October 2025
Further information: https://mzv.gov.cz/bangkok/en/news/call_small_scale_projects_2026.html
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3. ERC Starting Grant
The ERC Starting Grant supports talented researchers of any nationality with 2-7 years of experience since completion of PhD, a scientific track record showing great promise and an excellent research proposal.
Funding Organization: European Research Council (ERC)
Research Scope: Any scientific field, but research must be conducted in a public or private research organisation (host institution) located in one of the EU Member States or Associated Countries. The PI does not need to be employed by the host institution at the time of proposal submission, but a mutual agreement and commitment are necessary if the proposal is successful.
Eligibility: The grants are open to researchers of any nationality with 2-7 years of experience since completion of PhD. Research must be conducted in a public or private research organisation located in one of the EU Member States or Associated Countries. The PI does not need to be employed by the host institution at the time of proposal submission, but a mutual agreement and commitment are necessary if the proposal is successful.
Maximum Award: Up to 1.5 million EUR for up to 5 years, plus an additional 1 million EUR for “start-up” costs for researchers moving from a third country to the EU or an associated country and/or the purchase of major equipment and/or access to large facilities and/or other major experimental and field work costs.

Application Process:
You will need to:
• contact the host institution
• develop a research proposal
• create a profile on the Funding & tenders portal (https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-
tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/how-to-participate/participant-register). Then, select
the call for proposals you wish to apply for, ie. ERC Starting Grants) and use the
proposal online form to submit your proposal before the deadline.
Application Deadline: 14 October 2025
Further information: https://erc.europa.eu/apply-grant/starting-grant
List of Countries
EU Member States: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.
Associated countries to Horizon Europe: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Türkiye, Tunisia, United Kingdom, and Ukraine.