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A multi-year project is a non-permanent collaboration designed to address scientific topics of wide international significance. Thus projects do not represent a field of study (which is the role of the INQUA Commissions) but rather seek to answer specific scientific questions.

Multi-year project duration is normally the 4 years of the inter-congress period, but may, if started later in the cycle, also cross the inter-congress period boundary and will be able to continue in the following inter-congress period. This will however require approval of the new Commission and Executive Committee at the time of handover between Commission officers.  The maximum number of years of funding available for a multi-year project is 8 years.

The funding application should lay out a plan for up to four years (in the first instance) and involve ECRs and DCRs in the planning and formulation of the project. Progress will be reported each year and continuing funding will be contingent on the success of the project. 

Yearly support for multi-year projects is 5000 Euro. In exceptional cases, where a convincing case is made, funding may be extended to a maximum of 8000 Euro per year.

A single year project can be on a smaller scale than a multi-year project, both in terms of scientific questions being asked or level of international participation. It is designed to allow international networking between researchers on any topic relevant to the funding Commission.  These projects should aim to complete their activities within one calendar year, but may apply for repeat funding to enable them to become multi-year projects if their activities continue and grow over time.

Yearly support for single-year projects is also 5000 Euro. In exceptional cases, where a convincing case is made, again funding may be extended to a maximum of 8000 Euro per year.

Applications for multi or single-year project funding (application form available here) must demonstrate that the project:

1)    will address a significant question that is central to the work of the sponsoring Commission;

2)    make significant progress towards answering this question through collaboration and within a reasonable timeframe (within a calendar year for the single-year project category);

3)    has an explicit plan for activities throughout the proposed duration of the project, and have a high-level of buy-in from the international INQUA community, as shown by e.g. active participation;

4)    has a framework that is responsive to community needs and open to community participation, including involving early-career and developing-country researchers in significant roles;

5) has identified concrete outcomes or products explicitly.

Funding is available for stand-alone conferences or meetings outside of the umbrella of the single or multi-year INQUA Project funding.  INQUA is able to support international meetings that cover topics of interest to sponsoring Commissions.  To secure funding, meeting organisers should prioritise ECR and DCR involvement in these meetings.

The maximum level of support for a stand-alone conference or meeting is 5000 Euro. In exceptional cases, where a convincing case is made, funding may be extended to a maximum of 8000 Euro to support a single meeting.

The goal of this funding is to widen the skill base within the INQUA community, specifically through assisting scientists who lack well-developed infrastructures or networks (including but not limited to early career and developing country scientists), through encouraging networking, exchanges of information and techniques, training, and bringing people together e.g. to develop new single or multi-year projects.

Skills Enhancement funding can be used for the development and running of INQUA training courses or summer schools, INQUA workshops focusing on networking within a specific region or for a specific technique/interest area, and/or the production of teaching and training resources to assist new practitioners in specific techniques.

Applications for Skills Enhancement funding must demonstrate:

1)    the need for skills enhancement in a particular region/field;

2)    how the proposed activities will foster skills enhancement;

3)    who will benefit directly from the funding;

4)    how the skills enhancement activity will benefit the INQUA community in the longer term.

Funding through any of the categories of INQUA grant may be used for:

1. Participation (travel, accommodation and subsistence) of researchers in meetings organised through the Project or Conference. At least 75% of the amount of the grant used to fund participation should support the participation of ECRs and/or DCRs in project events (definitions of ECR and DCR found here).
2. Rental of rooms for conferences/meetings.
3. Rental of vehicles for meeting-related field trips.
4. Costs associated with video-conferencing (Zoom, etc)
5. The development of webcasts and podcasts

Funding through the Skills Enhancement grant may additionally be used for:

1. Development of teaching/training resources relating to the skill enhancement activity being planned

Funding requests that INQUA will NOT support:

1. Salaries or stipends on any type.
2. Travel and registration costs for meetings such as EGU, AGU, etc. However INQUA can support project meetings held in association with larger meetings e.g either before or after but not during the third party meeting.
3. Server costs for websites, databases etc.
4. Journal or book publication costs.
5. Purchase of equipment or analyses.
6. Institutional overheads.

Multi-year Projects will normally be approved in principle for the whole of the current inter-congress period. However funds will be allocated on a yearly basis, subject to evaluation of Project activities in the preceding year and submission of an updated budget each October.