POGO MICROGRANT FUNDING PROCEDURES
For Working Groups, Training and other Initiatives related to Ocean Observations
The deadline for Expressions of Interest is 30 April 2026
Objectives
POGO will allocate annually, depending on its financial situation, part of its funds to support Working Groups, POGO-led Training Initiatives, and other ocean observing-related initiatives, through a Microgrant funding scheme.
The proposals should focus on identifying and filling gaps in ocean observations by providing a platform for POGO members to discuss and produce recommendations for addressing these issues. They may also focus on solutions for improving ocean observations, such as new technologies, novel partnerships and funding sources, and improving data access and visualisation.
Eligibility and Funding
The following eligibility requirements will be strictly applied, during the Expression of Interest stage and/or during the full proposal evaluation and selection processes, as appropriate:
- Proposals must be submitted and led by members of POGO, although the Working Groups can include participants from other institutes if necessary.
- Proposals must be prepared using the appropriate template provided (see Associated Documents menu), written in English, and submitted to the POGO Secretariat by the published deadline.
- Proposals must be signed by the official POGO Member representative (usually the Director of a POGO Member institution).
- Any POGO Member institution can only lead/submit a single proposal.
- The funding is intended to support collaborative initiatives, and cannot be used to support individual research projects or postgraduate theses.
The available funding is modest, with other sources of funding to be used where possible to complement the POGO funds. The proposals should have a short, pre-determined life-span (e.g. 1-2 years). Proposals for joint Working Groups between POGO and its partner organisations are also welcome.
The following are the maximum amounts that can be applied for:
- Training Initiatives: Applications for additional support (e.g. travel support for additional participants) for an existing training course/summer school should not exceed 6,000 EUR. Proposals to support a new Training Initiative that would otherwise not be possible can be higher, up to a maximum of 14K EUR.
- Working Groups and Other Microgrants: Applications in the range 10 – 12K EUR are encouraged, and in any case should not exceed 14K EUR.
Procedure and Time Scales
A call for proposals will be issued to the Members and scientific community once (or twice) per year. Proposal submission will follow a two-stage process:
- Submission of Expression of Intent (deadline 30 April 2026, 23:59 UTC)
- Successful applicants invited to submit full proposal (deadline 29 May 2026, 23:59 UTC).
Only Expressions of Intent received by the deadline will be considered. Applicants will be informed by the Secretariat by 5 May whether they are invited to submit a full proposal or not. Full proposals will only be considered if they have been specifically invited. Full proposals must be prepared using the appropriate template provided (column on right) and submitted to the POGO Secretariat. If a Working Group wishes to continue for a second year, a request for extension must be submitted, using the template provided, by the same deadline as the new proposals.
The timeline for 2026 proposals is as follows:
| Action | Time Frame | |
|---|---|---|
| Secretariat announces opportunity and deadline for proposals | 2026 | Mid April |
| Proponents inform Secretariat of intent to submit a proposal | 2026 | 30 April |
| Selected applicants invited to submit full proposal | 2026 | 5 May |
| Deadline for full proposals | 2026 | 29 May |
| Decision by Board of Trustees and proponents notified of outcome | 2026 | End July |
| Funding /endorsement starts | 2026 | Between 1 Sep and 1 Nov |
| Second call (if applicable) | 2026 | Sep |
| Request for 2nd year of funding (if required) | 2027 | Apr – May |
| Decision on renewal for 2nd year (if requested) by POGO members | 2027 | End July |
| 1-year WGs: Final report submitted 2-year WGs: Interim (18-month) report submitted | 2027 | 30 Nov |
| 2-year WGs: Final report submitted | 2028 | 30 Nov |
Associated Documents
Guidelines and application documents for this year’s call are available below for reference.
Previously funded initiatives:
Evaluation Criteria
A sub-committee of POGO members (who do not have conflicts of interest, including at least one trustee) will review the proposals, according to a number of criteria, e.g. relevance to POGO’s Strategy and priority areas; timeliness of proposal; adequacy of proposed deliverables and milestones; adequacy of requested budget; adequacy of WG/project membership (including geographic and gender balance). For training initiatives, the expected impact of the training and proposed methods for evaluating success will also be taken into account.
Based on the Evaluation Committee’s recommendation, the Board of Trustees will then decide on the proposal(s) to take forward, depending on the available budget. The availability (or otherwise) of other funding sources should not be a determining factor in the selection process, however the feasibility of the proposal in relation to the requested (and additional, if applicable) budget will be taken into account.
Reporting
The proposal leaders (or nominees) will be required to give presentations on progress at each POGO Annual Meeting (either in-person or in-line). It is anticipated that the POGO Annual Meetings may also provide opportunities for the Working Groups to meet. A final written report (including financial report) will be required at the end of the period of activities. Expenditures must be backed up with copies of receipts. In addition, the leaders will be asked to provide short articles and images for the POGO newsletter.