Funder: National Research Foundation
Due Dates (Anticipated): September 2027 (Applicant closing) | October 2027 (Designated Authority submission)
Funding Amounts: Research running expenses and separately funded platform access for up to three years (2027–2029)
Summary: Supports multidisciplinary marine research along South Africa’s east and southern coasts through research funding and specialised marine infrastructure access.
Key Information: Projects must intrinsically require ACEP research platform access; applications without this requirement are rejected without review.
Description
The African Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme (ACEP) Marine Infrastructure-Linked Funding Instrument is an NRF programme supporting multidisciplinary research along South Africa’s east and southern coasts. Successful teams receive research running expenses alongside access to coastal vessels, remote imagery, acoustic tracking, geophysical mapping, sentinel sites and airborne remote sensing. SAIAB manages the infrastructure, with SAIAB and SAEON providing platforms.
The programme seeks integrated ecosystem knowledge and marine spatial data spanning oceanography, pelagic biodiversity and benthic environments. Research priorities include biodiversity and ecology, marine spatial planning, protected areas, resource management, global and climate change, and marine innovation. ACEP aims to develop high-level research skills, foster institutional and international collaboration, and produce internationally competitive, socially relevant research through effective use of specialised equipment.
