IFS/Sida Sustainable Sanitation Initiative
Call for individual and team Research Grant applications on

Sustainable Sanitation and Grey-Water Reuse in Developing Countries

Application Deadlines: 31st December, 2006

Supported by
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida)-
Department for Natural Resources & the Environment

This initiative aims at strengthening scientific capacity in the fields of sustainable sanitation and grey-water reuse in developing countries. The overall purpose is to improve the livelihood of poor people and the project will generate new knowledge relevant for a deepened understanding of cross-cutting biological, chemical, technical and socio-economic factors that are necessary for development of technology for sustainable sanitation and grey-water reuse.

One major component of the global water crisis is the contamination of drinking water supplies with human faeces. Some 2.4 billion individuals have no sanitation at all or are obliged to use a toilet that is totally unhygienic. The situation is unlikely to change soon if conventional approaches are continually promoted. With rapid urbanisation, population growth, growing income disparities and increasing water scarcity, conventional approaches are becoming increasingly too costly, too complex, or just plain technically inappropriate. Still the problem could be alleviated by refining and implementing existing technologies.

The future puts new demands on sanitation solutions as conventional sanitary approaches including the “water based flush sanitation” create serious environmental problems. A promising solution is instead offered through “dry, urine-separating sanitation”. This method is water saving and recycles nutrients back to agriculture, why it is often referred to as ecological sanitation (or “ecosan”). These principles are not new, in parts of Asia, ecological sanitation systems have been widely used for hundreds of years, and in China, for a few thousand years.

Sustainable sanitation also includes the reuse of grey-water. Grey-water is identified as the waste water generated in households, excluding the water containing human excreta or urine, but including water from kitchens, bathrooms and washing rooms. Such water can be used as source for additional supplies of water available for irrigation and it often contains the necessary nutrients. In dry regions of the world such waste water is very important, thus treated waste water is already being used for crop production in most peri-urban areas of the developing world.

Considerable research efforts have already been pursued in sustainable sanitation such as ecological sanitation and on grey-water reuse, and implementation is taking place in a variety of countries in all continents. The challenge is how to make ecological sanitation and treated grey-water safe in relation to drinking water and crop production.

Call for Research Proposals

IFS invites research grant applications containing high-quality research proposals. Research grants are awarded up to a maximum value of USD 12,000 for a period of one to three years. The grants, which can be renewed twice, are intended for the purchase of scientific equipment, expandable supply and literature, to arrange field activities, etc. The grant does not include a salary. Grantees are supposed to be salaried by, or have a stipend from, the organization where the research will be conducted. Two types of support are provided, individual grants and team grants.

This special initiative is generously funded through a grant from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the initiative will be implemented in collaboration with the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI).

Which are the eligible research topics?

This initiative requires that research projects specifically addressing sustainable sanitation and grey-water reuse are addressed. Below some important research topics have been compiled.

Ecological Sanitation

• Monitoring the reduction of impact on freshwater resources, aquatic ecosystems or terrestrial ecosystems due to the application of ecological sanitation as opposed to lack of sanitation, pit latrines, or water-based flush sanitation
• Rendering human excrement free of pathogens for the recycling of nutrients including measuring the rate of pathogen destruction in human faeces as a function of time, pH, biological activity, temperature, humidity, toilet design and management
• Secondary treatment of faecal matters along with organics from households, institutions and commercial activities
• Safe agricultural reuse by application of sanitised human excreta (urine and faeces)
• Identification of pollutants in urine and faeces matrixes related to for example residues from pharmaceuticals
• Perceptions of and attitudes to handling and use of sanitised human excreta in food production
• Economic value of nutrients and humus in sanitised human excreta

Other forms of Sustainable Sanitation

• Development of other sustainable sanitation methods than ecological sanitation
• Monitoring the reduction of impact on freshwater resources, aquatic ecosystems or terrestrial ecosystems due to the application of sustainable sanitation as opposed to lack of sanitation, pit latrines, or water-based flush sanitation

Reuse of Grey-water for Irrigation

• Monitoring on improved availability of water for agriculture due to reuse of grey-water
• Identification of geographical areas where re-use of grey-water is feasible
• Development of treatment systems
• Identification of pollutants in grey-water, for example detergents, pesticides and pharmaceuticals, and reduction of these to safe levels
• Public acceptance and management of systems

How to apply

Individual Grants

Individual research grants can be provided up to USD 12 000 per grants. Applications for individual grants should be made using the application form for 1st or renewal grant which can be downloaded from this page. For further details, please see the guidelines in the application form. The individual grant applications should be sent electronically to applications@ifs.se

Download application form for a first individual grant (in Microsoft Word format 627 KB).

Download application form for renewal individual grant (in Microsoft Word format 835 KB).

Team Grants

Team grants can be provided to individual researchers who coordinate their research projects around a well defined theme. The researchers can come from one institution or from multiple institutions and be national or international. A team would involve a minimum of 3 researchers and an appointed team coordinator.

Team members and team coordinators should apply individually by using the application forms which can be downloaded from this page. Handwritten applications will not be accepted. For further details, please see the guidelines in the application form. The team grant applications should be sent electronically to teamapplication@ifs.se by the team coordinator.

Download application form for a team member grant (in Microsoft Word format 532 KB).
[ en français ]

Download application form for a team coordinator grant (in Microsoft Word format 756 KB).
[ en français ]

Please note

that for this call your covering e-mail should mention that your application refers to the “IFS Special initiative on sustainable sanitation”.

If you have problems with this application form or downloading it, we can send it to you as an attachment in an email or alternatively as a paper application form by ordinary mail. If you want one of these alternatives, please send a request to applications@ifs.se

 

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