IChemE's Palm Oil Processing Special Interest Group (POPSIG) is constantly committed to promoting palm oil-related research among undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. POPSIG Research Project Grant offers up to a maximum of £2,000.00 per project to students undertaking 12-month original research related to the palm oil sector and its value-chain, included but not limited to the following themes:

• responsible production in palm oil-related sectors (sustainability, climate change, environmental protection)
• risk management within palm oil-related sectors
• digitalisation of palm oil-related processing

Projects can be stand-alone or can complement existing work. Applicant must declare any financial support for the project received from other sources.

General information

Eligibility

• Applicants must be members of IChemE
• Applicants must be students registered with a Higher Education Institution
• Applicants must be undertaking original research
• Both undergraduate and postgraduate students are eligible to apply

Duration of project

Maximum of 12 months from the grant receipt date.

Deadline

The deadline of the submission is by 23:59 on 23 October 2026. Please submit the required documents via https://app.oxfordabstracts.com/stages/83278/submitter

The outcome will be announced to the successful candidate via email within one month from the closing date of application.

Evaluation

A panel of expert reviewers will assess the applications. Reviewers are asked to pay particular attention to the following aspects of an application when undertaking their review:

• The project’s contribution to the advancement of the palm oil sector.
• The degree to which the project is innovative and original.
• The feasibility of the project within the time frame and the appropriateness of the methods to be used.
• Evidence of sufficient planning in terms of health and safety, ethical clearance and permissions.
• Awareness of relevant environmental, social and cultural responsibilities and impacts of the project.
• Justification of resources and the degree to which the budget is reasonable, appropriate and sufficiently detailed.

Topics which include laboratory studies, simulation/computational studies, desktop reviews are welcomed. Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary topics are also encouraged. 

The committee's decision is final, and the committee reserves the right not to award the grant if no suitable entry was identified.

Full details

• All grants are awarded at the discretion of IChemE POPSIG. Each applicant can only submit one entry per application round.
• The awarded fund will be transferred to a recognised Research Management Centre (RMC) account of the awarded institution. Applicants are advised to inform their respective RMCs of their intention to apply for this grant. This is to ensure that sufficient time is available for the respective RMCs to prepare an account if the grant is awarded.
• All funds awarded must be used for the purposes set out in the application submitted for the award. These purposes include travel, maintenance, software subscription, material and supplies, professional services and data collection/procurement. Wages of the principal investigator or costs to buy-out staff time will not be funded.
• Grants are not transferrable to individuals or organisations and must be spent within 12 months from the grant award date.
• POPSIG reserves the right to withdraw, amend or otherwise modify support at any time without notice.
• Any terms and conditions or codes of conduct for third party organisations relevant to a grant must be adhered to.
• If funding is sought for a larger project component, the sub-project should be free-standing with its own objectives.
• Awardees must complete a journal submission to an internationally peer-reviewed journal of their choice by the end of the project period. 
• Suppose the applicant has secured funding from other sources for the same project. In that case, a detail of such funding must be clearly presented in the application form (e.g., budget, duration, funding body, etc.).
• Award will be assigned based on the merits and quality of the submission and shall be at the sole discretion of IChemE POPSIG. IChemE POPSIG reserves the right to vary the proposed project budget applied. The decision from IChemE POPSIG is final.

Application process

Applications with the two required documents below should be submitted via https://app.oxfordabstracts.com/stages/83278/submitter by 23:59 on 23 October 2026 using the application form provided.

• Download the MS Word application form (rev 2026-01).
• Submit a single document (MS Word or PDF) which includes the application, a one-page CV, a copy of the submitter’s latest academic transcript, and two referee’s reports in the Appendix.

Deliverables

As part of receiving the grant, the successful recipients have to:

• Present findings in a POPSIG evening talk/webinar at the end of the awarded period, as scheduled by IChemE POPSIG.
• Contribute an IChemE POPSIG newsletter article on the funded work within sixteen (16) months from the award date.
• The research finding must be documented and submitted to a journal within eighteen (18) months from the award date.
• Acknowledge IChemE POPSIG Research Project Grant in all presentations and publications (internal and external) related to the funded work. This includes, but is not limited to, websites, books, academic papers, oral presentations/speeches and press coverage.