Researchers across the University are invited to apply for the fourth round of SCGC-FIRST, the SCGC Fund for Innovation and Research in Sustainability and Technology, which this year welcomes SCG Cement-Building Materials (SCG CBM) to the partnership.
Administered by the MPLS Division in collaboration with SCG Chemicals (SCGC), the fund supports ambitious, high-reward research which has the potential to deliver transformative real-world impact. It spans SCGC's core interests across sustainable plastics and advanced materials, decarbonisation and the energy transition, carbon capture and green chemistry, and the application of AI and machine learning to materials discovery and sustainability. Awards of up to £100,000 are available for projects of up to 12 months.
This year, the participation of SCG CBM, a sister company within the Group, broadens the research areas supported by the fund into the built environment, low-carbon cement, and construction solutions, opening new opportunities for researchers across a wider range of disciplines.
Professor Dermot O'Hare, Director of the SCG-Oxford Centre of Excellence, welcomes the new round, saying: “We are delighted to welcome SCG Cement-Building Materials this year, whose involvement extends our work into low-carbon cement and the built environment, and opens exciting new opportunities for our research community.”
Successful projects will gain direct engagement with SCGC and SCG CBM, drawing on their industrial expertise and insight into real-world challenges, with strong outcomes providing a foundation for further funding and follow-on collaboration.
Applications are welcomed from academic staff across the University, and researchers seeking to establish independent research careers are encouraged to apply.
The call opens on Monday 14 September 2026, with a deadline of noon on Monday 26 October 2026.
Full details and the application guideline are available on the SCGC-FIRST webpage.
To discuss project ideas, researchers can contact the SCG-Oxford Centre of Excellence Alliance Manager, Gulcin Avul (gulcin.avul@chem.ox.ac.uk).
Applications are made through the Internal Research Awards Management System (IRAMS).
