SUSTAIN 3rd Feasibility Study Call 2023

The SUSTAIN Future Steel Manufacturing Hub is offering funding for three feasibility studies to conduct novel research which aligns with the Hub’s two Grand Challenges: Carbon Neutral Iron and Steelmaking and Smart Steel Processing.

The SUSTAIN Future Steel Manufacturing Research Hub is looking for research projects are aligned to and compliments our current research program. We would like to attract new partners to the project with this call for applications and have potential to lead to further collaborations and future funding bids.

This third call is open to all UK academics whose institutions are not currently involved with the SUSTAIN project and are eligible to receive EPSRC funding and is our primary mechanism to introduce new academic collaborators and develop additional research spokes.

We are currently offering funding for up to three feasibility studies, with a maximum duration of 1 year, and a maximum value of £100,000 (80% FEC). Exceptional proposals may qualify for a higher level of funding which will also depend upon the quality of the proposal and collaborations, the number of research outputs and the overall contribution to the fundamental grand challenges.

Third Feasibility Study Challenge Scope:

Proposals should be aligned to the following areas, but we will also accept any high quality, novel proposal related to steel production and use in the UK centred around decarbonisation:

  • Financial/Business Modelling for Green Steel: Development of understanding that assists decision making of the impact to customers of the industry and its supply chain when moving to green steel production.

  • Value Intensive Steel Design: Today’s products are tomorrow’s scrap. Projects that consider design of steel intensive products that deliver sustainability benefits through their lifetime and are ready for the circular economy are welcome.

  • Re-use, Remanufacture and Life Extension of steel products to deliver full life-cycle CO2 benefits.

  • Any novel Decarbonisation and Recycling projects that may produce a step change on the path to Net Zero in partnership with steel users.

The deadline for applications is Monday 23rd September 2024 9:00am.