Research Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) Funding Initiatives

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  4. Research Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) Funding Initiatives
  5. Closing the Resource Loop Funding Initiative [Closed for Applications]

Closing the Resource Loop Funding Initiative [Closed for Applications]

Objective
Research Areas
Current Grant Calls
Past Grant Calls
Other Initiatives
General Enquiries

 

Objectives

The Closing the Resource Loop (CTRL) Funding Initiative will support research and development (R&D) on sustainable resource recovery solutions for key waste streams such as e-waste, plastics and food, and finding useful and safe applications for treated waste residues. CTRL will contribute to our efforts towards meeting the Singapore Green Plan targets and to pursue a circular economy approach under the Zero Waste Masterplan to achieve a sustainable, resource-efficient, and climate-resilient Singapore.

The main objectives1 for the CTRL Funding Initiative are as follows:

a. Increase resource recovery: To achieve 70 per cent overall recycling rate by 2030;

b. Increase landfill lifespan: To reduce the daily per-capita amount of waste sent to landfill by 20 per cent by 2026, and 30 per cent by 2030, thereby extending the lifespan of Semakau Landfill beyond 2035; and

c. Promote environmental sustainability: To develop sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions, that are adopted and commercialised.

Additional goals for the CTRL Funding Initiative include raising digitalisation and automation, as well as mitigating carbon emissions.

1 These objectives are to be achieved together with policy interventions and industry adoption

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Research Areas

There are three broad R&D tracks under CTRL Funding Initiative:

a. Resource Recovery: Treatment and recovery of resources from three key waste streams: e-waste, 
    plastic waste, and food waste, as well as other waste streams such as paper, horticulture, and wood 
    generated in large quantities;

b. Residues as Resources: Treatment of residue streams, e.g., incineration bottom ash, incineration fly 
    ash, non-incinerable waste and mixed materials that can be recovered from Semakau Landfill and 
    their safe applications of these treated materials (e.g., non-structural concrete, caisson infill, sea 
    embankment and land reclamation); and

c. Rethinking Energy from Waste: Novel solutions to maximise energy and resource recovery and 
    minimise carbon footprint.

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Current Grant Calls

There is currently no open grant call.
 
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Past Grant Calls


Awarded Projects for Past RFPs

Request for Proposal (RFP)Publication DateClosing Date

Solutions for Food Waste Valorisation and Contaminant Detection for Proper Source Segregation of Food Waste

  • Desired Outcome A: Valorisation of homogeneous food waste streams
  • Desired Outcome B: Contaminant detection of mixed food waste for proper segregation
8 Nov 202410 Feb 2025
Awarded ProjectsPrincipal InvestigatorHost Institution
1. Ferm2Farm: Fertilisers, Feeds, and Extracts from Food By-productsDr Christian HermansenSingapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation, A*STAR Research Entities
2. Innovative Form-Stable Phase Change Materials Using Treated Spent Coffee Grounds for Sustainable Cold Chain Applications Dr Zhu QiangInstitute of Materials Research and Engineering, A*STAR Research Entities
3. Biovalorisation of barley spent grains (BSG) into value-added plant-based tuna  Dr Chua Jian YongMottainai Food Tech Pte Ltd 

 

Request for Proposal (RFP)Publication DateClosing Date

Beyond incineration: Plastic waste recycling and packaging solutions

  • Desired Outcome A: Treatment and resource recovery of mixed plastic wastes not covered under NEA's mechanical and chemical recycling plans 
  • Desired Outcome B: Address emerging packaging trends to develop sustainable plastic food packaging materials that utilise recycled plastic materials and are easy to recycle
18 Oct 202331 Jan 2024
Awarded ProjectsPrincipal InvestigatorHost Institution
1. Solvent-less mechano-chemical recycling of polyurethane wasteProfessor Hu XiaoNanyang Technological University
2. Development of scalable pyrolysis-chemical vapor deposition technology for conversion of contaminated and rejected plastics into carbon nanotubes and hydrogen Associate Professor Grzegorz LisakNanyang Technological University
3. Innovation of recyclable polyolefin packaging to achieve circularity of plastic packaging  Dr Li XuInstitute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), A*STAR Research Entities

 

 
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Other Initiatives

NEA awarded NTU SCARCE Phase 2 under the CTRL Funding Initiative. This continued support aims to facilitate the scale-up and industrial translation of SCARCE's innovative e-waste management solutions, focused on the treatment and recovery of resources from common e-waste streams including lithium-ion batteries, solar panels and printed circuit boards furthering NEA's commitment to sustainable resource recovery and circular economy principles.
 
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General Enquiries

1. Please contact CTRL_Grant_Secretariat@nea.gov.sg  if you require further information.
 
2. Please contact Helpdesk@researchgrant.gov.sg if you require assistance with IGMS. Alternatively, refer to the training manual through https://www.researchgrant.gov.sg/Pages/TrainingGuides.aspx
 
3. Please refer to this webpage “Whistleblowing for RIE Funding Initiatives” to report any incidents of potential abuse of grant, fraud or misconduct arising from NEA administered Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) Funding Initiatives, funded by the National Research Foundation (NRF).

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