R&D Award

ITOPF is recognised and respected globally as a source of objective technical expertise in the area of accidental spills of oil and chemicals from ships. Investing in R&D is one way we fulfill our mission of promoting effective response to marine spills of oil, chemicals and other substances.

Each year, around 12.7 billion tonnes of oil, chemicals, raw materials and finished goods are safely delivered by sea. Nevertheless, from time to time, accidents do occur that result in pollution of the marine environment by oil or chemicals. The severity of the pollution depends upon many factors. Continuous improvement in the understanding of the fate and effects of these substances will lead to improvements in accepted ‘best practice’ for spill response and environmental monitoring.

The ITOPF R&D Award provides financial support for research projects which have the potential to lead to improvements in spill-related matters. This includes (but is not limited to) preparedness, monitoring, response, environmental effects and impact mitigation.

Prior to the Award's inception, ITOPF encouraged and promoted many R&D projects, and funded some, such as DISCOBIOL. Therefore, the creation of this Award in 2011 was a natural step for ITOPF’s shipowner Members and Associate Members, and their Protection and Indemnity (P&I) insurers who recognise the importance of nurturing high-quality R&D.

Since the Award was established, more than £700,000 has been distributed to 14 separate R&D projects worldwide on behalf of ITOPF's shipowners and their P&I insurers.

The 2027 Award

The 2027 Award is open to any reputable R&D establishment or other organisation worldwide intending to fund a short-term project team to undertake relevant applied research. Applications are invited from all academic disciplines, although preference will be given to projects with an applied scientific focus and a clear pathway to practical benefit.

This year, special consideration will be given to projects addressing: 

• Emerging fuels (including nuclear)
• HNS and dangerous goods (containers)
• Fisheries & mariculture
• Environmental monitoring & recovery
• AI, remote sensing and autonomous spill response

Funding explained 

Funding is available at the following level:

• Short-term projects: up to £70k – this can be spread over 1-2 years and can include research costs, staff costs and overheads, and travel expenses.
• Please note: this year, applications are invited for short-term research projects only. The PhD funding route will re-open for the 2028 Award.

If you have any questions, please contact us at rdaward@itopf.org.

Information on the winning projects and the results achieved, including reports and papers: