Wellcome Trust requires applicants to its funding schemes to “include the cost of carbon offsetting or other approved sustainability initiatives in their grant application.” This page will be updated as and when other funders apply similar conditions of funding.
Wellcome Carbon offset policy for travel
Wellcome is committed to reducing the environmental impact of the travel they fund. To support Wellcome in its commitment, QIB, through the Norwich Bioscience Institutes Partnership (NBIP), provides its researchers with mechanisms for calculating costs for grant applications and related preferred suppliers.
Expectations
The Wellcome Trust expects its grant holders to:
- minimise the number of journeys taken by using alternatives where possible (for example video conferencing)
- choose travel that has a lower carbon impact, where practical
- offset the carbon emissions of journeys they do make.
Compliance with this policy forms part of Wellcome’s grant conditions and is mandatory for all applicants.
The following costs can be included in Wellcome Trust proposals:
- essential travel costs, even if the low carbon option is more expensive (for example, travelling by train instead of flying).
- project-related resources or activities that provide an alternative to travel, such as video conferencing, communication and file-sharing software.
- costs to offset the carbon generated by the essential travel.
Calculating travel carbon emissions
Partnership (NBIP) Contracts team will support you in calculating travel carbon emissions and the costs to offset them.
The NBIP Contracts team uses the ICAO Carbon Emissions Calculator for air travel and the Carbon Calculator for all other forms of travel. These are recognised calculation services accepted by Wellcome.
Preferred carbon offset provider
The South Norfolk Tree Warden Network (SNTWN) is a local network that aligns with NBI values. The SNTWN is affiliated with the Tree Council (a national body) and plants trees in the parishes of South Norfolk. It has recently opened a small tree nursery (including ash grown from local seed) in Colney. NBIP will use SNTWN as the preferred carbon offset provider.
NBI Sustainability Strategy
The Norwich Bioscience Institutes (Quadram Institute Bioscience, the John Innes Centre, the Earlham Institute and The Sainsbury Laboratory) together with the NBIP are currently developing an NBI Sustainability Strategy, which will incorporate a carbon offsetting scheme.
