In 2025, following a AUD $5 million voluntary contribution, the IWC initiated a five-year research partnership with the Australian Government as part of their Renewables Environmental Research Initiative (RERI). The RERI programme aims to support a more efficient transition to onshore and offshore renewable energy in Australia whilst protecting biodiversity. The IWC-RERI initiative will fund research to investigate the potential impacts of offshore renewable energy (ORE) developments on cetaceans, particularly migratory whales.
ORE infrastructure is fast becoming a key source of electricity generation. Despite growth in offshore renewables, there remain substantial knowledge gaps regarding how these developments affect cetaceans. To mitigate and effectively manage any potential impacts on marine species associated with the development of ORE infrastructure, robust decision-making grounded in rigorous scientific knowledge and data is required.
A call for project proposals will be issued in 2026, with the project to be completed by June 2029. The formal application process will begin in 2026 but Notifications of Intent to Apply may be submitted now (see below).
Key research areas
The IWC-RERI initiative will seek to address the following key themes:
- Potential impacts on cetaceans from anthropogenic underwater noise generated by ORE developments
- Spatio-temporal patterns of diversity, distribution and abundance of cetaceans, particularly migratory whales, in ORE development areas.
- The impacts of ORE developments on migratory whale movements and bioenergetics.
- Disturbance and behavioural/physiological responses of cetaceans to ORE developments.
- The impacts on cetaceans of potential ecological/ecosystem change (e.g. ecosystem alteration) caused by ORE developments.
Notification of Intent (NOI)
Prospective applicants are invited to submit a Notification of Intent to Apply (NOI) as the first step in the application process.
A NOI is a brief, preliminary submission that signals your intention to submit a full application. While not a full proposal, the NOI allows us to plan the review process and ensure appropriate expertise is available for assessing full applications.
While it is encouraged, submission of an NOI is optional:
- You can still apply for the grant when the official application opens if you choose not to submit an NOI
- Submitting an NOI also does not commit you to submitting a full application.
How to submit:
Complete the Notification of Intent to Apply form using this link
Further information on the official application will be provided in January 2026.
For questions about the NOI process or eligibility, please contact [email protected]