Marine and Coastal Science for Management (MASMA) programme

The Marine and Coastal Science for Management (MASMA) programme is the premier regional competitive research granting mechanism providing funding and technical support for coastal and marine research, training and communications in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region.

MASMA was established to reduce the predominance of narrowly focused natural science research, limited emphasis on interdisciplinary research, and limited attention to the critical links between science and the larger societal issues in the region. Consequently, MASMA seeks to strengthen applied and interdisciplinary research on both the natural and social science aspects of coastal environmental issues for the purpose of advancing knowledge that is directly relevant to society and resource management.

A principal component of the MASMA programme is the competitive grants to support regional research. The grants are also available for the organization of training courses and workshops geared towards strengthening research capacity and regional needs. MASMA encourages and supports multi/trans-disciplinary research efforts; promotes regional collaboration in research amongst the experts from the different countries in the WIO, and partnerships between scientists from within and outside the region; and more importantly, it aims at building professionalism and competence of researchers in designing and coordinating research projects.

The current MASMA Programme (2018-2022) aims to assist WIO countries to achieve the ambitious 17 SDGs and the Paris Agreement. These two frameworks, particularly the SDG one presents a universally applicable and interconnected framework for integrating the three dimensions of sustainable development. The focus is on SDG 14 (Life below water) and linkages to SDG 13 (Climate Change).

MASMA is more than just a competitive grants scheme; it focuses on the communication of research results and dissemination of information to enhance the visibility of coastal and marine issues in the WIO region. MASMA projects directly contribute to regional scientific symposia, regional workshops, professional journals, book publications, and have a web presence.

The MASMA programme is funded by the Swedish Government and administered by WIOMSA, through a Programme Committee of ten internationally accredited scientists from both the WIO region and outside.

For detailed instructions for applying for grants, please visit http://proposals.wiomsa.org.