The OBON-SAIGe microgrants aim to accelerate eDNA monitoring by supporting 1-year projects involving topics such as autonomous sampling, standardising protocols, building data infrastructure, expanding reference libraries, and citizen science initiatives using eDNA kits.

This funding is part of the Scaling Autonomous Integrated Global eDNA Observations (SAIGe) Collaboration, supported by Minderoo Foundation.

The second phase of the OBON-SAIGe microgrant call opens on 15 May 2026, with a deadline of 31 May 2026 for Expressions of Intent (EOI) to Apply.

Selected EoIs will be contacted by 12 June, and invited to submit a full proposal by 13 July 2026.

To maximise impact and advance OBON’s objectives, this call will prioritise proposals that involve Members of the OBON community (i.e. OBON projects and working groups).

All applicants must demonstrate that their proposed project is based in the Western Pacific region.

Please read the Full Call for Expression of Intent and the SAIGe Funding Procedures of this call before submitting an Expression of Intent.

All documents and links are available in the right hand column of this page.

The first call closed on 14 January 2026, with the awardees announced in February 2026 – read more here.

Pacific eDNA Framework for Ciguatera Poisoning (PACeDNA-CP)
Laura Biessy
Cawthron Institute, New Zealand

Strengthening the Sundarbans Biomolecular Observation Network through Reference Library Development and eDNA Monitoring (SundarBONS)
Kazi Ahsan Habib
Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU), Bangladesh

S: Standardized affordable eDNA monitoring; H: Hands-on eDNA training; A: Advancement in reference libraries; R: Research Capacity Strengthening; K: Knowledge sharing; Sequencing technology (ONT) (SHARK-Seq)
Achim Meyer & Amy Then
Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Germany, & Universiti Malaya, Malaysia

Accelerating eDNA Readiness in the Wallacea Region: Constructing a Genetic Reference Library for Gleaned Mollusks across the Makassar Strait and Flores Sea (Wallacea GleanDNA)
Nadiarti Nurdin Kadir
Hasanuddin University, Indonesia