NERC Pushing the Frontiers of Environmental Science Research Call Open to Applications

Grants are available for adventurous researchers to carry out curiosity-driven, high-risk, high-reward environmental science projects within the NERC remit.

The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) is funding ambitious, curiosity driven, high-risk, high-reward environmental science projects through the Pushing the Frontiers of Environmental Science Research call. This scheme will support adventurous researchers who have curiosity and imagination to enable discoveries that unlock new knowledge.

NERC is seeking proposals that can support pure, applied, technology-led or policy-driven research but still address, or provide the means to address, clearly defined scientific questions. The research must sit predominantly within NERC’s remit.

Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research projects are welcomed, as are those that can be designed, supported and delivered in partnership with other research funders and research users.

Projects are required to have a project lead based in a UK research organisation eligible for UKRI funding (ie approved higher education institutions, research council institutes, independent research organisations and public sector research establishments). NERC individual eligibility rules apply (refer to Section C of the NERC research grant and fellowships handbook). Application can be made as a research group or an individual.

The second 2023 call’s total budget is £25 million. The full economic cost of the project can be up to £1 million. NERC will fund 80% of the full economic cost. Justified equipment costs and eligible costs for international project co-lead involvement will be funded at 100%.

There is no defined project duration, but awards usually last between three and four years.

Applications must be submitted by the deadline of 25 July 2023 (16:00).

(This report was the subject of a RESEARCHconnect Newsflash.)