Research grants
The NERC research grants schemes are intended to provide financial support for environmental scientists to carry out research projects of international quality at UK universities and other approved institutions. We provide a number of different schemes designed to support the varying needs of the community.
Responsive research
Responsive Mode (RM) is the funding stream that supports excellent research in response to unsolicited ideas from research groups, consortia or individuals, in any area relevant to NERC's remit. NERC promotes unrestricted and innovative thinking; proposed research can be pure, applied or policy-driven, and must seek to address - or provide the means to address - clearly defined science questions. More about responsive research
Responsive research grants
- Standard Research Grants (including New Investigator grants)
- closing dates July and December - Large Grant outline proposals
- closing date: 5 March 2013 - Large Grant full proposals
- closing date: 2013 tbc - Urgency Applications
- no closing date
Research programmes
NERC research programmes are aimed at specific high priority themes. The programmes are designed to encourage scientific excellence and to deliver contributions to wealth creation and quality of life through basic and strategic research and training. We believe it is essential to involve the end users of NERC research in research programmes and so partnerships involving co-funding from the private and public sectors are encouraged. Research programmes use a range of mechanisms to support high priority themes. Details can be found in individual Announcements of Opportunity. More about research programmes
Knowledge exchange grants
NERC knowledge exchange grants aim to increase the exchange of science knowledge and results between our researchers and policy makers and regulators, industry and business, non-governmental organisations and charities. This can add to the UK's economic well-being. The involvement of users - policy makers, industry and non-governmental organisations - in this exchange of knowledge is vital in defining how best it should take place and what knowledge is needed. More about knowledge exchange schemes
Funding across research councils
We work with other research councils at the boundaries of our remit to make sure that there are no gaps in funding and that proposals at the interfaces of traditional research disciplines are treated equally with proposals that fall well within research council remits. More about funding across research councils