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Long Term Co-evolution of Life & the Planet

Announcement of Opportunity

Closing date: 16:00 on 30 March 2010

NERC invites interdisciplinary proposals for research grants addressing the objectives of to the Long Term Co-evolution of Life and the Planet research programme. Proposals must focus on key episodes of major physical or biological change within the geological record, particularly those that have had an impact on carbon and oxygen cycles. The research proposed must aim to improve current understanding of the nature, rates, controls and feedbacks that provide the fundamental drivers and controls of these changes within the Earth system.

Project teams must include expertise in three or more of the core disciplines of geology, geophysics, geochemistry, palaeontology and Earth system modelling. Projects must be a collaboration of different researchers to encourage cross-disciplinary working and networking within the earth sciences community. Joint applications involving more than one eligible organisation are strongly encouraged.

Applicants are encouraged to include up to three project studentships as part of their proposals.

Projects are required to undertake a series of effective and appropriate knowledge exchange activities to maximise the impact of the research. An important aspect of this will be public engagement. Individual projects will be required to undertake a series of effective public engagement activities, particularly aimed at younger people and inspiring the next generation of researchers.

Projects must start by January 2011 and may be up to four years in duration. Funding available is up to £1m per project (at 80% FEC), smaller scale projects are also acceptable.

Three or four projects will be supported and will form a programme; additional funding is available to support co-ordination between the projects and programme-wide activities.

A Town Meeting will be held on 8 February 2010 to facilitate the development of proposals to this programme. Expressions of Interest may also be submitted as part of this process.

The deadline for meeting registration and submission of Expressions of Interest is 25 January 2010.

The closing date for proposals is 16:00 on 30 March 2010.

Please see the Announcement of Opportunity document below for full details.

Amendments to the Announcement of Opportunity (16KB)

Announcement of Opportunity (89KB)

Panel meeting

The panel meeting for this programme is due to take place on Friday 10 September 2010. The panel consists of the following people:

• Professor Thomas Wagner (Chair), Newcastle University
• Professor Ian Jarvis, Kingston University
• Dr Mark Purnell, University of Leicester
• Professor Stephen Hesselbo, University of Oxford
• Dr Martha Richter, The Natural History Museum
• Dr Darren Grocke, Durham University
• Professor Anthony Hallam, Birmingham University
• Dr Luke Skinner, Cambridge University

Funding decision will be announced in late September / early October.

For further information about this announcement of opportunity please contact:

Dr Michal Jane Filtness
Tel: 01793 418025 or 411766