Our site is using cookies to record anonymous visitor statistics and enhance your user experience.   OK | Find out more

Natural Environment Research Council Home
Skip to content

Applying for funding for marine facilities

Under the current funding arrangements the funding for RRS James Cook, RRS Discovery, and the RRS James Clark Ross, will be provided centrally by NERC, provided that the research project is international quality science (ie graded alpha 3 or higher) that is within NERC's remit.

Applications can, however, only be included in the marine facility programme if they have full funding to cover NMF Sea Systems or BAS technical support and equipment costs (ie 'superstructure' costs).

Applications to use the RV Prince Madog must include all costs associated with use of the vessel. If funding is approved, NERC will meet these costs within the terms of the agreed funding.

Funding applications to NERC

Principal scientists bidding for access to NERC's marine facilities must cover all of the 'superstructure' costs associated with any technician and equipment support provided by NMF Sea Systems or BAS.

Scientists bidding for the RV Prince Madog must cover all cost associated with the use of vessel, including any technician and equipment support provided by NMF Sea Systems.

The three main NERC grant-types that will cover the superstructure costs for cruises are small, standard and consortia grants, although it is not anticipated that small grants will apply for a stand-alone place in the marine facilities programme.

In the responsive mode, the NERC policy on the allocation of superstructure costs to each of these grant-types is as follows:

  • Small grant proposals must include all superstructure costs within the overall cost of proposals when they are submitted to NERC, as these grants have a strict maximum funding limit.

  • Standard grant proposals should not include superstructure costs within the overall cost of proposals when they are submitted to NERC.

  • Consortium grant proposals must include all superstructure costs within the overall cost of proposals when they are submitted to NERC, as these grants have a strict maximum funding limit.

Costs are estimated on the basis of the information provided in Ship-time & Marine Equipment (SME) forms. For deadlines and procedures for submission of SME forms please refer to the applying to use the facilities page.

Where costs are required they should be requested at least 2 months before the grant deadline. Costs should not be included in the main Je-S financial tables. Instead the cost estimate should be included in the Justification for Resources.