Theme action plans
NERC's governing Council has approved eleven new research actions (Phase 3), investing approximately £60m, which will contribute to the delivery of NERC's seven strategic science themes over the next five years. These are:
- Earth system modelling strategy implementation (£3m, contributes to climate system and earth system science themes)
- Greenhouse gas emissions and feedbacks (£8·1m, contributes to climate system and earth system science themes)
- Human-modified tropical forests (£8m, contributes to biodiversity and technologies themes)
- Mineral resources: science to sustain security of supply in a changing environment (£7m, contributes to sustainable use of natural resources theme)
- Resource recovery from waste (£6m, contributes to sustainable use of natural resources and environment, pollution and human health themes)
- Shelf sea biogeochemistry (£9.6m, contributes to earth system science theme)
- Flooding from intense rainfall (£5·2m, contributes to natural hazards theme)
- UK droughts (£6·5m, contributes to natural hazards and climate system themes)
- Radioactivity and the environment (£5m, contributes to environment, pollution and human health theme)
- Mathematics and informatics for 'omics (£4·5m, contributes to technologies theme)
- Marine Food Webs and their Impacts on Ecosystem (£5·5m, contributes to biodiversity theme)
Council also approved investing £250k in the first phase of a proposed action on Deep Earth control on the habitable planet.
This Council decision is in addition to the decisions in November 2009 to approve the second phase of theme action plans, and July 2008 for the first phase. Approximately £53m is being invested in the Phase 1 plans and approximately £94m in the Phase 2 plans.
Theme action plans set out activities to address the strategy challenges in NERC's seven science themes. They thus determine NERC's future research programme investments.
Short summaries of the approved actions are available:
Like the strategy itself, the theme action plans will be updated regularly, with the Phase 4 action plans already being developed.
Information on research programmes arising from the theme action plans and their indicative timing of Announcement of Opportunities is available.
Full versions of the approved actions are available:
Actions not recommended for funding:
- Reducing Uncertainty in Models for Environmental Decision Making (EPHH)
- Scale Dependence in Marine Ecosystems (Bio)
Keep up to date with all funding and research opportunities with NERC funding news.
Many of the actions involve, or will involve, partners, and many actions contribute to the Living With Environmental Change (LWEC) programme.