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NERC invites env.sci. community to submit new ideas for highlight topics

NERC is now seeking ideas for research challenges that should be priorities for strategic research investment through highlight topics. NERC would welcome ideas from both researchers and those who use environmental science research.

Ideas for new highlight topics should be submitted by 15 May 2019 using the new online submission form.

Refreshed guidance is available on the call for ideas for strategic research page, to explain what they are looking for, how to submit ideas, and how NERC staff can help.

2018 saw the fifth cut-off for ideas for highlight topics and a summary of ideas received is also available on the call page. The outcome of the last round and the successful awards will be available on the NERC website soon.

Ideas will have a lifetime of a single round to ensure they remain timely. All submitters of ideas received by NERC will receive feedback on their ideas, and there are no restrictions on resubmission of ideas that have not been used to develop potential investments.

NERC encourages ideas from all parts of the environmental science community and NERC staff are available to discuss potential ideas and provide advice. If you have any queries on the process, or would like advice on a potential idea, please contact them at idea@nerc.ukri.org in the first instance, and they will put you in touch with a NERC colleague who can help.

Fifth round of highlight topic projects announced

Funding opportunities

As a result of its ideas process, NERC is pleased to announce the topics that will be offered through its highlight topics programme, following the fifth cut-off for ideas.

The highlight topics in this call will be:

  • Marine noise pollution: Understanding chronic effects
  • Understanding the likelihood and impact of UK wildfires
  • Impact of experimental deep-sea mining in the Central Pacific: A new inter-disciplinary challenge for UK environmental science
  • Assessing large scale ecological responses to environmental change
  • The impact of legacy waste in the coastal zone
  • Advancing capabilities to predict UK and European weather conditions one season ahead
  • The mineral systems approach to exploration and discovery of new sediment-hosted copper (Co,V) deposits.

Up to £16 million is available for this call. No more than two projects at up to £2 million will be funded for each topic, with the exception of ‘Impact of experimental deep-sea mining’ where no more than one project will be funded at up to £4 million. There are more highlight topics than funding is available, so not all highlight topics will necessarily result in funded grants.

An announcement of opportunity will be published shortly. Notifications of intent are anticipated to be required in January 2019 and the deadline for full proposals is likely to be in March 2019.

Further information

Oliver Knevitt
07712 233084

If you are interested in applying to this call (when it is published) then please contact your faculties Funding Development Officer based in RKEO.

NERC Call for ideas for strategic research

Guidance

NERC invites ideas for scientific advances that will, over time, contribute to addressing some of these major challenges of the 21st century: benefiting from natural resources, resilience to environmental hazards, and managing environmental change. The ideas will be used to inform the development of new strategic research investments through either highlight topics (HTs) or strategic programme areas (SPAs).

Ideas can be sent to NERC at any time and can come from any individual or group, and any part of the environmental science community (including researchers and those who use environmental science research). Ideas must be submitted using the template provided for either highlight topics or strategic programme areas; this should be up to two sides of A4 written in language that is clear to a broad section of the NERC community.

Once an idea is sent to NERC, the proposer relinquishes ownership of that idea and transfers it to NERC. NERC may choose to publish or share material received.

Please refer to the guidance below, which explains what they are looking for in more detail.

Guidance for developing and submitting ideas for strategic research (PDF, 231KB)

For further information, they have also compiled some frequently asked questions (FAQ), which cover the different aspects of the ideas process and role of SPAG.

FAQ for developing and submitting ideas for strategic research (PDF, 111KB)

You can download the appropriate template for submitting your ideas below.

Highlight topic idea template (Word, 48KB)

Strategic programme area idea template (Word, 49KB)

A summary of the ideas received by the 2016 and 2017 cut-offs is provided below.

Summary of the ideas 2016 cut-off (PDF, 124KB)

Summary of the ideas 2017 cut-off (PDF, 318KB)

Cut-off dates

Please note that timings are indicative only and so may change.

HT timetable

Cut-off date for HT ideas – 15 May 2018

New HTs announced, feedback on ideas available – November 2018

SPA timetable

Cut-off date for SPA ideas – 7 September 2017

Potential SPA(s) for further development announced, feedback on ideas available – February 2018

New SPA(s) announced – Autumn 2018

Contact

NERC encourages ideas from all parts of the environmental science community and NERC staff are available to discuss potential ideas and provide advice. If you have any queries on the process or would like advice on a potential idea please contact them at in the first instance, and they will put you in touch with a NERC colleague who can help.

NERC call for ideas for highlight topics

Funding opportunities

nerc-logo-50thNERC is inviting the environmental science community to submit new ideas for strategic research. NERC is seeking ideas for research challenges that should be priorities for strategic research investment through highlight topics. NERC would welcome ideas from both researchers and those who use environmental science research.

Ideas for highlight topics should be submitted by 19 October 2015.

New guidance is available to explain what they are looking for, and how to submit ideas. The Strategic Programme Advisory Group (SPAG) will use these ideas to develop proposals for new highlight topics.

The aim of this process is to capture and build on ideas for excellent strategic science coming directly from the environmental science community. NERC first asked for ideas for strategic research last year, and 150 ideas were received by the cut-off date of 31 August 2014. NERC would like to thank all those who submitted ideas at that time. The ideas spanned all three of NERC’s strategic challenges (benefitting from natural resources, resilience to environmental hazards and managing environmental change) and covered a broad range of environmental science disciplines. Ideas were received from research and user communities, and from individuals and groups.