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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

This grant, the 'Pushing the frontiers of environmental research: January 2026', aims to support ambitious, high-risk, and high-reward curiosity-driven environmental research projects. It targets UK-based research organizations and individuals, including academics at lecturer level or equivalent, offering funding for pure, applied, technology-led, or policy-driven research that addresses significant environmental science questions. This is a SECTOR-SPECIFIC grant, focused entirely on environmental research and related fields within the Natural Environment Research Council's (NERC) remit. The primary geographic scope is the United Kingdom, with specific provisions for limited international collaboration funding. Key filtering criteria for initial screening include being a UK research organization eligible for NERC funding and having a project lead who meets individual eligibility requirements. This grant is part of the recurring 'Pushing the Frontiers' scheme, subject to specific demand management measures.

Financial Structure

This grant supports environmental research with a significant financial contribution. Total Funding and Award Amounts

The total fund available for this opportunity is £28,000,000.
The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £950,000 per application.
While most applications are expected to be under £950,000, requests to exceed this maximum are possible for projects with exceptional costs (e.g., for large research infrastructure facilities). Such requests require written justification as part of the application.

Funding Rate

NERC will fund 80% of the Full Economic Cost (FEC) of your project.
Exceptions: Eligible costs for international project co-lead involvement from IIASA or Norway will be funded at 100% of justified direct costs, up to a maximum of 30% of the overall grant application's FEC.

Eligible Costs

Project staff costs (salaries for Project Leads, Co-leads, Researcher Co-leads, Fellows, Grant Managers, Research and Innovation Associates, Visiting Researchers, Specialists, Technicians, Professional Enabling Staff, where eligible).
Significant travel for field work or collaboration.
Equipment costs, with any equipment over £25,000 requiring full justification.
Consumables beyond typical requirements or in exceptional quantities.
All facilities and infrastructure costs.
Cruise costs.
Training costs.
Costs associated with reasonable adjustments for disabilities (if directly increasing due to working on the project).
Full costing information and justification of resources are required.

Ineligible Costs

PhD studentship costs.
Costs for Ship and Marine Equipment (SME) are not included in the application budget and do not count towards the funding limit (they are applied for separately).
For IIASA/Norway international co-leads: estates and other indirect costs, capital costs, and equipment over £25,000 (equipment under £25,000 can be requested under directly incurred costs).
Regular travel between collaborating organizations or to conferences.

Eligibility Requirements

To be considered for this grant, your organization and project lead must meet strict eligibility criteria: Eligible Organization Types Your organization must be a UK research organization eligible for NERC funding. This includes: - Higher education institutions - Research council institutes - Recognized independent research organizations - Public sector research establishments - Catapult centers - NHS bodies Project Lead Requirements The individual leading the project (Project Lead) must: - Reside in the UK. - Be employed by an eligible UK research organization at lecturer (or equivalent) level or above. - NERC staff at Band 6 level and above are eligible (with at least three years' postdoctoral research experience and one year's employment at NERC). - BBSRC research organization staff at Band E level or above are eligible. - Holders of research fellowships from Research Councils and Royal Society university research fellowships are eligible. - Holders of other competitively awarded fellowships (charities, public sector, eligible UK HEIs) are eligible if the fellowship status is equivalent to at least lecturer level and allows for further grant applications. - Must have an existing formal arrangement with the submitting organization that extends beyond the grant end date, or be scheduled to move there before the grant start date. - Not eligible as Project Lead: Research assistants, junior technicians, other researchers on short-term projects or Research Council grants, or holders of fellowships not awarded via open competition. Project Co-lead Requirements

Project Co-leads are normally expected to meet the same eligibility criteria as a Project Lead.
Researcher Co-leads (postdoctoral research assistants) must be employed by the same UK research organization as the Project Lead or a Project Co-lead, and be at Band 6 (NERC) or Band D (BBSRC) or higher.
International Project Co-leads from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) or Norway may be included, provided NERC has a specific agreement in place. They must meet the same criteria as UK Project Co-leads but cannot take over as Project Lead.

Application Limits

An individual may be involved in no more than two applications to this funding opportunity.
Only one of these applications can be as a Project Lead.

Geographic Location

The lead research organization must be based in the UK.
Overseas organizations are generally not funded, with the exception of specific costs for Project Co-leads from Norway and IIASA.
Other international collaborators should be included as project partners and fund their own involvement, with NERC only funding minor incidental expenses (e.g., travel).

Resubmission Policy

Uninvited resubmissions are not accepted. If an application was previously submitted to UKRI and went through expert review, it cannot be resubmitted unless explicitly invited.
A new application must have significantly modified aims/objectives or an entirely revised methodological/analytical approach.

Application Process

Applying for this grant requires careful attention to detail and adherence to specified procedures. Application Platform

All applications must be submitted via the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service.
The Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system is not used for this opportunity.
If your organization is not yet registered on the Funding Service, allow at least 10 working days for it to be added by emailing support@funding-service.ukri.org.

Key Dates and Deadlines

Opening Date: 22 July 2025, 9:00am UK time.
Closing Date: 21 January 2026, 4:00pm UK time (GMT/UTC+00:00).
International Collaboration (NSF) Expression of Interest (EoI) Deadline: Tuesday 21 October 2025.
BAS Antarctic Logistics Support Questionnaire (OSPQ) Deadline: Wednesday 1 October 2025.
NERC Marine Facilities Discussion Deadline: Wednesday 10 December 2025 (at least two months before funding opportunity closes).
SME or ADF (Ship-time and Marine Equipment / Autonomous Deployment) Approval Deadline: By the time your funding application is submitted.

Application Procedure and Required Materials

The Project Lead is responsible for completing the application.
Applications should be self-contained; hyperlinks are for references only, not to extend content.
Generative AI tools are permitted for preparation, but with caution.
Required sections and word limits:
- Summary: 550 words (plain English, suitable for public release).
- Vision: 1,100 words (quality, importance, potential, timeliness, impact, beneficiaries).
- Approach: 2,750 words (design, feasibility, risk management, methodology, previous work, translation of outputs, research environment, detailed project plan with milestones/timelines like a Gantt chart).
- Applicant and Team Capability to Deliver: 1,650 words (experience, skills, leadership, contribution to research environment, use R4RI format; 500 optional words for 'Additions' for context, e.g., career breaks).
- Ethics and Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI): 500 words (ethical/RRI implications, management, environmental/social responsibility).
- Project Partners: Details on collaborating organizations' cash/in-kind contributions; no letters of support required.
- Facilities: 250 words (details on required research council facilities, proposed usage/costs, prior agreement confirmation; upload single PDF for facility forms if needed).
- Data Management and Sharing: 500 words (data management plan, NERC data policy compliance, data center, total volume).
- NERC International Partnership Joint Funding: 10 words (name of agreement if applicable, upload single PDF for international funder documentation).
- Panel Assignment: 1 word (indicate preferred panel number).
- Resources and Cost Justification: 2,500 words (justify costly resources like staff, travel for fieldwork, equipment >£25,000, consumables, facilities, training; assure optimal use of resources).

Submission and Review Process

Applicants will submit to their research office for checking. The research office then submits to UKRI.
Applications will not be changed or returned for amendment after submission.
Assessment is a two-stage panel process. Applicants not prioritized after stage one may not proceed.
Feedback will be provided after both stages (if applicable).
If invited to stage two, applicants can respond to stage one panel feedback within 14 days.
Assessment process aims to be completed within six months of the closing date (approx. January - July 2026).

Support Offered

This grant offers FUNDING (up to 80% FEC).
Beyond funding, it supports research and development, encourages networking through collaborations, and aims for capacity building by developing researchers and fostering innovation.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be assessed through a two-stage panel process against four core areas: 1. Vision Assessors will evaluate: - The quality and importance of your proposed work within or beyond its field. - Its potential to advance understanding or generate new knowledge, thinking, or discovery. - Its timeliness given current trends, context, and needs. - Its expected impact on world-leading research, society, the economy, or the environment. - Identification of potential direct or indirect benefits and target beneficiaries. 2. Approach Assessors will look for how your approach: - Is effective and appropriate to achieve your objectives. - Is feasible, with comprehensively identified and managed risks to delivery. - Uses a clearly written and transparent methodology (if applicable). - Builds upon previous work and demonstrates how it will be progressed. - Will maximize translation of outputs into outcomes and impacts. - Utilizes your, and your team's, research environment to contribute to the work's success. - Demonstrates access to appropriate services, facilities, infrastructure, or equipment. - Includes a detailed and comprehensive project plan with milestones and timelines (e.g., Gantt chart). 3. Applicant and Team Capability to Deliver Evidence should demonstrate that you, and your team (if applicable): - Have the relevant experience (appropriate to career stage) to deliver the proposed work. - Possess the right balance of skills and expertise. - Exhibit appropriate leadership and management skills and an approach to developing others. - Have contributed to developing a positive research environment and the wider community. - The 'Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI)' format should be used to showcase skills and contributions. 4. Ethics and Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) Assessors will examine: - Identification and evaluation of relevant ethical or RRI considerations. - How these considerations will be managed (e.g., research involving animals, human tissues, human participation). - Consideration of environmental sustainability, including preventing harm and enhancing benefit, aligning with UKRI's strategy. - Consideration of social responsibility, including equality, diversity, and inclusion, aligning with NERC's responsible business statement. - For data collection/use: identification of legal/ethical considerations (consent, confidentiality, anonymisation, security) and compliance with formal information standards.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Applicants and successful grant holders must adhere to a range of compliance requirements and consider special conditions. Regulatory Compliance

Projects must comply with all relevant UK regulations.
If applicable, applicants must secure necessary permits and authorizations.
Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I): UKRI expects projects to comply with its TR&I principles, demonstrating how potential risks in international collaborations are identified and mitigated.
Modern Slavery Act 2015: UKRI is committed to the principles of this Act.

Data Protection and Privacy

Adherence to UKRI open research policy and NERC data policy is mandatory.
Data collected or acquired must be openly available within two years of collection and deposited in a NERC data centre for long-term preservation.
The 'Data management and sharing' section of the application requires a detailed plan on how data will be managed and shared.
Legal and ethical considerations for data collection, release, and storage (consent, confidentiality, anonymization, security) must be addressed.

Environmental and Ethical Standards

NERC requires adoption of responsible research practices as outlined in the 'NERC responsible business statement'. This includes reducing harm or enhancing benefit to the environment and society.
Projects must consider environmental sustainability (following UKRI's environmental sustainability strategy) and social responsibility (including equality, diversity, and inclusion).
Ethical or Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) implications must be identified, evaluated, and managed within the application.

Intellectual Property (IP) Policies

While not explicitly detailed, standard UKRI IP policies will apply. Applicants should clarify IP arrangements within their project plan, especially for collaborations.

Risk Management and Security

The 'Approach' section requires applicants to comprehensively identify risks to delivery and outline how they will be managed.
Discussions around Trusted Research and Innovation imply a need to manage security risks related to international collaborations.

Unique Aspects and Strategic Opportunities

Curiosity-driven, high-risk, high-reward research: The grant explicitly seeks adventurous and ambitious projects, fostering discovery and unlocking new knowledge.
Multidisciplinary and Interdisciplinary Research: Strongly encouraged, particularly in partnership with other research funders and users.
Critical Technologies: Applications are encouraged to consider the innovative use of critical technologies (e.g., Artificial Intelligence, engineering biology, quantum technologies) and how they address NERC's digital strategy ambitions.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI): NERC is committed to achieving equality of opportunity, encouraging applications from diverse researchers, and supporting flexible working. Reviewers will consider the unequal impacts of disruptions (e.g., COVID-19) on applicants' careers.
Demand Management: Organizational quotas apply, limiting the number of applications from institutions with a success rate below 20%. Individual involvement is also limited (max two applications, one as project lead).
Facilities: Projects requiring NERC facilities (e.g., marine, Antarctic logistics) must obtain prior agreement and submit necessary forms (e.g., SME/ADF, OSPQ) by specific deadlines.
International Collaboration Agreements: Specific agreements exist with NSF (USA), FAPESP (Brazil), and FNR (Luxembourg) to streamline collaborative applications, avoiding 'double jeopardy' in review processes.

Grant Details