NERC Urgency Funding

Document research last revised 2026-08-12.

Grant Name

NERC Urgency Funding

International Co-Lead Funding

Eligible costs for international project co-leads from Norway and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) are funded at 100% FEC.

Last Updated

28 July 2026

Individual Eligibility

The applicant must meet NERC's individual eligibility requirements and must be applying in response to an unexpected environmental event requiring urgent data collection.

International Collaboration Requirement

Overseas organisations are not funded, except for eligible costs relating to project co-leads from Norway and IIASA. Other international collaborators should be included as project partners. This also applies to UK partners that are not based at approved research organisations.

International Applicant Rules

International organisations cannot normally receive funding under this scheme, apart from the specific international co-lead arrangements for Norway and IIASA.

Research Category

Environmental research responding to urgent, unexpected natural events

Examples of Eligible Events

Sporadic natural occurrences such as earthquakes, droughts, floods and ephemeral events in ecosystems, where immediate research is scientifically important.

Eligible Activities

Urgent data collection and essential initial analysis arising from an unexpected environmental event; use of eligible NERC facilities and services where access can be delivered within the grant timeframe.

Seasonal/Frequent Events

Events that could reasonably have been planned for, including seasonal, frequent or periodic natural events expected to occur, are not eligible. UKRI specifically gives extreme weather conditions and volcanic eruptions as examples.

Funding Available

The full economic cost of the project can be up to £100,000. NERC funds up to 80% FEC, subject to the international co-lead exception.

Equipment

Equipment costing £25,000 or more is not eligible under this opportunity. Smaller equipment items below £25,000 individually may be requested under Consumables (other directly incurred costs).

NERC Facilities

NERC facility costs can be requested within the overall £100,000 grant limit, provided access is feasible within the project timeframe.

Facility Requirements

Applicants should contact the relevant facility/service as early as possible, obtain confirmation that the service can be provided within the project timeframe and receive the relevant technical assessment where required.

Facility Cost Requirement

Facility and service costs must be included within the overall grant limit.

Ship-Time / Marine Facilities

Ship-time cannot be requested through this opportunity because of the quick delivery timelines. Other NERC marine facilities may potentially be used subject to feasibility and the required marine planning procedures.

Antarctic Logistics

NERC BAS Antarctic logistics may be supported where possible within the scheme's scope. Applicants must engage with the Antarctic Access Office at BAS at the earliest stage and obtain the required operational approval before submitting the funding application.

PhD Studentship Costs

Not eligible

Research Organisation Funding

Funding is awarded through the eligible lead research organisation under the FEC funding model.

Project Partner Funding

Project partners are expected to fund their own involvement. Only minor incidental expenses, such as some travel costs where necessary, may be funded.

Subcontractors

Not specifically stated. Any proposed costs must comply with UKRI/NERC eligible cost rules and fall within the overall grant limit.

Previous Application Platform

The current opportunity uses the UKRI Funding Service. Je-S cannot be used for this opportunity.

Outline Application Deadline

The one-page outline must be sent no later than four weeks after the environmental event first occurs.

Outline Application Content

The outline must include a brief research summary, justification for the urgency, brief objectives and methods, organisations and core team involved, and proposed project start date and duration.

Full Application Invitation

After the outline is approved, NERC will invite the applicant by email to submit the full application through the UKRI Funding Service.

Full Application Deadline

The full application must be submitted within 10 working days of the official invitation following approval of the outline.

Current Opportunity Deadline

The current UKRI page states that applications using the present application link must be submitted by 4:00pm on 23 September 2026. The opportunity will be updated on 24 September 2026 with a new application link due to technical developments in the Funding Service. UKRI states that eligibility, assessment and scope will remain the same.

Summary Word Limit

550 words

Vision Word Limit

330 words

Approach Word Limit

770 words

Applicant and Team Capability Word Limit

1,650 words, comprising 1,150 words for R4RI modules and, where necessary, up to 500 words for additions.

Ethics and RRI Word Limit

500 words

Facilities Word Limit

250 words

Data Management and Sharing Word Limit

200 words

Resources and Cost Justification

Applicants must provide the high-level resource and cost information for each organisation. A separate justification of resources is not required; applicants should enter “NA” in the justification of resources text box. Further costing information may be requested before award.

Core Team Roles

Available roles include project lead, UK project co-lead, international project co-lead, specialist, grant manager, professional enabling staff, research and innovation associate, technician, visiting researcher and researcher co-lead.

International Project Co-Lead

The international project co-lead role is only available for collaborators based in Norway or IIASA, where NERC has collaboration agreements.

Project Partners

Project partners can be from industry, academia, third sector or government organisations in the UK or overseas, including EU-based partners. They can provide direct cash or indirect in-kind contributions such as expertise, staff time, facilities or participant recruitment.

Project Partner Information

Applicants must provide partner organisation name/address, contact name/email, contribution type and monetary value.

Collaboration Agreement

If an award is made, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements with project partners for audit purposes.

Facilities Documentation

Where required, facility forms should be uploaded as a single PDF. The PDF must not exceed 8MB.

Data Management Requirement

Applicants must complete the Data Management and Sharing section and comply with UKRI's open research policy and NERC's data policy.

Data Centre Requirement

Applicants must identify the relevant NERC data centre required to archive the data and state whether the total data volume is likely to exceed 1TB.

Research Data Costs

NERC data centres are paid directly by NERC for archival and curation services. Applicants should request sufficient project resources to prepare data for archiving. Additional data-centre services must be discussed in advance and funded from the grant.

Responsible Research Requirement

Applicants must consider environmental and social responsibility, including equality, diversity and inclusion, and adopt responsible research practices under NERC's responsible business requirements.

Trusted Research and Innovation

Applicants may be asked to demonstrate compliance with UKRI's Trusted Research and Innovation principles, including identification and proportionate management of risks associated with international collaboration.

Reviewer Nomination

Applicants cannot nominate reviewers when applying through the new UKRI Funding Service.

Assessment Timeline

NERC aims to complete the assessment process within six weeks of receiving the full application.

Feedback

Applicants will receive feedback with the outcome of their application.

Interview Stage

No interview stage is specified.

Key Requirement

The proposal must respond to an unexpected environmental event and demonstrate why urgent funding is necessary to capture scientifically valuable data before the opportunity is lost or conditions change.

Urgency Requirement

The one-page outline must be submitted within four weeks of the environmental event occurring.

Post-Approval Requirement

Once the outline is approved, the full application must be submitted within 10 working days.

Repeat Applications

NERC reserves the right to limit the number of urgency applications considered or supported relating to the same event or location.

Application Images

Where relevant, applicants may use visual material to demonstrate elements of their responses. Images should be used sparingly, placed on a new line and accompanied by a descriptive legend. Image files must be below 5MB.

Application References

Applications should be self-contained. Hyperlinks should only be used for direct reference information, and applicants should not use web links to extend the application.

Publication of Outcomes

NERC will publish outcomes through What NERC has funded. If successful, some personal information will also be published on UKRI's Gateway to Research.

Contact Email

urgencygrants@nerc.ukri.org

Funding Service Helpdesk

support@funding-service.ukri.org

Funding Service Helpdesk Phone

01793 547490

Helpdesk Hours

Monday to Thursday: 8:30am to 5:00pm; Friday: 8:30am to 4:30pm

Important Notes

This is specifically an urgent-response funding opportunity, not a general environmental research grant. The event must be unexpected and the research must focus on urgent data collection and essential initial analysis. A clear plan for taking the research forward after the urgent phase is required.

Current Update

On 28 July 2026, UKRI added a closing date and alert box. The current application link must be used by 4:00pm on 23 September 2026. UKRI states that a new application link will be provided from 24 September 2026 while the eligibility, assessment and scope remain unchanged.

Application deadline in source document

23 September 2026, 4:00pm UK time

Official source

Read the funding authority guidance