NERC urgency funding
Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) · United Kingdom
Funding to enable researchers to respond rapidly to unexpected environmental events and collect urgent data at the earliest stages of the event before conditions change or opportunities are lost.
Summary
Deadline
Rolling
Complexity
Medium
Time to apply
20-60 hours
Updated
9 Jun 2026
Funding to enable researchers to respond rapidly to unexpected environmental events and collect urgent data at the earliest stages of the event before conditions change or opportunities are lost.
Eligibility
Applicant types
Research, Public Sector
Business size
Research organisation
Industries
Environmental science and research areas within the NERC remit.
Match funding
Required
Requirements
Project lead must be resident in the UK and employed at lecturer level or above by an eligible UK research organisation such as a higher education institution, research council institute, recognised independent research organisation, or public sector research establishment. The lead organisation must be an eligible UK research organisation. Projects must address unexpected environmental events ...
Eligible applicants
Project lead must be resident in the UK and employed at lecturer level or above by an eligible UK research organisation such as a higher education institution, research council institute, recognised independent research organisation, or public sector research establishment.
Funding and scope
Benefit amount
Up to £100,000 (Full Economic Cost)
Total fund available
£100,000 maximum per award
Funding intensity
NERC funds 80% of FEC (100% for eligible international co-lead costs).
Payment type
Grant (typically 80% FEC in arrears)
Eligible scope
Projects must address unexpected environmental events such as earthquakes, floods, droughts, or sudden ecosystem changes and focus on urgent data collection and essential initial analysis.
Eligible expenses
- Research staff, travel, consumables, and NERC facilities costs within the overall grant limit.
Ineligible costs
- Costs not eligible under NERC funding opportunity and UKRI FEC terms.
Application and risks
Application platform
UKRI Funding Service
Competitiveness
Open (Rolling assessment)
Decision timeline
Assessment process aims to be completed within approximately six weeks after submission of the full application.
Assessment process
Applications undergo expert review followed by moderator assessment to determine funding recommendation.
Application sections
- Summary, vision, approach, applicant and team capability, ethics and responsible research and innovation, project partners, facilities, data management and sharing, and resources summary.
Application components
Not specified
Decision risks
Applications may be rejected if the event does not qualify as urgent or if eligibility and submission requirements are not met.
Timeline and partners
Opening date
Not specified
Project duration
Up to 1 year.
Project start
Not specified
Project end
Not specified
Co-funders
Not specified
Collaboration rules
- Project partners may participate but must fund their own involvement except for minor incidental costs such as travel.
- Overseas organisations are generally not funded except for specific costs for project co-leads from Norway and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA).
Consortium requirements
- Not specified
Additional guidance
[{"label":"Research Category","value":"Environmental research responding to urgent natural events."},{"label":"Subcontractors","value":"Not specified"},{"label":"Interview Stage","value":"Not specified"},{"label":"Key Requirements","value":"Applicants must first submit a one-page outline within four weeks of the environmental event and can submit a full application only after receiving approval."},{"label":"Renewal Rules","value":"Applicants cannot apply if they have been named on another full application to this scheme in the previous two years."},{"label":"Important Notes","value":"Full applications must be submitted within 10 working days after being invited following outline approval."}]
Quick facts
- Status
- Open
- Deadline
- Rolling
- Funding amount
- Up to £100,000 (Full Economic Cost)
- Funding band
- Small (£50k-£500k)
- Funding type
- Grant
- Payment type
- Grant (typically 80% FEC in arrears)
- Audience
- Research Innovation, Public Sector, Mixed
- Industry
- Environmental science and research areas within the NERC remit.
- Last updated
- 9 Jun 2026
- Published
- 7 Jul 2024