UK international ocean drilling programme site survey
Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) · United Kingdom
The grant supports ship-borne and virtual site survey investigations to support the development of scientific ocean drilling expedition proposals.
Summary
Deadline
14 Jul 2026
Updated
16 Oct 2026
The grant supports ship-borne and virtual site survey investigations to support the development of scientific ocean drilling expedition proposals.
Eligibility
Applicant types
See eligibility requirements
Industries
Research, environmental science, marine geoscience
Match funding
NERC funds 80% of the full economic cost (FEC)
Eligible applicants
Researchers and research groups based at UK research organisations eligible for NERC funding
Funding and scope
Benefit amount
£10,000 to £500,000 for ship borne investigations and up to £187,500 for virtual site survey investigations
Total fund available
£800,000
Funding intensity
Up to £500,000 FEC for ship-borne investigations and up to £187,500 FEC for virtual site survey investigations; projects can last up to 24 months
Payment type
Not specified
Eligible scope
Projects must support development of proposals for ocean drilling expeditions through ship borne geophysical surveys or virtual processing of existing geophysical data to characterise potential drilling sites.
Eligible expenses
- Ship-borne geophysical site surveys, virtual site surveys, processing and analysis of existing geophysical data, facilities and related research costs
Ineligible costs
- PhD studentships; equipment costs above £25,000
Application and risks
Application platform
UKRI Funding Service
Competitiveness
Not specified
Decision timeline
Applications undergo peer/panel assessment followed by a final funding decision by NERC
Assessment process
Applications undergo peer/panel assessment followed by a final funding decision by NERC
Application sections
- Summary, vision, approach, applicant and team capability to deliver, ethics and responsible research and innovation, project partners, facilities, data management and sharing, and resources and cost justification.
Application components
- Online application form, research proposal, justification of resources and supporting documentation
Required documents
Not specified
Appendices
Not specified
Assessment criteria
- Vision, approach, applicant capability, and ethics and responsible research
Decision risks
Applications may be rejected if they do not follow guidance, fail eligibility requirements or fall outside the programme scope.
Timeline and partners
Opening date
5 Sept 2025
Project duration
Up to 24 months
Project start
Not specified
Project end
Not specified
Co-funders
Not specified
Collaboration rules
- Multidisciplinary research and collaboration with other UK organisations is encouraged.
Consortium requirements
- Not specified
Additional guidance
Document research last revised 2026-08-24.
International Collaboration Requirement
International collaborators may participate as project partners but normally fund their own involvement, with only minor incidental costs supported where necessary.
Research Category
Environmental and Earth science research.
Research Organisation Funding
Funding is awarded to eligible UK research organisations under the full economic cost model.
Subcontractors
Not specified
Interview Stage
Not specified
Key Requirements
Applicants must have submitted a proposal or pre-proposal for a drilling expedition through the IODP3 Gateway system and the project must support development of that expedition proposal.
Important Notes
Applicants may be involved in no more than two applications and may be the project lead on only one. The scheme supports both ship-borne surveys collecting new data and virtual surveys using existing geophysical data. Early-career researcher involvement and multidisciplinary collaboration are encouraged.
Grant Name
UK International Ocean Drilling Programme Site Survey
Total Fund
£800,000
Next Opening Date
Not currently announced
Key Organisational Requirements
Applicants must be based at an organisation eligible for NERC funding and must have submitted a proposal or pre-proposal for an IODP3 drilling expedition through the IODP3 Gateway system
Objectives
To support the development of high-quality UK-led ocean drilling proposals aligned with international research priorities
Source
Application deadline in source document
14 July 2026, 4:00pm UK time
Official source
Quick facts
- Status
- Closed
- Deadline
- 14 Jul 2026
- Funding amount
- £10,000 to £500,000 for ship borne investigations and up to £187,500 for virtual site survey investigations
- Funding band
- Not specified
- Funding type
- Research grant
- Payment type
- Not specified
- Audience
- See eligibility requirements
- Industry
- Research, environmental science, marine geoscience
- Last updated
- 16 Oct 2026
- Published
- 22 Aug 2025