Exploring the frontiers of environmental research 2026 (Grant)

About this opportunity

Word limit: 550 In plain English, provide a summary we can use to identify the most suitable experts to assess your application. We usually make this summary publicly available on external-facing websites, therefore do not include any confidential or sensitive information. Make it suitable for a variety of readers, for example: opinion-formers policymakers the public the wider research community Guidance for writing a summary Clearly describe your proposed work in terms of: context the challenge or opportunity the project addresses aims and objectives potential applications and benefits clear statement of novelty which can be interpreted by UKRI staff and generalist assessors Core team List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following: project lead (PL) project co-lead (UK) (PcL) project co-lead (international) (PcL(I)) specialist grant manager professional enabling staff research and innovation associate technician visiting researcher Only list one individual as project lead. The project lead is responsible for setting up and completing the application process on the Funding Service. The project co-lead international role may only be used for collaborators based in Norway, where NERC has a collaboration agreement in place. We do not otherwise accept funded project co-lead (international) applicants. We expect these grants to begin promptly once awarded, so encourage you to have suitable individuals identified for each role at the point of submission. UKRI has introduced a new addition to the ‘Specialist’ role type. Public contributors such as people with lived experience can now be added to an application. Find out more about UKRI’s core team roles in funding applications . Application questions Primary discipline classification Word limit: 50 Please list up to five discipline areas that concisely encapsulate the core remit areas within your proposed research project. What UKRI are looking for in your response Copy and paste from the list below up to five discipline classifications to support the assessment process. This information is used to determine eligibility for NERC funding and to assist in the selection of appropriate reviewers. Atmospheric kinetics Behavioural ecology Biogeochemical cycles Boundary layer meteorology Climate and climate change Community ecology Conservation ecology Earth engineering Earth resources Earth surface processes Ecosystem-scale processes and land use Ecotoxicology Environment and health Environmental biotechnology Environmental genomics Environmental informatics Environmental microbiology Environmental physiology Geohazards Glacial and cryospheric systems Hydrogeology Hydrological processes Land – atmosphere interactions Land – ocean interactions Large scale atmospheric dynamics and transport Mantle and core processes Ocean – atmosphere interactions Ocean circulation Palaeobiology Palaeoenvironments Physics and chemistry of Earth materials Planetary Surfaces and Geology Pollution Population ecology Population genetics and evolution Quaternary science Radiative processes and effects Regional weather and extreme events Science-based archaeology (fossilised organisms) Science-based archaeology (geoarchaeology) Sediments and sedimentary processes Soil Science Stratospheric processes Survey and monitoring Systematics and taxonomy Technology for environmental applications Tectonic processes Tropospheric processes Upper atmosphere processes and geospace Volcanic processes Water in the atmosphere Water quality Vision Word limit: 1,200 What are you hoping to achieve with your proposed work? What the assessors are looking for in your response Explain how your proposed work: is of excellent quality and importance within or beyond the field(s) or area(s) has the potential to advance current understanding, or generate new knowledge, thinking or discovery within or beyond the field or area is timely given current trends, context, and needs impacts world-leading research, society, the economy, or the environment Within the Vision section we also expect you to provide a distinct, evidenced statement outlining the novelty of the proposed research, which can be interpreted by UKRI staff and generalist assessors. This should clearly state the features of your proposed work that are particularly novel, ambitious, adventurous or unique, and provide supporting evidence as appropriate. This statement is an essential requirement within the application. Failure to provide this will result in your application being deemed ineligible for assessment. We also expect you to: introduce the topic of research and explain its wider relevance, including sufficient references to explain the context of your proposed work within your field of research to generalist reviewers provide clearly defined aims and objectives, typically as a small number of bullet points describe the potential of your proposed work to deliver a genuine, distinctive advancement or added value via its outcomes, and who the beneficiaries might be justify why your proposed work requires an exploring the frontiers award (and cannot, therefore, be supported by more traditional funding routes) and how it fits the scope of the funding opportunity References may be included within this section. You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service. Approach Word limit: 2,500 How are you going to deliver your proposed work? What the assessors are looking for in your response Explain how you have designed your approach so that it: is effective and appropriate to achieve your objectives is feasible, and comprehensively identifies any risks to delivery and how they will be managed uses a clearly written and transparent methodology (if applicable) summarises the previous work and describes how this will be built upon and progressed (if applicable) will maximise translation of outputs into outcomes and impacts describes how your, and if applicable your team’s, research environment (in terms of the place and relevance to the project) will contribute to the success of the work Within the Approach section we also expect you to: identify and explain the particularly innovative, unconventional methodologies or approaches that will be explored identify key milestones where you may need to make decisions, track, or evaluate progress identify alternative approaches, or the learning potential, in the event of unexpected results provide a basic project plan detailing team responsibilities provide brief evidence of how you, and if relevant your team, have the right balance of skills and expertise to deliver the proposed work References may be included within this section. You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service. Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI) What are the ethical and RRI considerations, implications and issues relating to the proposed work? If you do not think that the proposed work raises any ethical or RRI issues, explain why. What the assessors are looking for in your response Demonstrate that you have identified and evaluated: the relevant ethical and RRI considerations, including both the research or topic area itself and the design and delivery of the project the wider implications of the proposed work, and how you will maximise the positive societal, environmental, and economic benefits arising from the project, whilst minimising unintended negative impacts, such as research misuse or accidental harm how you will manage these considerations throughout the lifecycle of the project If you are collecting or using data you should identify: any legal and ethical considerations of collecting, releasing and storing the data (including consent, confidentiality, anonymisation, security and other ethical considerations and, in particular, strategies to not preclude further reuse of data) formal information standards that your proposed work will comply with Additional sub-questions (to be answered only if appropriate) relating to research involving: animals human participants genetically modified organisms You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service. Please refer to the UKRI position statement on funding ethical research and Responsible innovation for more information around our expectations on ethical and responsible research and innovation. Animal Involvement and “3Rs” You must complete this section about how your proposed project will involve or impact animals. If your project does not involve or impact animals, you must confirm this on the next page. You may be asked about: what animals you are involving the severity of the procedures you are using where the procedures will take place welfare standards you aim to meet the relevance of your project to the development, validation or dissemination of the 3Rs You may also need to download, complete, and upload at least one set of additional questions. You will be told how to do this towards the end of this section. To complete this section and check whether your project is in the scope of the questions, refer to the UKRI policy on research and innovation involving animals . What counts as an animal UKRI policy relates to all animals in the Kingdom Animalia, including vertebrates and invertebrates. Genetically modified organisms and biological risk You must complete this section if your project will include genetically modified organisms or genetic technologies. If your project does not involve genetically modified organisms or genetic technologies, you must confirm this on the next page. You may be asked about: the type of organism your project will involve and the procedures your project will include the intended use of the organism or genetic technology the genetic, biological and environmental risks of your project For more in