Opportunity status:
Open
Funders:
Funding type:
Grant
Total fund:
£26,000,000
Maximum award:
£950,000
Publication date:
31 January 2025
Opening date:
5 February 2025 9:00am UK time
Closing date:
16 July 2025 4:00pm UK time
Apply for funding to pursue an ambitious, high risk and high reward curiosity-driven project in environmental research.
You must be:
* based at a UK research organisation eligible for Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) funding
* in a role that meets the individual eligibility requirements
We welcome:
* multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research
* projects delivered in partnership with other research funders and users
The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £950,000. We will fund 80% of the FEC.
There is no defined project duration, but awards are usually between three and four years.
To lead a project, you must be based at an eligible organisation. .
Before applying for funding, check the following:
* *, if you are unsure whether your proposed research falls within the remit of Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has introduced new role types for funding opportunities being run on the new UKRI Funding Service.
For full details, visit .
Who is eligible to apply
This funding opportunity is open to research groups and individuals.
Your research project must address a significant environmental science question, but we welcome applications from individuals who can demonstrate a capability to collaborate with experts from other disciplines to generate innovative research.
We:
* encourage multidisciplinary research and collaborations with other UK organisations
* welcome applications from individuals at any career stage, subject to the UKRI eligibility criteria
You may be involved in no more than two applications submitted to this funding opportunity. Only one of these can be as a project lead.
Project partners fund their own involvement. We will only fund minor incidental expenses, such as some travel costs, if needed for project partners.
Demand management measurements are applied to the Pushing the Frontiers scheme. As such, there are restrictions on how many applications some research organisations can make. See for further information and details of the organisational quotas that will apply to this funding opportunity.
International applicants
We do not fund overseas organisations, except for specific costs for project co-leads from Norway and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA). Read more about this in the .
You should include all other international collaborators (or UK partners not based at approved organisations) as project partners. This includes organisations from the business or financial sectors.
Equality, diversity and inclusion
for all funding applicants. We encourage applications from a diverse range of researchers.
We support people to work in a way that suits their personal circumstances. This includes:
* career breaks
* support for people with caring responsibilities
* flexible working
* alternative working patterns
for UKRI applicants and grant holders during the application and assessment process.