NERC: Natural Environment Research Council

RESEARCH FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENT We are delighted to announce that the NERC: Natural Environment Research Council and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) are funding a call for a new research project focusing on the Lough Neagh catchment system.  The successful project will become part of the UK Freshwater Quality Research Programme, which is currently funded by both NERC and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).  The funding is being administered by the Freshwater Quality Research Programme champion team, based within water@leeds at the University of Leeds. 💧Lough Neagh  Lough Neagh is the largest freshwater lake in the UK and supplies 40% of Northern Ireland’s drinking water. Its catchment area covers approximately 43% of Northern Ireland and extends into counties Monaghan and Cavan in the Republic of Ireland. In summer 2023, Lough Neagh experienced a severe blue-green algal bloom, highlighting urgent environmental and public health concerns. As a result, the 2024 Lough Neagh report and action plan was commissioned which subsequently made a number of recommendations in order to enhance water quality across the system, including the need to “Increase the level of Microbial Source Tracking across a range of environmental sources, including surface water, wastewater, agricultural areas, shellfish and bathing waters”. This call seeks to address the above issue by funding a cutting-edge research project which includes advanced microbial source tracking for Lough Neagh and its main tributary catchments to understand and map microbial sources and transmission routes, and their relative importance and impacts including on antimicrobial resistance. Submitted proposals must include environmental DNA analysis but may also apply other techniques.     💡Funding and dates  Only one project will be funded up to a value of £1,025,000 of full economic cost. The successful project will receive 80% of the full economic costs (up to £820,000).  The closing date for this call is 23:00 GMT Monday 1 December 2025.  The review panel will meet in December 2025 to select the successful proposal.   The successful project must be ready to start by the 1 March 2026 at the latest with a maximum duration of 21 months.  🎯How to apply  If you are interested in applying, please visit the UK Freshwater Quality Research Programme website to read the full guidance and download the application from: https://lnkd.in/eiut5ZFN   Eligibility  This funding call is open to researchers based at a UK research organisation eligible for UKRI funding.

Today marked the publication of the FloodReady 2025 Review as part of #FloodActionWeek. https://lnkd.in/eAHE26y4 This independent review, commissioned by the Environment Agency and led by Professor Peter Bonfield OBE FREng, sets out a refreshed action plan to grow the Property Flood Resilience (PFR) market and improve uptake across the UK. One of the reports’ recommendations highlights the need for research and innovation to enable a thriving PFR market and accelerate PFR adoption and uptake in the UK. As a response to this recommendation, UKRI will be launching a Network Plus opportunity (led by EPSRC, working with NERC and ESRC) that will aim to bring together the broad range of academic experts with key stakeholders that can build research and innovation capability, prioritise research and develop a roadmap for research and innovation. This opportunity will be launched on the UKRI funding finder in January 2026. #UKRI #EPSRC #NERC #ESRC

As we prepare to join the Arctic Circle Assembly 2025 tomorrow in Iceland, we are taking the opportunity to highlight some of NOC’s Arctic involvements. 🧊 🤔 Why is this work relevant? The Arctic could be sea ice free in the summer by the middle of this century. 🌡️ These changes have profound implications, not only for the local ecosystem and the health and livelihoods of the Indigenous and local communities that call the Arctic home, but for every person on this planet. 🌍 Among the several current Arctic research projects NOC is involved with, CANARI (Climate Change in the Arctic and North Atlantic Region and Impacts on the UK) led by the National Centre for Atmospheric Science, focuses on how rapid Arctic warming may impact the extreme weather and the UK. 🇬🇧 CANARI is a collaboration between several NERC: Natural Environment Research Council research centres: British Antarctic Survey, British Geological Survey, UK Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling, National Centre for Earth Observation, National Oceanography Centre, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), and project partner the Met Office. This project: 🧠 will deliver new knowledge about risks to the UK 🌦️ focuses on how extreme weather and rapid, disruptive change may impact the UK 🌍 understands impacts of regional climate change in the Arctic-North Atlantic 🖥️ learns from simulated future scenarios of change through modelling ⚒️ pioneers simulations and tools for the UK research community, inviting collaborations 🗣️ engages with governments, organisations, universities and businesses about future planning 🏫 informs climate adaptation and resilience building To learn more about CANARI and other Arctic research projects visit: https://lnkd.in/gT8VdaG4 #Assembly2025 #Arcticresearch

We’re launching a new fellowship investment framework to make fellowship opportunities clearer, simpler, and more effective for researchers and innovators. The framework will: 🔶 set out distinct, outcome-focused fellowship types 🔶 reduce complexity and admin burden 🔶 increase flexibility to respond to emerging needs For applicants, this means each fellowship will have a clearly defined purpose. The framework will apply to new UKRI fellowship opportunities from late 2025, including those managed by councils. See link in the comment for more information.

Our Strategic Delivery Plan report for 2024 - 25 is now ready to read! This report shows how we have worked to meet national priorities, deliver growth and provide the facilities for world class environmental science.    Read more: https://lnkd.in/ekNkvi7n

I'm happy to say that NERC's AI for Environmental Science (AI4ES) programme has just gone live. This £12M programme is seeking bold, innovative ideas with the potential to shape the future of environmental science. We are looking for for research and innovation projects to develop creative and novel approaches to tackle complex environmental challenges in the following three areas: Environmental hazards and human health Terrestrial ecology Oceans and climate Click on the link below for further details of the funding opportunity (https://lnkd.in/e2H9GQUF)

Sign up to Ticket to Antarctica today!❄️ The Ticket to Antarctica journey starts next week, when the BAS aircrafts start their flights south to Rothera Research Station. Join the 7000+ people who have already got their ticket by signing up below👇