Funding opportunity

Arctic frontier: accelerating innovation in ocean autonomy

• Opportunity status: Upcoming
• Funders: UK Research and Innovation
• Funding type: Grant
• Total fund: £1,200,000
• Award range: £75,000 - £250,000
• Publication date: 4 November 2026
• Opening date: 19 November 2026 9:00am UK time
• Closing date: 2 February 2027 4:00pm UK time

Apply for funding to develop technological solutions to address the challenges of operating marine autonomous vehicles in remote and exceptionally harsh environments.

You must show strong potential to progress from low to mid technology readiness levels.

You must be:

• based at a UK research organisation eligible for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding
• in a role that meets the individual eligibility requirements

The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £250,000. We will fund 80% of the FEC.

Funding is available for up to 18 months.  You must start by 1 May 2027.

Who can apply

Find out if you can apply for funding

This funding opportunity is open to organisations with standard eligibility.

Check if your organisation is eligible

Who is eligible to apply

This funding opportunity is open to research groups and individuals. We:

• encourage multidisciplinary research and collaborations with other UK organisations
• welcome applications from individuals at any career stage, subject to UKRI eligibility criteria

Who is not eligible to apply

You may be involved in no more than two applications submitted to this funding opportunity. Only one of these can be as 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.

International researchers

We do not fund overseas organisations, except for specific costs for project co-leads from Norway.

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.

Resubmissions

We will not accept uninvited resubmissions of projects that have been submitted to UKRI. Find out more about UKRI’s resubmission policy.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We are committed to achieving equality of opportunity 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

UKRI can offer disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders during the application and assessment process. Find out more about equality, diversity and inclusion at UKRI.

What we're looking for

Demand management

Demand management is not currently being applied to this funding opportunity.  However, should the level of interest exceed what can be managed within the assessment process, UKRI may introduce limits on the number of applications that can be submitted. Further details will be clearly communicated where this is the case. UKRI encourages organisations to support applicants in preparing well-planned, high-quality applications that are competitive for funding relative to the funding opportunity.

Scope

This funding opportunity forms part of the broader strategic focus and investment by UKRI in understanding the environmental impacts of the increasingly ice-free Arctic Ocean (IfAO) and harnessing cutting-edge marine autonomous capabilities to deliver solutions to urgent environmental challenges.

This funding opportunity is part of UKRI’s Ice free Arctic Ocean programme, funded as part of the Climate Adaptation and Environmental Resilience priority area, that will work closely with Government and other end users, to develop strong outcomes and impacts that will increase predictive capability and operational capacity, thereby building resilience and security for the UK.

The programme’s activities will also, where appropriate, be delivered with strong international partnerships, particularly with researchers and institutions in Norway leveraging opportunities arising from the aligned activities of the Arctic Ocean 2050 programme.

The Arctic Ocean is experiencing rapid climate change, with some sub-regions warming at least four times the global average. The most obvious effects are the decline in the extent and volume of seasonal sea-ice and freshening and warming of marine waters due to increased glacial and river inputs.

An Arctic Ocean free of summer sea ice is predicted to occur between 2030 and 2050. These rapid changes to the climate system in the Arctic (ocean-atmosphere-sea-ice) are causing multiple impacts to both physical and biogeochemical seasonal dynamics which are not only pertinent for the Arctic region but also for the rest of the planet.

The scale and pace of change demands a better understanding of the Arctic Ocean and consequences for the Earth system. The physical, chemical and biological dynamics in many parts of the Arctic Ocean are poorly understood, especially in regions such as the Central Arctic Ocean that until recently had been rarely visited by research campaigns due to the challenges of operating in such a remote and exceptionally harsh environment.

To enable the best science to facilitate an improved understanding of the impacts of an increasingly ice-free Arctic Ocean this funding opportunity aims to optimise the use of autonomy to achieve the greatest value from marine autonomous missions in the region by addressing the remaining technological barriers to achieving this.

These barriers include:

• endurance – given the size of the Arctic Ocean, and the difficulty and cost of launching and recovering vehicles, optimisation relies upon very high-density energy sources and minimisation of energy losses to maximise mission length
• metrology – understanding the Arctic Ocean ecosystem requires simultaneous measurements across a wide range of physical, chemical and biological variables that are accurate, consistent and dependable. Optimisation relies upon access to the widest range of miniaturised, ruggedised sensors that meet this requirement and can be readily integrated into autonomous systems alongside other sensors
• navigation – operating in areas with low or no-GPS coverage and where locational accuracy is key to operational efficiency, integrity, and scientific trust, optimisation relies upon the ability to navigate safely and reliably in complex marine environments
• advanced materials – given the harshness of the operating environment, optimisation will include improved durability, corrosion resistance, and self-healing plus sustainability and recyclability. Applications influenced by biomimicry are particularly encouraged

You are invited to develop technological solutions to remove or reduce these barriers.

You are expected to propose technological solutions that will show strong potential to progress from low to mid-technology readiness levels (TRLs), with a clear route to achieving TRL9 within three years of project end dates. Commercial viability will be scored highly.

It is anticipated that up to 10 applications will be funded.  Applications requesting higher levels of funding will be for mid-TRL projects that will be progressing from laboratory testing to integrated prototype testing.  Increased costs associated with work at higher TRLs will need to be fully justified. Where in-water trials would be beneficial, opportunities to piggy-back on planned future ship expeditions may be possible. You should approach Leigh Storey (leigh.storey@nerc.ukri.org) in the first instance to discuss this possibility.

All activities funded as part of the UKRI Climate Adaptation and Environmental Resilience priority area will be expected to contribute to a fund level evaluation.  You will therefore be asked to report quarterly and annually throughout your award to provide data in support of evaluation indicators.

You are required to ensure appropriate budget and resource, for example project management, is included in project planning to support effective engagement with these activities throughout the lifetime of the award.

Duration

The duration of this award is 18 months.

Projects must start by 1 May 2027.

Funding available

The FEC of your project can be up to £250,000.

We will fund 80% of the FEC with the following exceptions:

• eligible costs for international project co-lead involvement would be funded at 100%

What we will fund

We will fund:

• facilities costs

What we will not fund

We will not fund:

• cruise costs
• PhD studentship costs
• requests for equipment of £25,000 and over. You should request smaller items of equipment (under £25,000 individually) under ‘Consumables (other directly incurred costs)’ in your application

Services and facilities

You can apply to use a facility or resource in your funding application.

You should discuss your application with the facility or service at least two months before the funding opportunity’s closing date to:

• discuss the proposed work in detail
• receive confirmation that they can provide the services required within the timeframe of the funding

The facility will provide a technical assessment that includes the calculated cost of providing the service. NERC services and facilities must be costed within the limits of the funding.

You should not submit the technical assessment with the application, but you must confirm you have received it.

For more information, see the NERC research grants and fellowships handbook.

Read the full list of NERC facilities that require a technical assessment.

High Performance Computing (HPC) and the large research facilities at Harwell have their own policies for access and costing.

Supporting skills and talent

We encourage you to follow the principles of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers and the Technician Commitment.

Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I)

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has a long-standing and continuing commitment to supporting and enabling safe and effective collaboration in research and innovation. UKRI is equally committed to ensuring that this takes place with integrity and within strong ethical frameworks.

Our Principles and expectations set out the principles that UKRI applies to TR&I and our general expectations of the research organisations (including businesses, research institutes, and research technical organisations) that we support. Organisations supported by UKRI should be able to provide evidence that their internal controls and processes meet these expectations.

See further guidance and information about TR&I, including where applicants can find additional support.

Data management

You must adhere to UKRI open research policy and NERC data policy and complete the ‘Data management and sharing’ question.

For details of data centres, see the NERC Environmental Data Service.

We will pay the data centre directly on behalf of the programme for archival and curation services, but you should ensure that you request sufficient resource to cover preparation of data for archiving by the research team. Additional services from the data centres, such as database development or a specialist in project data management during your project, will need to be discussed with the relevant data centre prior to submission, costs for additional services will need to be funded from your grant.

Responsible research

Through our funding processes, we seek to make a positive contribution to society and the environment. This is not just through research outputs and outcomes but through the way in which research is conducted and facilities managed.

All Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) grant holders are to adopt responsible research practices as set out in the NERC responsible business statement.

Responsible research is defined as reducing harm or enhancing benefit on the environment and society through effective management of research activities and facilities. Specifically, this covers:

• the natural environment
• the local community
• equality, diversity and inclusion

You should consider the responsible research context of your project, not the host institution as a whole. You should take action to enhance your responsible research approach where practical and reasonable.

How to apply

We are running this funding opportunity on the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service so please ensure that your organisation is registered. You cannot apply on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system.

The project lead is responsible for completing the application process on the Funding Service, but we expect all team members and project partners to contribute to the application.

Only the lead research organisation can submit an application to UKRI.

To apply

Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page.

1. Confirm you are the project lead.
2. Sign in or create a Funding Service account. To create an account, select your organisation, verify your email address, and set a password.
3. Answer questions directly in the text boxes. You can save your answers and come back to complete them or work offline and return to copy and paste your answers. If we need you to upload a document, follow the upload instructions in the Funding Service. All questions and assessment criteria are listed in the How to apply section on this Funding finder page.
4. Allow enough time to check your application in ‘read-only’ view before sending to your research office.
5. Send the completed application to your research office for checking. They will return it to you if it needs editing.
6. Your research office will submit the completed and checked application to UKRI.

Be aware that research office and finance teams undertake checks on hosting arrangements and financial eligibility. The ultimate responsibility for ensuring compliance with all opportunity requirements lies with the applicant.

Where indicated, you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant.

When including images, you must:

• provide a descriptive caption or legend for each image immediately underneath it in the text box (this must be outside the image and counts towards your word limit)
• insert each new image on a new line
• use files smaller than 5MB and in JPEG, JPG, JPE, JFI, JIF, JFIF, PNG, GIF, BMP or WEBP format

Images should only be used to convey important visual information that cannot easily be put into words. The following are not permitted, and your application will be rejected if you include:

• sentences or paragraphs of text
• tables
• excessive quantities of images

A few words are permitted where the image would lack clarity without the contextual words, such as a diagram, where text labels are required for an axis or graph column.

For more guidance on the Funding Service, see:

• how applicants use the Funding Service
• how research offices use the Funding Service
• how reviewers use the Funding Service

References

References should be included within the word count of the appropriate question section. You should use your discretion when including references and prioritise those most pertinent to the application.

Hyperlinks can be used in reference information. When including references, you should consider how your references will be viewed and used by the assessors, ensuring that:

• references are easily identifiable by the assessors
• references are formatted as appropriate to your research
• persistent identifiers are used where possible

General use of hyperlinks

Applications should be self-contained. You should only use hyperlinks to link directly to reference information. You must not include links to web resources to extend your application. Assessors are not required to access links to conduct assessment or recommend a funding decision.

Generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Use of generative AI tools to prepare funding applications is permitted, however, caution should be applied.

For more information see our policy on the use of generative AI in application and assessment.

Deadline

We must receive your application by 2 February 2027 at 4:00pm UK time.

You will not be able to apply after this time.

Make sure you are aware of and follow any internal institutional deadlines.

Following the submission of your application to this funding opportunity, your application cannot be changed, and submitted applications will not be amended. If your application does not follow the guidance, it may be rejected.

Personal data

Processing personal data

Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), as part of UKRI, will need to collect some personal information to manage your Funding Service account and the registration of your funding applications.

We will handle personal data in line with UK data protection legislation and manage it securely. For more information, including how to exercise your rights, read our privacy notice.

Sensitive information

If you or a core team member need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, email ifao@nerc.ukri.org

Include in the subject line: the funding opportunity title; sensitive information; your Funding Service application number.

Typical examples of confidential information include:

• individual is unavailable until a certain date (for example due to parental leave)
• declaration of interest
• additional information about eligibility to apply that would not be appropriately shared in the ‘Applicant and team capability’ section
• conflict of interest for UKRI to consider in reviewer or panel participant selection
• the application is an invited resubmission

For information about how UKRI handles personal data, read UKRI’s privacy notice.

Institutional matched funding

There is no requirement for matched funding from the institutions hosting the project lead, project co-leads or other staff employed on the application, beyond the standard 20% FEC. Expert reviewers and panels assessing UKRI funding applications must not consider levels of institutional matched funding as a factor on which to base recommendations. Direct and in-kind contributions from third party project partners are encouraged.

This policy does not remove the need for support from host organisations who must provide the necessary research environment and infrastructure for award-specific activities funded by UKRI. For example, research facilities, training and development of staff.

Publication of outcomes

NERC, as part of UKRI, will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity on What NERC has funded.

If your application is successful, we will publish some personal information on the UKRI Gateway to Research.

Questions we will ask you

Summary

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 the project addresses
• aims and objectives
• potential applications and benefits

Core team

List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following:

• project lead (PL)
• project co-lead (UK) (PcL)
• specialist
• professional enabling staff
• research and innovation associate
• technician
• visiting researcher
• researcher co-lead (RcL)
• grant manager

Only list one individual as project lead.

The project lead is responsible for setting up and completing the application process on the UKRI Funding Service.

The project co-lead international may only be used for collaborators based in Norway, where NERC has collaboration agreements in place. We do not otherwise accept project co-lead (international) applicants.

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.

Vision

Word limit: 1,100

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 this section we also expect you to:

• outline how your project addresses the priorities of the funding opportunity
• identify the potential direct or indirect benefits and who the beneficiaries might be

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: 2,750

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 this section we also expect you to:

• demonstrate access to the appropriate services, facilities, infrastructure, or equipment 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.

Applicant and team capability to deliver

Word limit: 1,650

Why are you the right individual or team to successfully deliver the proposed work?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Evidence of how you, and if relevant your team, have:

• the relevant experience (appropriate to career stage) to deliver the proposed work
• the right balance of skills and expertise to cover the proposed work
• the appropriate leadership and management skills to deliver the work and your approach to develop others
• contributed to developing a positive research environment and wider community

You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.

The word limit for this section is 1,650 words: 1,150 words to be used for Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI) modules (including references) and, if necessary, a further 500 words for Additions.

Use the R4RI format to showcase the range of relevant skills you and, if relevant, your team (project and project co-leads, researchers, technicians, specialists, partners and so on) have and how this will help deliver the proposed work. You can include individuals’ specific achievements but only choose past contributions that best evidence their ability to deliver this work.

Complete this section using the R4RI module headings listed. Use each heading once and include a response for the whole team, see the UKRI guidance on R4RI. You should consider how to balance your answer, and emphasise where appropriate the key skills each team member brings:

• contributions to the generation of new ideas, tools, methodologies, or knowledge
• the development of others and maintenance of effective working relationships
• contributions to the wider research and innovation community
• contributions to broader research or innovation users and audiences and towards wider societal benefit

Complete this as a narrative. Do not format it like a CV.

References may be included within this section.

The roles in funding applications policy has descriptions of the different project roles.

Additions

Provide any further details relevant to your application. This section is optional and can be up to 500 words. You should not use it to describe additional skills, experiences, or outputs, but you can use it to describe any factors that provide context for the rest of your R4RI (for example, details of career breaks if you wish to disclose them).

Resources and costs

Word limit: 2,000

What will you need to deliver your proposed work and how much will it cost?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Justify the application’s more costly resources, in particular:

• project staff
• significant travel for field work or collaboration (but not regular travel between collaborating organisations or to conferences)
• any consumables beyond typical requirements, or that are required in exceptional quantities
• all facilities and infrastructure costs
• all resources that have been costed as ‘Exceptions’

You can request costs associated with reasonable adjustments where they increase as a direct result of working on the project. For further information see Disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders. Where a funding limit is imposed on the opportunity, requested costs for reasonable adjustments may exceed the maximum funding amount.

Assessors are not looking for detailed costs or a line-by-line breakdown of all project resources. Overall, they want you to demonstrate how the resources you anticipate needing for your proposed work:

• are comprehensive, appropriate, and justified
• represent the optimal use of resources to achieve the intended outcomes
• maximise potential outcomes and impacts

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 in line with NERC’s responsible business statement
• how you will manage these considerations throughout the lifecycle of the project

If you are collecting or using data, identify:

• any legal and ethical considerations of collecting, releasing or storing the data including consent, confidentiality, anonymisation, security and other ethical considerations and, in particular, strategies to not preclude further re-use of data
• formal information standards with which your study will comply

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 for 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 you 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 information, see UKRI’s guidance on genetic technologies.

Human participation in health-related research

You must complete this section about whether your project will include human participation.

If your project does not involve human participation, you must confirm this on the next page.

You may be asked about:

• what type of human participation your project includes
• the project design for human participation
• the phase of the clinical trial
• whether the project will be in an NHS setting, and if so, how the project will be registered
• whether diversity and inclusion will be considered

For more information, see UKRI’s guidance for human participants in research.

Project partners

Add details about any project partners’ contributions. If there are no project partners, you can indicate this on the Funding Service.

A project partner is a collaborating organisation who will have an integral role in the proposed research. This may include direct contributions for example cash, donated equipment and resources, or staff seconded to the project, or indirect and in-kind contributions for example use of project partner’s equipment, datasets, or facilities. Project partners may be in industry, academia, third sector or government organisations in the UK or overseas, including partners based in the EU.

Add the following project partner details:

• the organisation name and address (searchable via a drop-down list or enter the organisation’s details manually, as applicable)
• the project partner contact name and email address
• the type of contribution (direct or indirect) and its monetary value

If a detail is entered incorrectly, and you have saved the entry, remove the specific project partner record and re-add it with the correct information.

No letters of support are required and cannot be attached to this funding opportunity.

For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.

Facilities

Word limit: 500

Does your proposed research require the support and use of a facility?

The ARCHER2 service will end on 21 November 2026, and UKRI is currently transitioning to a new compute landscape. Until details of new compute provision are confirmed, applicants who require HPC resources beyond November 2026 have been advised to select ARCHER2 at application and to describe their compute requirements in full.

Other compute investments to be aware of include:

• EPSRC Tier 2 facilities ended in March 2026
• Isambard 3 is currently funded until March 2027
• National Compute Resources will come online in 2026 (Recent announcement: New national computing resources to open doors for researchers)
• the Next National Supercomputing Service is expected to be delivered in late 2027/early 2028
• UK researchers can apply to EURO HPC European High Performance Computing JU | European Union

What the assessors are looking for in your response

If you will need to use a facility, follow your proposed facility’s normal access request procedures. Ensure you have prior agreement so that if you are offered funding, they will support the use of their facility on your project.

For each requested facility you will need to provide the:

• name of facility, copied and pasted from the facility information list (DOCX, 37KB)
• proposed usage or costs, or costs per unit where indicated on the facility information list
• confirmation you have their agreement where required

Facilities should only be named if they are on the facility information list above. If you will not need to use a facility, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.

NERC Collaborative Centre

Word limit: 1

Are you applying with National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO), National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS), or neither of these as part of your application?

What the assessors are looking for in your response

Add NCEO, NCAS, or if neither, then than add N/A to the text box, mark this section as complete and move on to the next section.

Share NCEO or NCAS only if you are applying for funding that will be coordinated through either NCAS or NCEO. This information is to identify the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) research grants or training grants that are applicant led mode (previously discovery mode) or targeted mode (previously strategic science) that are explicitly facilitated by NCAS or NCEO but awarded to distributed member research organisations. Do not use this to specify other NERC research centres or other research organisations. If you are uncertain as to whether you should add NCEO or NCAS, then contact either NCAS or NCEO directly.

Trusted research and innovation (TR&I)

TR&I is the protection of the UK’s intellectual property, sensitive research, people, and infrastructure from potential theft, misuse, and exploitation.

Organisations receiving UKRI funding are obliged to act in line with UK government legislation. They are also expected to undertake appropriate due diligence assessments of organisations involved in research partnerships, collaboration agreements, and commercial contracts.

You will be asked:

• which areas of the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act your project relates to
• who you intend to collaborate with and how
• whether your project requires an export control licence

Your answers may affect the T&Cs of your funding agreement if you are successful. We may use your answers to determine that our current T&Cs are sufficient or if additional T&Cs are required.

How we will assess your application

Assessment process

We will assess your application using the following process.

Panel

We will invite experts to use the evidence provided in your application to assess the quality of your application and rank it alongside other applications after which the panel will make a funding recommendation.

For more information on how we prioritise applications for funding visit How we make decisions.

Timescale

We aim to complete the assessment process within three months of the funding opportunity closing date.

Feedback

We will give feedback with the outcome of your application.

We reserve the right to work with successful applicants post assessment to discuss any aspect of the application before award (for example, discuss panel feedback or requirements from NERC).

Principles of assessment

We support the San Francisco declaration on research assessment and recognise the relationship between research assessment and research integrity.

Find out about the UKRI principles of assessment and decision making.

Using generative artificial intelligence (AI) in expert review

Generative AI may only be used for the purpose of language refinement during application assessment. When using generative AI to refine the language of a review, expert reviewers and panellists must ensure that:

• no part of the application being assessed is entered into a generative AI tool
• no personal information from the application is disclosed
• generative AI is not tasked with understanding, summarising or evaluating the application’s content

Expert reviewers and panellists must also:

• comply with relevant intellectual property and data protection legislation
• not take into account or speculate within their assessment whether generative AI has been used to develop the application

For more detail see our policy on the use of generative AI.

Assessment areas

The assessment areas we will use are:

• vision
• approach
• applicant and team capability to deliver
• ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI): informed by animal involvement and ‘3Rs’, genetically modified organisms and biological risk, and human participation in health-related research

Find details of assessment questions and criteria under the ‘Application questions’ heading in the ‘How to apply’ section.

Contact details

Get help with your application

If you have a question and the answers aren’t provided on this page

The helpdesk is committed to helping users of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service as effectively and as quickly as possible. In order to manage cases at peak volume times, the helpdesk will triage and prioritise those queries with an imminent opportunity deadline or a technical issue. Enquiries raised where information is available on the Funding finder opportunity page and should be understood early in the application process (for example, regarding eligibility, content or remit of a funding opportunity) will not constitute a priority case and will be addressed as soon as possible.

Contact details

For help and advice on costings and writing your application please contact your research office in the first instance, allowing sufficient time for your organisation’s submission process.

For questions related to this specific funding opportunity please contact ifao@nerc.ukri.org

Any queries regarding the system or the submission of applications through the Funding Service should be directed to the helpdesk.

Email: support@funding-service.ukri.org

Phone: 01793 547490

Our phone lines are open:

• Monday to Thursday 8:30am to 5:00pm
• Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm

To help us process queries more efficiently, we request that users highlight the council and opportunity name in the subject title of their email query, include the application reference number, and refrain from contacting more than one mailbox at a time.

For further information on submitting an application read How applicants use the Funding Service.

Additional info

This funding opportunity is being implemented through the UKRI Climate, Adaptation, Environment and Resilience priority area’s investment in the Ice free Arctic Ocean programme.

Research and innovation impact

Impact can be defined as the long-term intended or unintended effect research and innovation has on society, economy and the environment; to individuals, organisations, and the wider global population.