Apply for funding to become the programme coordinator for the Aviation’s non- CO2 Impacts on the Climate programme.
You must be based:
The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be £478,750.
We will fund £80% of the FEC.
Your role will start from no later than December 2025 and last until 31 March 2028.
This funding opportunity is open to individuals, or individuals with support from a team.
Before applying for funding, check the following:
To lead a project, you must be based at an eligible organisation. Check if your organisation is eligible.
Project co-leads can be based at a UK research organisation eligible for NERC funding. For this funding opportunity, project co-leads may also be based at UK businesses, third sector or government organisations.
Read guidance on including project co-leads from business, third sector or government bodies and details of eligible organisational costs. Note that costs associated with project co-leads from a UK business, third sector or government organisation’s contribution to a project, must not exceed 30% of the overall cost of the grant at 100% FEC. Additionally, eligible costs differ amongst organisation types, for example, for government organisations we will only fund travel and subsistence.
Note that although this guidance is from Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), it applies to this NERC funding opportunity.
You may be involved in no more than one application submitted to this funding opportunity.
Be aware that the Department for Transport (DfT), Department for Business and Trade (DBT) or Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) should not be included as project partners on your application as they are co-funders and partners of this programme.
Project partners fund their own involvement. We will only fund minor incidental expenses, such as some travel costs, if needed for project partners.
We are committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all funding applicants. We encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants.
We support people to work in a way that suits their personal circumstances. This includes:
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 and NERC’s diversity and inclusion action plan.
You will be responsible for the delivery of cross-programme integration, stakeholder engagement and communication across the wider landscape to maximise the outcomes and impacts of the Aviation’s non-CO2 Impacts on the Climate programme.
A series of researcher and industry-led projects will be funded as part of the programme, and these projects will work with you as the programme coordinator to achieve integration and maximise project and programme outcomes.
The programme coordinator objectives include:
You may be supported by a team to help deliver associated activities, for example administration and communication support related to delivery of programme coordinator objectives. However, this is not essential. Your application should fully justify the approach you have chosen. Any additional team members you require must be included in your application.
We do not anticipate that the coordinator role will be a full-time position for the duration of the project. However, you should fully justify your chosen approach and resource allocation in order to fulfil the objectives of the role.
You will directly interface with industry, academia and other stakeholders (for example, policy users), and with other relevant groups, such as the Jet Zero Taskforce and Aerospace Growth Partnership, in order to ensure the successful delivery of the programme. You will work with the programme board and the programme team, working collaboratively and responsively to direction, as well as responsively to the changing landscape throughout the lifetime of the programme.
Your tasks will commence with the engagement on the initial funded projects, funded through the first NERC funding opportunity and ATI funding rounds in 2024 and 2025, by collaborating individually with project leads as well as organising an initial cross-programme meeting.
You will also be chairing the programme EAG as well as engaging with the academic, industry and government stakeholders with a view to integrating and delivery of the programme objectives.
You will lead the EAG in assessing programme gaps and cross-programme opportunities. This includes being involved in discussions with the EAG and funders about cross-programme opportunities. And includes, where possible, being involved with the EAG in prioritising projects due to be funded in the final NERC-led research funding opportunity. This is due to launch in autumn 2025, with funding decisions made in early 2026.
Throughout the first few months of your role, you will meet the other key tasks outlined in this specification. This includes:
You are required to provide evidence that you have the relevant expertise and experience which demonstrates your ability to undertake the role, specifically:
You must be able to give evidence of having made an impact within the field of aviation research, industrial community, or both. To do this you must:
A formal mid-term meeting between the programme coordinator and funders will take place. This will likely be in late 2026 to early 2027 to review outputs and provide refinement and feedback on requirements for the final years of your award.
We (NERC), Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and Department for Transport (DfT) as the funders will have unrestricted access to the outputs of associated reports and outputs in terms of their use and distribution.
It is expected that a virtual approach should be taken and so ideally most meetings should be held virtually. This does not preclude in-person meetings if required, for example, a bespoke meeting with stakeholders.
You, and, if relevant your team members, will not be eligible to bid for other funding as part of funding opportunities for applications throughout the Aviation’s non-CO2 Impacts on the Climate programme.
The programme coordinator will be in post from no later than December 2025 and until 31 March 2028.
The FEC of your project can be up to £478,750. We will fund 80% of the FEC (meaning £383,000).
NERC will withhold the funds allocated for the in-person programme-wide meetings. This includes a kick-off event, annual meetings and wrap-up event. Your application should include a plan for these events, accounting for and justifying appropriate costs, which will then be withheld by NERC when awarding this grant.
The costs for the events should be included within the overall costing for this funding opportunity, and not exceed the allocated budget. The relevant monies will be released to you upon submission of plans to the programme team for these events. The programme coordinator may engage with the funders for guidance on best practice, planning and timing of meetings, and events planning.
This funding opportunity sources its funds from the NERC budget.
The programme coordinator travel costs are required to be included in the ‘Resources and cost justification’ section in your application. In addition, costs for organising and hosting annual programme meetings and an end of programme event should also be included. Individual projects funded by the overarching programme will retain the budget for their attendance at annual events.
Further details are found in the ‘How to apply’ section.
We encourage you to follow the principles of the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers and the Technician Commitment.
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is committed in ensuring that effective international collaboration in research and innovation takes place with integrity and within strong ethical frameworks. Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I) is a UKRI work programme designed to help protect all those working in our thriving and collaborative international sector by enabling partnerships to be as open as possible, and as secure as necessary. Our TR&I principles set out UKRI’s expectations of organisations funded by UKRI in relation to due diligence for international collaboration.
As such, applicants for UKRI funding may be asked to demonstrate how your proposed projects will comply with our approach and expectation towards TR&I, identifying potential risks and the relevant controls you will put in place to help proportionately reduce these risks.
See further guidance and information about Trusted Research and Innovation, including where applicants can find additional support.
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 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:
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.
We are running this funding opportunity on the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service so 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.
Watch our recording on how to apply for an opportunity in the Funding Service.
Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page.
Where indicated, you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant.
When including images, you must:
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 may be rejected if you include:
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:
References should be included within the word limit 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:
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.
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.
We must receive your application by 18 September 2025 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 the funding opportunity, your application cannot be changed, and applications will not be returned for amendment. If your application does not follow the guidance, it may be rejected.
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.
NERC, as part of UKRI, will need to share the application and any personal information that it contains with Department for Transport (DfT), Department for Business and Trade (DBT), and Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) so that they can participate in the assessment process as the co-funders and partners of this funding opportunity. For more information on how DfT and DBT use personal information, visit:
If you or a core team member need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, email aviation@nerc.ukri.org
Include in the subject line: Aviation’s non-CO2 programme coordinator; sensitive information; your Funding Service application number.
Typical examples of confidential information include:
For information about how UKRI handles personal data, read UKRI’s privacy notice.
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.
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:
Clearly describe your proposed work in terms of:
List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following:
Only list one individual as project lead.
The project lead is responsible for setting up and completing the application process on the Funding Service.
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.
Word limit: 1,500
What are you hoping to achieve with your proposed work?
In this section we expect you to:
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 ‘How to apply’ section.
Word limit: 2,500
How are you going to deliver your proposed work?
Explain how you have designed your approach so that it:
Within this section we also expect you to:
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 ‘How to apply’ section.
Word limit 1,500
How will your experience and track record enable you to successfully deliver the proposed work?
Provide evidence of how you, and if relevant your team, have:
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the ‘How to apply’ section.
The word limit for this section is 1,500 words: 1,000 words to be used for R4RI modules and 500 can be used for Additions.
Use the Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI) format to showcase the range of relevant skills you and, if relevant, your co-coordinator 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 you bring:
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).
Complete this as a narrative. Do not format it like a CV.
UKRI has introduced new role types for funding opportunities being run on the Funding Service.
For full details, see Eligibility as an individual.
Word limit: 1,000
What skills and abilities do you, and your team, if relevant, have that will enable you to successfully deliver the proposed work?
Provide evidence of the right skills and expertise, as per the person specification below, to enable you to convene the interdisciplinary community and lead the network if the subsequent application is successful. You should identify any gaps and explain how you will fulfil these aspects. You should give relevant examples where possible.
You must demonstrate:
You must demonstrate:
You must:
You must demonstrate:
You must demonstrate:
You should demonstrate your knowledge, skills and expertise and, if applicable, that of your team, which are essential to the successful delivery of the Aviation’s non-CO2 Impacts on the Climate programme coordinator role throughout the lifetime of the programme.
References may be included within this section.
The roles in funding applications policy has descriptions of the different project roles.
Provide details about any project partners’ contributions.
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 (cash) or indirect (in-kind) contributions such as expertise, staff time or use of 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:
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.
For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.
Word limit: 1,500
What will you need to deliver your proposed work and how much will it cost?
Justify the application’s resources, in particular:
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.
Assessors are not looking for detailed costs or a line-by-line breakdown of all project resources. Overall, they want to be assured that:
We will assess your application using the following process.
An interview assessment panel will conduct interviews with applicants, against the specified criteria for this funding opportunity. The panel will comprise of representatives from the funding partners, that is NERC, Department for Transport (DfT), Department for Business and Trade (DBT), Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), as well as further relevant independent membership (full panel membership to be confirmed).
You will be required to provide a presentation followed by a question and answer session. The panel will then make a funding recommendation.
We expect interviews to be held in October 2025 (date to be confirmed). Full details of the interview process will be sent to candidates in advance of this date following the application closing date.
We reserve the right to modify the assessment approach to incorporate a sift stage prior to interviews depending on the number of applications received.
The funders (NERC, DfT and DBT) will make the final funding decision using the panel recommendations.
We aim to complete the assessment process within two months of the funding opportunity closing date.
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 funders).
We support the San Francisco declaration on research assessment and recognise the relationship between research assessment and research integrity.
Find out about the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) principles of assessment and decision making.
We reserve the right to modify the assessment process as needed.
Reviewers and panellists are not permitted to use generative AI tools to develop their assessment. Using these tools can potentially compromise the confidentiality of the ideas that applicants have entrusted to UKRI to safeguard.
For more detail see our policy on the use of generative AI.
We will need to share the application, including any personal information that it contains, with DfT, DBT and ATI so that they can participate in the assessment process.
For more information on how partners use personal information, visit:
The areas against which your application will be assessed are:
Find details of assessment questions and criteria under the ‘Application questions’ heading in the ‘How to apply’ section.
If you have a question and the answers aren’t provided on this page
Important note: 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 funding 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 or content/remit of a funding opportunity) will not constitute a priority case and will be addressed as soon as possible.
For help and advice on costings and writing your application, 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, contact aviation@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:
To help us process queries quicker, we request that users highlight the council and funding 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.
The government is committed to delivering greener transport and supporting the missions to kickstart economic growth and to make Britain a clean energy superpower. Aviation has both CO2 emissions and non-CO2 climate impacts and recent scientific research shows that the non-CO2 impacts of aviation could be greater than the impact from CO2 emissions. Whilst the impact of CO2 emissions can be quantified, academic research shows that there continues to be significant uncertainty regarding aviation’s non-CO2 impacts. There is a need to improve our understanding, and to identify and develop policy options and measures to mitigate these impacts.
The UK aviation industry is accelerating the development of new ultra-efficient and zero-emission aircraft technologies and low carbon solutions to address the challenge of aviation CO2 emissions. However, both government and industry are mindful that while there continues to be uncertainty regarding the magnitude of aviation’s non-CO2 impacts, it most likely has an overall warming impact which could be greater than CO2 emissions. Therefore, designs for technological solutions for reducing CO2 emissions must also consider incorporating measures to reduce aviation’s non-CO2 impacts as well.
Undertaking further research to increase our understanding of this issue is needed to inform government and industry investment and policy decisions in respect of aircraft technology, manufacturing, fuel production and wider aviation operations.
The Aviation’s non-CO2 Impact on the Climate programme is focused on two aspects:
The programme, while managed as a whole and overseen by a single programme board, will be split across two funding lines. One for academic-led fundamental research projects commissioned by NERC, and one for industry-led applied research projects commissioned by Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI). The programme coordinator will have oversight of activities across the breadth of the programme, leading integration, collaboration and maximising impacts.
The overall funders for the wider programme (NERC, DBT and DfT) form a programme board to oversee the progress of the programme, make funding decisions and have oversight for delivery and strategic direction of the research programme. There is also a programme team made up from representation from programme partners who oversee programme operation.
A programme expert advisory group (EAG) has been established comprising of experts from across industry and academia. The programme coordinator, once in post, will take on chairing this group. The EAG provide critical advice and recommendations to the programme board on the strategic direction of the programme and balance of the portfolio. Active EAG members will not be eligible for funding through programme funding opportunities.
If you are successful, you will be required to report research outcomes on Researchfish in line with standard UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) terms and conditions for funding. This is required annually and continues for up to five years post grant end.
In addition, if you are successful, the programme coordinator will be expected to immediately begin planning for a cross-programme event and annual programme meetings. You will be required to work with the project leads from funded activities and the EAG throughout the lifetime this role. You should include costs (travel and subsistence) for attendance to workshops and cross-programme meetings (attendance and organisation costs) in your application.
You may also be required to provide additional information for monitoring and evaluation purposes during the programme lifetime and, according to standard grant terms and conditions, projects may be required to comply with any additional requests, for example, reporting to DBT for future programme evaluation activities, including via the ATI.
You will be required to report to the programme board (anticipated at least twice annually) and at the end of your role, a final report to the funders as well as organising an end of programme meeting (date to be confirmed in 2028).
It is anticipated that there will be future funding opportunities for academic led research projects as part of this programme released by NERC in summer and autumn 2025 (dates to be confirmed). The scope of these will be advertised in due course. Projects led by industry and business will also be funded through ATI competition. See the supporting links on this opportunity for further details.
The programme coordinator and any associated team members will not be eligible to apply for funding through these funding opportunities.
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.
We recognise that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused major interruptions and disruptions across our communities. We are committed to ensuring that individual applicants and their wider team, including partners and networks, are not penalised for any disruption to their career, such as:
Reviewers and panel members will be advised to consider the unequal impacts that COVID-19 related disruption might have had on the capability to deliver and career development of those individuals included in the application. They will be asked to consider the capability of the applicant, and their wider team, to deliver the research they are proposing.
Where disruptions have occurred, you can highlight this within your application if you wish, but there is no requirement to detail the specific circumstances that caused the disruption.
Modern slavery is a crime and a violation of fundamental human rights. It takes various forms which deprive a person of their liberty in order to exploit them for personal or commercial gain, such as:
We are committed to the principles of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, and the abolition of modern slavery and human trafficking.
