There are two stages to apply for this UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding opportunity:
- notification of intent
- full application
Notification of intent
There is a non-mandatory notification of intent (NoI) stage for this funding opportunity.
To submit an NoI, you should complete the NoI form by 16 September 2026 at 4:00pm UK time.
The NoI form requests the basic details of your proposed project team and a brief summary of your research project. This information will not be assessed but will be used to inform assessment preparations. No content submitted by you as part of the NoI stage is considered final. Therefore, the project lead may change, as can the project co-leads, project partners and wider consortium members be added, and removed at the full submission stage. Your proposed research project area is permitted to change significantly as your application is prepared and ultimately submitted at the full submission stage.
You will receive an automated email acknowledgement once you have submitted your NoI form details. There is no requirement to submit NoI in order to submit your full application.
Full application
We are running this funding opportunity on the new 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 (YouTube).
To apply
Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page.
- Confirm you are the project lead.
- Sign in or create a Funding Service account. To create an account, select your organisation, verify your email address, and set a password.
- 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.
- Allow enough time to check your application in ‘read-only’ view before sending to your research office.
- Send the completed application to your research office for checking. They will return it to you if it needs editing.
- 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 funding opportunity requirements lies with you (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:
References
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:
- 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 22 October 2026 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.
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 returned for amendment. If your application does not follow the guidance, it may be rejected.
Personal data
Processing personal data
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 Defra so that they can participate in the assessment process. Further information on how Defra use personal information.
Sensitive information
If you or a core team member need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, email RESET@nerc.ukri.org
Include in the subject line: Resilient Economy and Security through Ecosystems Transitions projects funding opportunity; 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
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 any 20% FEC contribution.
Expert reviewers and panel members assessing UKRI funding applications will not consider the level of matched host institution funding as a factor on which to base funding recommendations. Direct and in-kind contributions from third party project partners are encouraged.
The 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.
Any project partners are expected to contribute to the project, either with cash or in-kind contributions.
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.
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)
- project co-lead (international) (PcL (I))
- specialist
- grant manager
- professional enabling staff
- research and innovation associate
- technician
- visiting researcher
- researcher co-lead (RcL)
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.
Application questions
Vision
Word limit: 2,000
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
- clearly state at the start of the section which of the three research theme(s) your project will address
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: 4,000
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
- provide a detailed and comprehensive project plan including milestones and timelines in the form of a Gantt chart or similar
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 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).
Ethics and responsible research and innovation (RRI)
What are the ethical and RRI considerations, implications and issues relating to your proposed work? If you do not think that your 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 your research or topic area itself and the design and delivery of your project
- the wider implications of your proposed work, and how you will maximise the positive societal, environmental, and economic benefits arising from your 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 your 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
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the ‘How to apply’ section.
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, 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.
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 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.
Classification of your proposed project
Word limit: 50
Which expertise would be required to assess your project?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
State which of the following listed disciplinary expertise would be required to assess your project. Please ensure that you use the precise codes and wording of the disciplines as provided in the list (we advise you use the copy and paste function). Any additional content will not be considered.
Disciplines:
- arts and humanities
- biological sciences
- economics
- environmental sciences
- social sciences
- engineering science
- physical sciences
We understand that the expertise required may include more disciplinary, methodological and wider variety than you can capture by this list. Your answer is not expected to be a comprehensive list of expertise required but will be used as a guide for the distributed peer review (DPR) assessment process. You may select one or multiple choices.
Your answer to this question will not be assessed.
The expertise you select will be used to match your application to reviewers from the applicant pool within the funding opportunity through the DPR process. Focus on the expertise you would require as dominant areas. We cannot guarantee that your application will be assessed by reviewers with all of the expertise you request.
For more information on how DPR will be used to assess your application, see DPR guidance in the ‘Additional information’ section.
Expertise on your project team
Word limit: 200
As part of the distributed peer review (DPR) process, you are required to nominate between two and four members of your team (including yourself) who are equipped to act as reviewers.
For each reviewer, you must provide their:
- name
- institution
- email address (ensure you use the same email address that this individual is listed in the core team section of your application)
You must also provide one or more of the disciplines listed:
- arts and humanities
- biological sciences
- economics
- environmental sciences
- social sciences
- engineering science
- physical sciences
Please ensure that you use the precise codes and wording of the research areas as provided in the list. We suggest you use the copy and paste function.
This information will be used to assign your nominated reviewers to applications. We understand that an individual reviewer may have expertise in more than five classifications, so each nominee should prioritise those they feel most confident reviewing and may have disciplines expertise in one or multiple from the list provided.
Note that your answer to this question will not be assessed. However, failure to provide at least two reviewers (one of which must be the project lead) will result in your application being rejected.
Nominated reviewers do not need to have membership of NERC’s Peer Review College. The applicant team should only nominate individuals with the capacity, knowledge and confidence to provide constructive, comprehensive and quality reviews.
Please check that nominated reviewers have no planned leave (such as annual leave) which would prevent them from acting as a reviewer during the DPR period (9 November to 4 December 2026). Reviewers will have three weeks to complete their assigned reviews. Submitting poor-quality reviews including giving consistently low scores without clear justification may result in the rejection of the application in which the given reviewer is involved.
We understand that individual circumstances can be unpredictable, and that there may be extenuating circumstances in a reviewer’s personal life which may cause delays or prevent them from submitting their reviews. Please inform us as early as possible if there are exceptional circumstances impacting any of your nominated reviewers. You should inform us by emailing reset@nerc.ukri.org
Unless NERC is informed of exceptional circumstances, failing to provide the reviews by the deadline will lead to the automatic rejection of your application in which the given reviewer is involved.
For more information on reviewer responsibilities within the DPR process, please see distributed peer review guidance for this funding opportunity in the ‘Additional information’ section.
Facilities
Word limit: 250
Does your proposed research require the support and use of a facility?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
If you will need to use a research council 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, 42KB)
- proposed usage or costs, or costs per unit where indicated on the facility information list
- confirmation you have their agreement where required
If you have to attach a facility form, for example NERC ship-time and marine equipment, then upload it as a PDF. If you need to upload multiple forms, then combine them into a single PDF.
Facilities should only be named if they are on the facility information list. If you will not need to use a facility, then you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.
Upload guidance
Upload a single PDF containing facility forms ensuring it is no larger than 8MB, if applicable.
For the file name, use the Funding Service number the system gives to your application when you create an application, immediately followed by the words ‘facility forms’. Then use the ‘upload’ button.
Unless specifically requested, do not include any personal data within the attachment.
Once you have uploaded, mark this section as complete and move to the next one.
Data management and sharing
Word limit: 500
How will you manage and share data collected or acquired through the proposed research?
What the assessors are looking for in your response
Provide a data management plan that clearly details how you will comply with UKRI’s published data sharing policy, which includes detailed guidance notes.
Indicate:
- which NERC data centre is required to archive the data
- whether the total volume of data is likely to be larger than 1TB
- any other detail on how you will comply with NERC data policy
- requirements of the proposed sensing system or capability on current digital research infrastructure (including data and compute)
- how data accessibility for both private and public end users will be enhanced
Project partners
Add details about any project partners’ contributions. If there are no project partners, then 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:
- organisation name and address (searchable via a drop-down list or enter the organisation’s details manually, as applicable)
- project partner contact name and email address
- type of contribution (direct or in-direct) 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.
For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.
Resources and cost justification
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 equipment that will cost more than £25,000
- 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 funding 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 to be assured that:
- all resources are comprehensive, appropriate, and justified
- the project will make optimal use of resources to achieve the intended outcomes
- maximise potential outcomes and impacts
Trusted Research and Innovation (TR&I)
Trusted Research and Innovation 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 about:
- which areas of the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act your project relates to
- who you intend to collaborate with and how
- if 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.
