Area of investment and support

Opening up the environment programme

The programme funds research projects in environmental science. It encourages diversity so people from different disciplines and backgrounds can apply their skills and find new ways to tackle environmental challenges.

• Budget: £4 million invested over three years
• Duration: 2025 to 2029
• Partners involved: Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)

The scope and what we're doing

The Opening up the environment programme supports the environmental science community to deliver purposeful initiatives to increase the diversity of the research and innovation community that contributes to the diagnosis and cure of environmental challenges.

To achieve this, NERC is delivering a programme that includes:

• funding opportunities
• independent evaluation
• training and development opportunities
• a steering group

The programme consists of a two-phased funding opportunity.

Phase one: Opening up the environment 2025

NERC funded 19 grants to support the environmental science research and innovation community. These grants will help explore the potential to increase diversity of representation and attract a wider talent pool into areas funded by NERC.

Projects will generate partnerships that identify, include and showcase a broad range of people and skill sets that contribute towards areas funded by NERC.

Phase two: Opening up the environment 2026

Building on Opening up the environment 2025, NERC is funding six projects.

These will:

• deliver purposeful initiatives to increase the diversity of the NERC community
• contribute to national influence and collaboration in the wider sectors that deliver NERC science now and in future

This funding opportunity was only open to those who were successful at phase one.

Why we invest in this area

The Opening up the environment programme supports NERC strategic goals to open up environmental science and to find new transdisciplinary approaches. By welcoming talent from all disciplines, we can bring in new insights and methods that help create environmental solutions and improve lives.

Although the NERC diversity and inclusion living action plan ended in 2025, the programme continues to trial innovative funding approaches. This aligns with our evolving commitment to building a diverse talent pipeline.

The diversity and inclusion living action plan focused on partnerships with institutions to improve the visibility of diverse role models, as set out in action 3.5 of the plan. Building on this, the programme will continue to support environmental scientists and innovators to develop the right skills for the future, including commercialisation, data analytics and interdisciplinary working.

The programme also supports the ambitions set out in the NERC ‘Forward Look’ to develop a thriving community of researchers and innovators, where talented people from outside environmental sciences will be able to contribute effectively to our work.

Learnings from this programme will help to inform future diversity and inclusion activity and investments within NERC.

The programme is led by the NERC Community Engagement team and builds on learnings from the NERC and AHRC-funded Hidden Histories programme, and from projects funded through the ‘Making environmental science equal, diverse and inclusive’ funding opportunity.

Past projects, outcomes and impact

Past funding opportunities

Opening up the Environment 2026

Opening up the Environment 2025

Current awarded projects

The awarded projects are as follows.

Breaking barriers in Wales education for diversity of environmental communities

Led by Phillip Lugg-Widger, Cardiff University

Learn more about the breaking barriers in Wales education for diversity of environmental communities project.

Citizen science Advancing Racial Equity in Environmental Research Super-consortium Phase 2 (CAREERS2)

Led by Kathryn Arnold, The University of York

Learn more about the CAREERS2 project.

Creating spaces of belonging in the UK black in NERC science pipeline

Led by Safi Darden, The University of Exeter

Learn more about the creating spaces of belonging project.

Mapping futures 2: reframing environmental science pathways in further education

Led by Kerry Brown, Kingston University

Learn more about the mapping futures project.

Reimagining pathways into environmental science through showcasing technical careers

Led by Neil Tunstall, Durham University

Learn more about the reimagining pathways project.

The C3ITEES passport: a unified model for opening up the environment

Led by Daniel Parsons, Loughborough University

Learn more about the C3ITEES passport project.

Past awarded projects

The awarded projects are as follows.

Adaptation in our environment to maximise inclusivity (AdaptABLE)

Led by Emma Cunningham, The University of Edinburgh

Learn more about the AdaptABLE project.

Breaking barriers for Wales pipelines into environmental science

Led by Phillip Lugg-Widger, Cardiff University

Broadening the engagement of young people in environmental science from areas of multiple deprivation (BEYOND)

Led by Yoseph Araya, The Open University

Learn more about the BEYOND project.

Charnwood champions: a passport to inclusive environmental science

Led by Daniel Parsons, Loughborough University

Citizen science for advancing racial equity in environmental research super-consortium
(CAREERS)

Led by Kathryn Arnold, University of York

Connected earth: Bristol

Led by Sam Wimpenny, University of Bristol

Creating spaces of belonging: the UK Black in NERC science pipeline

Led by Safi Darden, University of Exeter

Engaging ethnically diverse communities to develop future talent in UK environmental science through water resource management (EMBRACE Enviro)

Led by Olalekan Adekola, York St John University

Learn more about the EMBRACE Enviro project.

Evaluating a ‘people like me’ pilot intervention with UK schoolchildren to promote diversity in the environmental science workforce

Led by Philip Stephens, Durham University

Future women leaders of geoscience

Led by Katy Chamberlain, University of Liverpool

Inclusive natural environment futures

Led by Alexandra Gormally-Sutton, Lancaster University

Learn more about the Inclusive Natural Environment Futures.

Learning to be a successful academic: scaffolding academia for ECRs in natural
sciences

Led by Lucy Yeomans, University of Exeter

Learn more about the ‘Learning to be a successful academic’ project.

Mapping futures: empowering young people from underrepresented communities in environmental science

Led by Kerry Brown, Kingston University

Nottingham CITEES (connecting, inspiring, training, and employing environmental scientists)

Led by Matthew Jones, University of Nottingham

Plugging the Leaks

Led by Kate Parks, University of Southampton

Primary focus

Led by Adrian Martin, National Oceanography Centre

Learn more about the ‘Primary focus’ project.

Recognising and enabling diverse research in geomorphology (COALESCE)

Led by Annie Ockelford, University of Liverpool

Reimagining pathways into environmental science through showcasing technical careers

Led by Neil Tunstall, Durham University

This is my environmental journey (TIMELY): curating careers to inspire a diverse and inclusive future in environmental science

Led by Feng Mao, The University of Warwick

Learn more about the TIMELY project.

Who to contact

Ask a question about this area of investment

NERC Community Engagement team

Email: openingup@nerc.ukri.org

Governance, management and panels

The Opening up the Environment steering group is responsible for providing independent expertise, knowledge, insight and advice to the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), ensuring the effective delivery of the programme.

The purpose and responsibilities of the steering group are to:

• programme approach
• ensure the programme is informed by a wide range of relevant expertise
• raise the profile of the programme with relevant networks, partners and contacts, including on how best to engage other relevant members of the community
• bring equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility expertise and knowledge to inform the programme and advise NERC as appropriate
• make funding recommendations based on applications received for Opening up the Environment 2026
• contribute towards evaluation of the programme
• provide advice on next steps to support applicants from Opening Up the Environment 2025 funding opportunity

Steering group members

Members include:

• Professor Jaime Toney, University of Glasgow (chair)
• Irene Adeyinka, The Lost Graduate Group
• Dr Rosalind Attenborough, University of Edinburgh
• Lisa Backwell, University of Edinburgh
• Martin Baxter, Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals
• Professor Nicola Beaumont, National Oceanography Centre
• Professor Yota Dimitriadi, University of Reading
• Catherine Garrod, Compelling Culture
• Professor M. Satish Kumar, GIFT City, Queen’s University Belfast
• Dr Shames Maskeen, Leeds Trinity University
• Dr Katie Nicoll Bains, University of Edinburgh
• Professor Richard Pancost, University of Bristol
• Peter Traynor, independent researcher

Dr Rosalind Attenborough, Lisa Backwell and Dr Katie Nicoll Bains share one steering group role.

Last updated: 19 October 2026