The aim of the highlights programme is to support strategic research on a defined subject area.
Update December 2023: see section ‘Opportunities, support and resources available’
The aim of the highlights programme is to support strategic research on a defined subject area.
Update December 2023: see section ‘Opportunities, support and resources available’
A highlight topic focuses strategic research on a defined subject area. The size and duration of projects will be specified for each highlight topic every year.
NERC’s Highlight Topics scheme is now in its tenth year. It is therefore considered an appropriate time to reflect on the impacts of the scheme and NERC intends to do this during 2024.
As such, there will not be a call for Highlight Topic ideas during 2024 while a review of the scheme is carried out. (Note that the NERC Big Ideas pipeline remains available as a means of identifying larger scale challenges that require substantial environmental research to be addressed.)
In light of the pause in ideas generation, NERC is taking the opportunity to elongate the commissioning timeline for the tenth round of Highlight Topic funding. The Round 10 funding opportunity will not be launched in December 2023 as per the usual timetable, but will be slightly delayed. Further details on the indicative timings for this funding opportunity will be published as soon as possible.
However, we would like to take this opportunity to provide details of the topics to be included in the forthcoming funding opportunity, which have been prioritised by NERC’s Science Committee and approved by the NERC Executive. They are as follows:
Full details of the funding opportunity and how to apply will be published on the UKRI funding finder in due course.
Passcode: HTIdeas22!
View the webinar slides (PDF, 3MB).
This webinar was delivered and recorded in early 2022 and does not include information on the most recent investments made through the Highlight Topics scheme.
There have also been a number of personnel changes within NERC and externally, so some contact details provided at the time may now be inaccurate.
If you have any questions regarding the Highlight Topics scheme, we recommend you contact highlighttopics@nerc.ukri.org so your query can be directed to the relevant person.
Find details of past funding awards on Grants on the Web.
There have been nine rounds of highlight topics.
Last updated: 27 February 2024