Opening up the Environment 2025

Overview

Summary

Apply for funding to:

• explore the potential your organisation or department has to increase diversity of representation attracting a wider talent pool into NERC science
• generate partnerships that identify, include and showcase a broad range of people and skillsets that contribute towards NERC science

You must be:

• based at a UK research organisation eligible for NERC funding
• in a role that meets the individual eligibility requirements

The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £62,500. They will fund 80% of the FEC.

Your project must start by July 2025 and end by March 2026.

Eligibility

They encourage individuals and organisations who do not usually apply to, or receive NERC funding, to consider applying to this funding opportunity.

This funding opportunity is open to research groups and individuals. They welcome applications from:

• individuals from multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary backgrounds
• individuals at any career stage, subject to NERC eligibility criteria

Project co-leads (previously co-investigator) can be based at a UK research organisation eligible for NERC funding. For this NERC funding opportunity, project co-leads may also be based at UK businesses, third sector or government organisations.

Read including project co-leads from business, third sector or government bodies for details of eligible organisations and costs.

Objectives

Their aim is to fund up to 20 pilot grants that develop partnerships and identify the potential to increase the diversity of representation in the NERC community.

Your project will set out equitable, inclusive plans to identify and include a broader diversity of people in the environmental solutions workforce of the future, contributing to increasing diversity and inclusion in the NERC community.

Your project will undertake emerging work to test, scope and pilot approaches that showcase a broader range of people and skill sets to inspire those who have the potential to be part of the future talent pipeline and contribute towards delivering environmental science solutions.

Scope

Your project will focus on developing partnerships and activities that contribute towards increasing the diversity of the future NERC science workforce and those who contribute towards delivering environmental solutions.

Your project will focus on the UK research and innovation community, with clear focus on one or multiple specific areas of NERC’s remit.

Your project will:

• explore and assess the potential your organisation or department has to increase, support and sustain diversity of representation to attract a wider talent pool to create the future research and innovation workforce that will enable and support NERC science. Your self-assessment should identify actionable activity to achieve project ambitions
• form new, or develop existing, partnerships that support the ambitions and actions needed to identify, include, and showcase individuals from the widest possible talent pool across the research and innovation sector to see “someone like me” working in environmental solutions. Plans will also consider how to increase the breadth of audiences who will be exposed to the skillsets and people delivering NERC science. Partnerships may include; regional partnerships, those with other institutions, other departments within your organisation and with charities or NGO’s who share and contribute towards your project’s ambitions
• evaluate the impact of your work undertaken from this funding opportunity including sharing relevant lessons learnt, and undertaking evaluation through your project

Other areas you could consider with your project may include:

• social mobility
• geographic location
• lived experience
• intersectionality

The areas against which your application will be assessed are:

• vision
• approach
• applicant and team capability to deliver
• ethics and responsible research and innovation
• resource and cost justification

Funding available

The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £62,500.

They will fund 80% (up to £50,000) of the FEC with the following exceptions:

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