NERC Cross-disciplinary Research for Discovery Science

Purpose and Remit 

NERC is seeking to facilitate exciting new collaborations that will enable adventurous and ambitious curiosity-driven, high-risk and high-reward projects that push the boundaries of Discovery Science. The funding should be used to facilitate and enhance interdisciplinary working in Discovery Science. 

We are inviting applications for internal awards of up to £10,000. The opportunity is open to academics and postdoctoral researchers from across the University. These internal grants should support activities to develop different cross-disciplinary research perspectives and methodologies that could be used to unlock new knowledge within the environmental sciences. This funding may cover collaborations across the breadth of UKRI remit, including the arts, humanities, engineering and technology and medical sciences.                        

Activities that could be undertaken include (but are not limited to):

• Researchers spending time working in departments outside of their own discipline area
• Sharing insights on priorities or exploring synergies/new ideas that cut across departmental boundaries
• Work shadowing in other departments, for example to learn new skills and techniques
• Organising meetings/ seminars/ workshops between departments and disciplines to share learning, understanding of key terms, concepts, language and tools to tackle problems
• Working with businesses, policymakers, or non-governmental organisations to understand how their needs could be addressed through interdisciplinary approaches.

The funding must be used by 31^st March 2023. No cost extensions are not allowed on this grant. 

Eligibility and Costs 

The grant can be used to support academics and researchers employed by the University at lecturer (or equivalent) level or above and Post-Doctoral Research Assistants. PhD students are not eligible. Proposals will be considered for grants up to £10,000. Activities will be funded at 100% FEC. Eligible costs include: 

• Directly Allocated staff costs, plus associated indirect and estates costs 
• Directly Incurred staff costs, plus associated indirect and estates costs 
• Directly Incurred Travel & Subsistence costs
• Directly Incurred Other costs (to cover other expenses, workshops, consumables etc.) 
• Other Directly Allocated costs; Equipment (over £10k) is not an eligible cost on this grant

Please speak to your research grant or departmental administrator about costing as soon as possible to obtain an accurate costing. We request that applicants cost using X5, as this is required by NERC for the award. X5s should be left in draft but not submitted. 

The grants can start on 12^th December 2022 or later and the funds need to be spent by 31^st March 2023 and there is no possibility of a no cost extension on this grant.

Submission Process

To take part in the internal selection process, please submit your application via our online submission form by 24^th November 2022 (if asked to log-in, use your Raven details).

Applicants will need to have the following information ready in order to complete the online form submission (please note that the online form cannot be saved and returned to for future editing):

• Project Summary (max. 250 words) including an outline of the project, how the project addresses the criteria; key outputs and a list of project costs including the draft X5 number
• Head of Department support letter (from the host department)

All proposals will be reviewed by a Steering Group set up for this call. The Steering Group will actively consider diversity and inclusion, and will look to support activities that include individuals drawn from a diverse range of backgrounds and career stages and from a wide range of disciplines.

Project holders should consider if additional due diligence checks may be required for collaborating with external partners, particularly when it comes to transferring funds to a new organisation. Further context on the University's due diligence process is available here.

Please note that a brief final report on the activities undertaken and lessons learned, as well as a final expenditure statement, will need to be submitted by 1^st March 2023. These reports will be used to produce the institutional report to NERC which is due 31^st March 2023.