Advancing atmospheric and aerial autonomy

NERC is offering proof-of-concept grants to develop, integrate, deploy and demonstrate autonomous technology for environmental observing. The total pot is £4 million. Each project can have a full economic cost of £300,000 up to £1 million, and NERC will fund 100% of that cost.

There are two strands. About half of the funding is for autonomous sensing, instrumentation and measurement that advance atmospheric science. These do not need to use aircraft or drones. The other half is for autonomous aerial systems, where uncrewed aerial systems must be central to the project. These can support uses such as ecosystem observation, natural hazard monitoring, and freshwater, coastal and marine environments. Projects can address one or both strands.

NERC wants projects that deliver a deployable demonstrator, produce high-quality environmental data, and show how the capability can be used and adopted beyond the project. Partnerships matter. Collaboration with industry is strongly encouraged but is not required.

You must lead from a UK research organisation eligible for NERC funding. Projects can run for three to 12 months and must start by 1 February 2027.

The deadline is 4:00pm UK time on 21 October 2026. The main caveat is speed. This is an accelerated programme, so you need to show you can mobilise immediately after award, including any major purchases. You also need to set out dependencies such as procurement, recruitment or regulatory approvals. On the UKRI Funding Service, all costs must go in the Exceptions Equipment line.

Official source: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/advancing-atmospheric-and-aerial-autonomy/. Last checked by GrantMatch on 15 October 2026.