NERC urgency funding
- Funding
- Up to £100,000
- Deadline
- Check with the funder
- Location
- UK-wide
- Applications
- Rolling applications
Overview
NERC urgency funding helps you respond quickly when an unexpected natural event creates a short-lived chance for environmental research. Think earthquakes, droughts, floods or ephemeral events in ecosystems. The money pays for collecting critical early data before the opportunity is lost, plus essential initial analysis.
It suits researchers based at UK research organisations eligible for NERC funding. Your project must fit mainly within one or more of NERC's Research Areas. You can only apply if waiting for another funding route would mean missing research of high scientific importance.
Projects can cost up to £100,000 full economic cost (FEC). NERC funds 80% of the FEC, so your organisation covers the standard 20%. Projects can last up to one year. NERC will fund NERC facilities costs, but not PhD studentships or single items of equipment costing £25,000 or more. Ship-time cannot be requested through this scheme.
There is no closing date and applications are accepted at any time. Timing still matters. You must send a one-page outline within four weeks of the event start date, with clear evidence of when the event began. If NERC approves it, you have 10 working days to submit a full application.
A key caveat: some events are out of scope. These include events caused by deliberate human action, seasonal or periodic events you could have planned for, continued monitoring of existing projects and data collected to inform urgent policy decisions. NERC may also limit how many applications it considers or supports for the same event or location. You must have a clear plan for taking the research forward once the urgent phase ends.
Official source: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/nerc-urgency-funding-open/. Last checked by GrantMatch on 28 October 2026.
Requirements to check
Who can apply:
Key requirements:
- Projects can cost up to £100,000 full economic cost, with NERC funding 80%
- Projects last up to one year and focus on urgent data collection and essential initial analysis
- Outline must be submitted within four weeks of the event start date, with clear evidence of that date
- Full application must be submitted within 10 working days of invitation
- No PhD studentship costs and no single equipment items of £25,000 or more
- Ship-time cannot be requested through this scheme
- You cannot apply if you led or co-led a full application to this scheme in the previous two years
- Events caused by deliberate human action, or events you could have planned for, are out of scope
- You need a clear strategy for taking the research forward after the urgent phase
You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for NERC funding to be a project lead or project co-lead. Your research must fall within NERC's remit. You cannot be named on an application if you have led or co-led another full application to this scheme in the previous two years. NERC does not fund overseas organisations, except specific costs for project co-leads from Norway. Other international collaborators, and UK partners not at approved organisations, join as project partners and fund their own involvement. Uninvited resubmissions are not accepted.
This summary may not include every exclusion. Check the full eligibility rules, including who and what the funder will not support.
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Start freeWho is this for?
Researchers at UK research organisations eligible for NERC funding who need to collect urgent environmental data after an unexpected natural event.
Regions
No published award history for Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). Some funders do not publish their grants data.
Full details from Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
Apply for funding to respond quickly to transient, unexpected environmental research opportunities created by sporadic natural occurrences such as earthquakes, droughts, floods, or ephemeral events in ecosystems.You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for NERC funding.
How to apply
First email a one-page A4 outline to urgencygrants@nerc.ukri.org within four weeks of the event starting. Include a short summary, the case for urgency with evidence of the start date, objectives and methods, the organisations and core team, and a proposed start date and duration. If approved, you will be invited by email to submit a full application through the UKRI Funding Service within 10 working days. Your research office submits it.
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Create free accountLast updated: 9 November 2026