NERC Discipline Hopping for Environmental Solutions
The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) has awarded a grant of £75,000 to the University of Oxford that will support academics and researchers to build expertise and agility to work across disciplinary boundaries. Funds must be spent by 31 March 2022 at the latest.
The NERC Discipline Hopping for Environmental Solutions Grant application deadline to RS is noon on Monday 6 December. Internal departmental deadlines may vary so please check with your department before applying. There will only be one round of funding from this fund.
Remit of the fund
NERC seeks to facilitate exciting new collaborations that will build momentum towards true discipline integration. The initiative will support HEIs to initiate activities that will help the academic community to ‘discipline-hop’ and, in doing so, to develop an understanding of different research perspectives and methodologies that could be used to address environmental challenges.
Examples of the types of ‘discipline-hopping’ activities that could be undertaken (with suggested budget ranges) include:
- embedding researchers, for a period of time, in departments outside of their own discipline area (within the same organisation, or in other eligible UK research organisations) or with end-users (for example businesses, policymakers, non-governmental organisations) to understand how their needs could be addressed through interdisciplinary approaches (£10,000 to £30,000 fEC per placement)
- sharing insights on priorities and looking for synergies or new ideas that cut across departmental and disciplinary boundaries, through seminars, networks or roundtables with end-users
- organising hack-a-thon or sandpits across departments and disciplines to share learning, understanding of key terms, concepts, language and tools to tackle problems – new teams will develop a project for which they will pitch for proof-of-concept funds which will then be used within the funding window (up to 5 projects at £10,000 per project)
The funding must be used to facilitate and enhance interdisciplinary working in areas of relevance to the Environmental Solutions agenda. This funding will therefore cover collaborations aimed at addressing environmental solutions across the breadth of UKRI remit, including the arts, humanities, engineering and technology and medical sciences. NERC is keen for the environmental research community to think beyond more common disciplinary alliances and to consider areas where the value of different, and less explored, insights can be understood and exploited.
NERC will fund a community event summer 2022 (date tbc) for the community to share experiences, good practice and learning. Those in receipt of funding will be expected to participate.
Eligible applicants
Applications are open to all academic divisions of the University of Oxford.
The grant can be used to support academics and researchers employed by the HEI at lecturer (or equivalent) level or above and postdoctoral research assistants. DPhil students are not eligible.
Applications that do not meet the following two requirements will not progress further. It is essential that your application includes:
- evidence that staff and/or resources required for work are in place to ensure the project will start at short notice
- evidence that funding can be used by 31 March 2022 and that key deliverables and milestones can be achieved by 31 March 2022
The funding can be used to support activities within the University, or in partnership with other UK research organisations (and/or end users).
Applications are encouraged from under-represented groups.
Applications are welcome from early career researchers who meet these eligibility conditions and their department or faculty would support a research application to an external body in your name as principal investigator. Please contact your relevant divisional/departmental office if you are unsure of your eligibility.
You are not eligible to apply if you are:
- a student.
- a postdoctoral researcher without departmental support
- an honorary or visiting member of a department
Eligible costs
NERC is offering a total grant of £75,000 at 100% FEC. We anticipate funding a number of initiatives within this envelope.
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 T&S
- directly incurred other costs (to cover other expenses, workshops, consumables etc)
- other directly allocated costs
Equipment (over £10,000) is not an eligible cost on this grant. All requests must be justified. It is expected that applicants will have the necessary equipment and consumables available to them from the start of their activities.
It is the responsibility of the HEI to ensure that expenditure on collaborations is subject to robust controls to ensure value for money and propriety and that all costs should be fully vouched and maintained for possible inspection and checks by, or on behalf of, UKRI.
Additional notes for applicants
All activities must be completed by 31 March 2022. Extensions cannot be granted beyond this date.
Letters of support are not essential but any additional information regarding the supporting environment (for example collaborating departments, external project partners) will be welcomed by the review committee.
To make your application, please provide the following, combined into a single PDF, and email the PDF to researchgrants@admin.ox.ac.uk, copying in your Head of Administration and Finance:
- Case for support (see below)
- A one-page CV for each applicant listed in the application form
- An X5 trial costing admin output for your project, this does not need to be approved by Research Services
Note that some departments may have set an earlier internal deadline so please check with your local administration team and prepare your application well in advance of the advertised deadline date. Applications must be reviewed for eligibility and departmental support by departmental approvers before emailing to researchgrants@admin.ox.ac.uk, copying in your Head of Administration and Finance.
Please complete the application form provided. The case for support should clearly and concisely set out the following:
- aims and objectives of your ‘discipline-hopping’ activity, including what constitutes the ‘hop’, how this activity addresses NERC’s Environmental Solutions, how it will contribute towards ‘true discipline integration’, and whether new collaborations are involved or anticipated
- how the activity addresses equity, diversity and inclusion
- timeline and expected deliverables
- potential outcomes of the activity, including the cross-disciplinary learning that should emerge
- justification for support (including a brief description of why the budgeted items are necessary for purchase and use within this short time frame, why this fund is a suitable source of funding)
Please submit this as a single PDF to include all required elements.
Dates and deadlines
The application deadline for the NERC Discipline Hopping Grant is noon on Monday 6 December 2021. There will only be one round of funding from this fund.
Outcomes will be announced by mid-December to enable activities to start in early January 2022.
Successful applicants will be required to produce a brief final report on the activities undertaken, lessons learned, ongoing outcomes and impacts, as well as a final expenditure statement.
Contact for more information: Dr Sharron Pleydell-Pearce at sharron.pleydell-pearce@admin.ox.ac.uk
