UK Carbon Capture Storage Research Centre Flexible Fund Opens for 2022

The UK Carbon Capture Storage Research Centre (UKCCSRC) is supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) through the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Energy Theme.

UKCCSRC operates a flexible fund to support CCS research projects that contribute to the UK Government’s net-zero objectives. Examples of areas that can be addressed include but are not limited to the following:

• Supporting the Government’s net-zero objectives and the British Energy Security Strategy.
• Addressing CCUS challenges raised in the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report.
• Research linked to the priorities identified in the UKCCSRC industry and policy led ‘what are our research needs’ workshops.
• Areas of research outside of the scope of the Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre, IDRIC.
• Seed funding for a piece of work that could lead to responsive mode applications.
• Industrial capture and sources of CO2 that minimise competing for fossil fuels including BECCS, DACCS, Energy from waste and sustainable aviation fuels.
• CCUS projects that address and consider the longevity of utilisation.
• Work that can be used (eg a feasibility study) to establish a principle/understand the challenges for a larger bid to other sources of CCS funding later (noting that bid preparation itself cannot be funded).

Applications will be expected to show active engagement with industry or other research users, where relevant.

Members of all organisations eligible to receive EPSRC funding may participate in proposals. Individual investigators must also meet EPSRC funding requirements.

All proposals must have a UKCCSRC academic member as the Principal Investigator. Individual UKCCSRC members can be PI in no more than one proposal.

Grants will be expected to last between three and nine months. Projects should start no later than 1 October 2022 and finish no later than 31 March 2023.

A total of £350,000 is available. This can be used to support projects of the following fixed budget amounts:

• £10,000 (100% full Economic Cost (fEC)) for small projects that could lead to bigger funding, including collaborative work.
• £30,000 (100% fEC) for proposals with no additional funding.
• £50,000 (100% fEC) for proposals that can obtain 20% (£10,000) additional cash funding.

Research organisations will be paid at 80% of fEC. £100,000 is ringfenced for Early Career Researcher (ECR) applicants.

Applications should be submitted by the 12 July 2022 (13:00) deadline.