NERC Global Partnerships Seedcorn Fund – 2022 Annual Round Now Open

The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Global Partnerships Seedcorn Fund supports UK environmental science researchers to develop new long-term, sustainable collaborations with international scientists. The aim of the scheme is to support the development of partnerships that are:

• International (from any country).
• New (ie with partners that the applicant has not collaborated with previously).
• Long-term (that will be self-sustaining beyond the lifetime of the grant).

Proposed collaborations must involve international research partner(s) from any country (outside the UK) and in any science area within the NERC remit. Although the majority of the application should lie within NERC remit, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaborations with international partners are welcomed. The inclusion of one or more international project partners is mandatory and the partner(s) must have an integral role in the proposed work.

Supported activities may include, but are not limited to: programmes of exchange visits or staff secondments; establishing networks on a common research area; scoping, feasibility or proof of concept studies; and workshops. New collaborations may enable UK researchers and international partners to share unique/complementary data, skills, infrastructure and field sites.

This funding opportunity is for principal or new investigators looking to create new global partnerships across any environmental science areas in NERC’s remit. Applicants must be based at UK organisations eligible for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding. Standard NERC individual and research organisation eligibility rules apply for Principal Investigators, Co-Investigators and new investigators.

The inclusion of one or more international project partners is mandatory and the partner(s) must have an integral role in the proposed work.

The total budget for this call is £1 million. Grants up to a maximum of £100,000 (100% full economic cost) over two years are available. Requested costs for UK research organisations will be funded at 80% of full economic cost.

International partners are not eligible for direct funding from NERC, however, eligible UK organisations may request up to £15,000 for international partner(s) to support their travel and subsistence costs during visits or exchanges.

This call has two application stages: a mandatory Notification of Intent to submit stage followed by full proposals. The Notification of Intent deadline is 17 February 2022 (16:00). The full proposal submission deadline is 10 March 2022 (16:00).