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Research programmes

Use the links below to find out more about NERC's current research programmes. You can also view the findings and final reports of completed programmes.

Analytical Science & Technology

Antimicrobial Resistance in the Real World

Atmospheric Pollution & Human Health in a Developing Megacity

Biodiversity & Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS)

Biosphere Evolution, Transitions & Resilience (BETR)

Building Resilience to Environmental Hazards

Changing Arctic Ocean: Implications for marine biology & biogeochemistry

Changing Water Cycle

Coastal Sediment Systems

Drivers of Variability in Atmospheric Circulation

Drivers of Variability in the South Asian Monsoon

Earth System Modelling Strategy (ESM)

Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation (ESPA)

Emerging Risks of Chemicals in the Environment

Environmental & Social Ecology of Human Infectious Diseases (ESEI)

Environmental Microbiology & Human Health

Exploring & Understanding Colombian Bio Resources

Future Climate for Africa (FCFA)

Flooding from Intense Rainfall

Ganga Delta - Bay of Bengal Interactions

Greenhouse Gas Emissions & Feedbacks

Greenhouse Gas Removal from the Atmosphere

Highlight topic funding rounds

Human-modified Tropical Forests

Ice Sheet Stability

Increasing Resilience to Natural Hazards in Earthquake-prone & Volcanic Regions

India-UK Water Quality

International Ocean Discovery Program (UK IODP)

Joint Weather & Climate Research Programme (JWCRP)

Latin American Biodiversity Programme: Biodiversity - Ecosystem services for sustainable development

Marine Ecosystems

Marine Integrated Autonomous Observing Systems

Marine Renewable Energy

Marine Sensors Proof of Concept

Multidisciplinary Drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) - The international Arctic drift expedition

Mathematics & Informatics for Environmental Omic Data Synthesis (Omics)

Methane Network

Next Generation Weather & Climate Prediction (NGWCP)

Ocean Acidification

Ocean Shelf-Edge Exchange

Peruvian Glacial Retreat and its Impact on Water Security & Resilience to Natural Hazards

Probability, Uncertainty & Risk in the Environment (PURE)

Radioactivity & the Environment (RATE)

RAPID Climate Change - Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (RAPID-AMOC)

Resource Recovery From Waste: Challenges for the health of the environment

Role of the Southern Ocean in the Earth System (RoSES)

Science for Humanitarian Emergencies & Resilience (SHEAR)

Security of Supply of Mineral Resources

Shelf Sea Biogeochemistry

Soil Security

Storm Risk Mitigation through Improved Prediction & Impact Modelling

Sustainable Gas Futures

Sustainable Aquaculture

Sustaining Water Resources for Food, Energy & Ecosystem Services (SWR)

Thwaites - The Future of Thwaites Glacier & its Contribution to Sea-level Rise

UK Droughts & Water Scarcity

Understanding & Predicting the Ocean Surface Boundary Layer

Understanding & Representing Atmospheric Convection across Scales

Understanding & Sustaining Brazilian Biome Resources

Understanding of the Impacts of Hydrometeorological Hazards in South East Asia

Understanding the Effectiveness of Natural Flood Management

Understanding the Impacts of the Current El Niño Event

Understanding the Pathways to and Impacts of a 1.5°C Rise in Global Temperature

Unlocking the Potential for Groundwater for the Poor (UPGro)

Using Critical Zone Science to Understand Sustaining the Ecosystem Service of Soil & Water (CZO)

Unconventional Hydrocarbons in the UK Energy System: Environmental & socio-economic impacts & processes

Valuing Natural Capital in Low Carbon Energy Pathways

Valuing Nature

Volatiles, Geodynamics & Solid Earth Controls on the Habitable Planet

Wallacea Region - Understanding biodiversity & evolutionary responses to environmental change

Completed programmes