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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

Ganga Delta - Bay of Bengal Interactions

Antimicrobial Resistance in the Real World

Greenhouse Gas Emissions & Feedbacks

Atmospheric Pollution & Human Health in a Developing Megacity

Greenhouse Gas Removal from the Atmosphere

Highlight topic funding rounds

Biodiversity & Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS)

Biosphere Evolution, Transitions & Resilience (BETR)

Human-modified Tropical Forests

Building Resilience to Environmental Hazards

Ice Sheet Stability

Changing Arctic Ocean: Implications for marine biology & biogeochemistry

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

Drilling Subglacial Lake CECs in Antarctica

Clean Air: Analysis & Solutions

India-UK Water Quality

Influence of Man-made Structures in the Ecosystem (INSITE)

Drivers of Variability in Atmospheric Circulation

Drivers of Variability in the South Asian Monsoon

International Ocean Discovery Program (UK IODP)

Earth System Modelling Strategy (ESM)

Joint Weather & Climate Research Programme (JWCRP)

Landscape Decisions: Towards a new framework for using land assets

Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation (ESPA)

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

Emerging Risks of Chemicals in the Environment

Environmental & Social Ecology of Human Infectious Diseases (ESEI)

Marine Ecosystems

Marine Integrated Autonomous Observing Systems

Environmental Microbiology & Human Health

Flooding from Intense Rainfall

Marine Sensors Proof of Concept

Mathematics & Informatics for Environmental Omic Data Synthesis (Omics)

Exploring & Understanding Colombian Bio Resources

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

Future Climate for Africa (FCFA)

Ocean Shelf-Edge Exchange

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

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

Signals in the Soil

Soil Security

Sustainable Aquaculture

Sustainable Gas Futures

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

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

UK Climate Resilience

UK Droughts & Water Scarcity

Uncertainty in Climate Sensitivity due to Clouds

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

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 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)

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