Researchers will receive a total of £47 million to tackle some of the most significant environmental challenges facing the UK.

The funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) has been awarded to NERC research centres that individually specialise in earth, ecological ocean, polar, and atmospheric science.

Research teams from the centres will work collaboratively to better understand:

  • Coastal flooding;
  • Greenhouse gas emissions;
  • Changes in biodiversity;
  • Other critical environmental issues.

Dr. Iain Williams, director of strategic partnerships, NERC said:

“This investment in NERC’s research centres will advance our understanding of the drivers of climatic and biodiversity changes, their impact on the UK environment and how we can mitigate and adapt to such changes.

“By bringing together the wide ranging expertise and specialist facilities from across NERC’s centres, along with our key partners, these projects will power scientific discoveries.

“Discoveries that will help us adapt to, tackle or predict the impact of changes to our climate.”

The research centres involved are:

  • British Antarctic Survey;
  • British Geological Survey;
  • National Centre for Atmospheric Science;
  • National Centre for Earth Observation;
  • National Oceanography Centre;
  • UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology;
  • Plymouth Marine Laboratory (delivery partner).

This funding for environmental challenges comes from the NERC National Capability Multi-Centre Science programme, which aims to enable a more ambitious, integrated approach to large-scale research challenges than any single research centre can deliver alone.