Submitting a research proposal to NERC

High winds making life difficult at a field camp. No work today! These winds are around 30 knots, often 60 knots are encountered but few photographs are taken then!

Principal Investigators and researchers should discuss and agree their requests for polar fieldwork support with BAS at least three months in advance of NERC grant submission deadlines listed below. All research grant proposals to NERC should be submitted no later than the announced deadlines. Applicants should leave enough time for their proposal to pass through the UKRI Funding Service or Joint electronic Submission (Je-S) route before 16:00 on the closing date.

Proposals are assessed on their scientific excellence. NERC Moderating Panels meet annually in June and December to grade the proposals and make recommendations for funding. Applicants should adhere to the regulations set out in the NERC handbook.

Submission deadlines:

Email the Antarctic Access Office at BAS (afibas@bas.ac.uk) stating your name and institution. They will send you a link to the OSPQ portal along with instructions on how to complete your Pre-Award OSPQ.

Deadlines. Note that the submission deadline is 4 p.m. on the given date.

Funding call application deadline Deadline for Pre-Award OSPQ
 Large grants – Outline proposals 26th February 2026,  full proposals – 5th November 2026  26th February 2026
 Pushing the Frontiers  –   21st January 2026 1st October 2025
 NERC Independent Research Fellowships  – 16th June 2026 16th March 2026
 UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships – 16th June 2026  16th March 2026
 Collaborative Antarctic Science Scheme – 31st March 2026  31st March 2026 – OSPQ not required, see CASS application form
 Other NERC/ UKRI/ Other Research Council/ Other eligible non-UKRI funding calls (e.g. EU, Leverhulme)  3 months before full proposal submission deadline

Applications for BAS Antarctic logistics support are welcome on other NERC/ UKRI/ Other Research Council funding calls (e.g. Directed calls), the Pre-Award OSPQ deadline will be 3 months before the proposal deadline, unless stated otherwise in the call.

Applications are also welcome on certain non-UKRI funding calls, including EU, ESA and the Leverhulme Trust.  For further information on non-UKRI funding calls please contact the Antarctic Access Office 

Process for Principal Investigators

  • Step 1

Check the status of your organisation’s UKRI Funding Service or Je-S registration

Organisations wishing to register for the UKRI Funding Service should consult the following webpage.

Organisations wishing to register for Je-S should contact the Je-S Helpdesk (Tel:01793 444164).

Users wishing to access either system for the first time must check with their central administration to establish the status of the organisation’s UKRI Funding Service or Je-S registration before proceeding to create a new account.
  • Step 2

Create an account on the UKRI Funding Service or Je-S (if you do not already have a user account)
  • Step 3

Prepare the research grant proposal on the UKRI Funding Service or Je-S.

Partially completed proposals can be saved for editing later editing.

 
  • Step 4

Submit the finalised proposal to NERC

The final proposal is submitted to NERC (or other Research Councils) by an authorised representative of the Principal Investigator’s host institution. Remember that the approved ‘Pre Award Operational Planning Support Questionnaire’ feedback letter must be included as an attachment on the Je-S system. Proposals submitted through the UKRI Funding Service should confirm that Antarctic Logistics Support is required and that the fieldwork request has been approved by the Antarctic Access Office, however they should not attach their feedback letter or submitted OSPQ.

Contacts

Support with using the UKRI Funding Service can be provided by the Funding Service Helpdesk.

Further information on Je-S is available from the Je-S Helpdesk.