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UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) is pioneering an ambitious new approach to tackle some of the world's most pressing challenges through a £200 million investment across 12 global research hubs, announced today.

NERC is the lead council for four of these interdisciplinary research hubs, representing a significant investment in environmental science that will support international research collaborations addressing a range of global challenges. For example, the Global Challenge Research Fund (GCRF) Living Delta Hub aims to safeguard the future of river deltas through more resilient communities and sustainable development, whilst the GCRF One Ocean Hub will help to predict, harness and share environmental, socioeconomic and cultural benefits from ocean conservation and sustainable use.

NERC's Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) will lead the UKRI GCRF South Asian Nitrogen Hub, aiming to understand the flow of nitrogen into the environment from farming and fuel, and improve nitrogen management in agriculture to reduce water and air pollution. Finally, the GCRF Urban Disaster Risk Transitions Hub will work with international agencies to bring disaster risk management to the centre of global urban policy.

Over the next five years, the interdisciplinary hubs will work across 85 countries with governments, international agencies, partners and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on the ground in developing countries and around the globe, to develop creative and sustainable solutions which help make the world, and the UK, safer, healthier and more prosperous.

The hubs focus on a wide range of global challenges, from improving human health and promoting gender equality and social justice, to fortifying ecological systems and biodiversity on land and sea, generating agricultural sustainability, and fostering greater resilience to natural disasters. Each hub aims to achieve tangible outcomes that will improve the lives and livelihoods of millions across the world.

The new hubs being announced in detail today are funded through the GCRF - which is a key component in delivering the UK Aid Strategy and puts UK-led research at the heart of efforts to tackle the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Professor Andrew Thompson, UKRI Champion for International, and Executive Chair of the Arts & Humanities Research Council, said:

The sheer scale and ambition of these hubs is what makes them so exciting. They enable us to deliver a coordinated global response with UK researchers working in partnership with researchers, governments, NGOs, community groups and international agencies across developing countries. Each hub has the potential to transform the quality of life for multitudes throughout the world and safeguard our planet for future generations.

The hubs for which NERC is the lead council are:

To read the project summaries of all 12 hubs, visit the UKRI website - external link.

Further information

For NERC communications or media enquiries, please contact:

Mary Goodchild
External Communications Manager
01793 411939
07710 147485
mary.goodchild@nerc.ukri.org

For further information about the GCRF hubs, please contact:

Tracey Jewitt
UKRI ODA Communications Lead
07749 436564
tracey.jewitt@ukri.org

James Giles-Franklin
UKRI Media Manager
07808 878276
james.giles-franklin@ukri.org

Notes

1. NERC is the UK's main agency for funding and managing research, training and knowledge exchange in the environmental sciences. Our work covers the full range of atmospheric, Earth, biological, terrestrial and aquatic science, from the deep oceans to the upper atmosphere and from the poles to the equator. We coordinate some of the world's most exciting research projects, tackling major environmental issues such as climate change, environmental influences on human health, the genetic make-up of life on Earth, and much more. NERC is part of UK Research & Innovation, a non-departmental public body funded by a grant-in-aid from the UK government.

2. UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) is a new body which works in partnership with universities, research organisations, businesses, charities, and government to create the best possible environment for research and innovation to flourish. We aim to maximise the contribution of each of its component parts, working individually and collectively. We work with our many partners to benefit everyone through knowledge, talent and ideas.

Operating across the whole of the UK with a combined budget of more than £7 billion, UKRI brings together the Arts & Humanities Research Council, the Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council, the Economic & Social Research Council, the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council, Innovate UK, the Medical Research Council, NERC, Research England, and the Science & Technology Facilities Council.

3. The Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) is the UK's Centre of Excellence for integrated research in the land and freshwater ecosystems and their interaction with the atmosphere. CEH is part of NERC, employs more than 450 people at four major sites in England, Scotland and Wales, hosts over 150 PhD students, and has an overall budget of about £35 million. CEH tackles complex environmental challenges to deliver practicable solutions so that future generations can benefit from a rich and healthy environment.

4. The Global Challenges Research Fund supports cutting-edge research and innovation that addresses the global issues faced by developing countries. It harnesses the expertise of the UK's world-leading researchers, focusing on: funding challenge-led disciplinary and interdisciplinary research; strengthening capability for research, innovation and knowledge exchange; and providing an agile response to emergencies where there is an urgent research or on-the-ground need.

It is a £1·5 billion fund which forms part of the UK government's official development assistance (ODA) commitment and is overseen by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, and delivered through nine delivery partners including UK Research & Innovation, the UK Academies, the UK Space Agency and other funding bodies.