UK Energy Research Centre’s 2nd Call for Proposals for Flexible Fund

Deadline: 21-May-21

The UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) is issuing the 2nd call for proposals for the Flexible Fund to deliver the green industrial revolution: Challenges for the energy sector from Net Zero and Covid-19 recovery.

• To allow the research programme to develop flexibility in the light of new scientific insights or external developments;
• To bring a wider range of researchers and disciplines into UKERC’s research programme, including researchers from outside the ‘traditional’ energy community;
• To promote integration in the UKERC research programme, and to fill gaps where needed;
• To build collaborations between the UKERC research community and other research communities – including other energy researchers, groups and centres; and
• To scope and develop new research agendas in partnership with funders, the research community and other stakeholders.

• Delivering a 40 GW offshore wind target: Securing investment and ensuring efficient price signals – The first point of the UK government’s 10 Point Plan focuses on offshore wind. A plan to quadruple the existing capacity by 2030 is set out. This translates to 40 GW capacity by 2030 and includes 1 GW of floating offshore wind. Whilst a focus of the 10 Point Plan is on offshore wind in 2030 the net zero target will require ongoing roll out of a range of low carbon options over a longer timescale.
• The economic impacts of heat system decarbonisation – A range of measures have been announced by UK Government that aim to reduce, and ultimately eliminate, CO2 emissions from providing heating to homes and businesses and make buildings more energy efficient. The Government’s plans including the Heat in Buildings Strategy anticipates a move away from gas boilers in the next fifteen years, while maintaining thermal comfort and keeping heating costs low. It also sets out the aspiration to future-proof both domestic and non-domestic new buildings, and to deliver the installation of 600,000 heat pumps annually by 2028.
• Co-benefits: Covid-19 recovery, net zero and wider societal and environmental effects – Institutional, societal and technological changes to reduce CO2 emissions also affect the natural environment and human societies and reducing greenhouse gas emissions is often argued to bring with it a range of environmental and societal cobenefits. Examples include reduced local air-pollution in urban areas due to a shift to electric mobility or impacts on ecosystems from renewable energy installations. Such impacts are not always positive.

• Proposals are invited from eligible UK researchers, i.e. applicants based in UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), Research Council Institutes and Centres, and Independent Research Organisations (IROs) approved by any of the Research Councils. Potential applicants should contact UKERC well in advance of the submission deadline if they have any queries concerning their eligibility. Organisations not eligible to receive Research Council funding directly (e.g. industry, government agencies, third sector organisations) may participate as project partners.
• Individuals may submit no more than one proposal as Principal Investigator plus one as Coinvestigator, or two as Co-Investigator, to this call.

For more information, visit https://ukerc.ac.uk/news/flexi-fund-call-2/