Funding Opportunity: Net Zero Transport for a Resilient Future Research Hub (UK)

Deadline: 25-Apr-23

Establish the Net Zero Transport for a Resilient Future Research Hub, focusing on climate adaptation and mitigation solutions for the transport system across modalities and landscapes.

Scope

• The Net Zero Transport for a Resilient Future Research Hub will focus on the transport sector’s needs over the next 25 years, as they approach 2050. During this time the sector is required to reach net zero and will be challenged by the impacts of their already changing climate, including temperature change, increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events and sea-level rise.
• Research in partnership with communities, organisations, policy makers and transport delivery bodies needs to take a whole systems approach to improving the resilience of their transport system, and planning for a greater likelihood of disruption. Fundamentally, the impacts of climate change will vary across modes of transport, associated infrastructure, temporally, and geographically.

Funding Information

• UKRI and DfT will fund one £10 million hub at 80% of the full economic cost (FEC).
• The hub has a fixed start date of 1 September 2023 and can run for up to 43 months.

What they are looking for?

• As part of UKRI’s strategic theme of ‘building a green future’ and aligning to the UK’s Net Zero Research and Innovation Framework, UKRI and DfT will support the establishment of a single £10 million flagship Net Zero Transport for a Resilient Future Research Hub. This will build capacity and research critical mass in the UK. The hub will take a systems approach to developing and implementing sustainable, low carbon, adaptation solutions for resilient transport infrastructure and streetscapes.
• As the largest contributor to UK emissions, accounting for 27% of emissions, decarbonising the transport sector is a crucial component of achieving the UK’s net zero 2050 target. The scale of transformation required to decarbonise their transport system is unprecedented and at the same time, the climate is already changing. They need to be able to respond quickly to ensure their transport system continues to be resilient and will support their net zero future.
• Warmer wetter winters, hotter drier summers and more extreme weather events bring a range of hazards that the transport system is not currently built to withstand. This is generating a dual challenge that needs to be tackled, they need solutions that both reduce the carbon footprint of their transport system and enable it to adapt to the effects of climate change.

Eligibility Criteria

• Standard UKRI eligibility rules apply. Research grants are open to:
  • UK higher education institutions
  • research council institutes
  • UKRI-approved independent research organisations
  • eligible public sector research establishments
  • eligible research and technology organisations
  • NHS bodies with research capacity
• You can apply if you are a resident in the UK and meet at least one of the following conditions:
  • are employed at the submitting research organisation at a level equivalent to lecturer or above
  • hold a fixed-term contract that extends beyond the duration of the proposed project, and the host research organisation is prepared to give you all the support normal for a permanent employee
  • hold an EPSRC, Royal Society or Royal Academy of Engineering fellowship aimed at later career stages
  • hold fellowships under other schemes (please contact EPSRC to check eligibility, which is considered on a case-by-case basis)
  • Holders of postdoctoral level fellowships are not eligible to apply for an EPSRC grant.

For more information, visit EPSRC.