BiodivFuture 2026–2027: UK Research Grants for International Novel Ecosystems Projects
Biodiversa+ and NERC invite UK research teams into a two-stage international call on novel ecosystems, with up to £375,000 full economic cost for the UK partners in each project.
BiodivFuture 2026–2027: UK Research Grants for International Novel Ecosystems Projects
BiodivFuture is the 2026–2027 Biodiversa+ joint call for transnational research and innovation projects on novel ecosystems. It supports international teams studying how ecosystems shaped by human influence function, change over time, and affect biodiversity and society. The call is open, and the first submission deadline is the mandatory pre-proposal on 10 November 2026. Teams invited forward after that stage will prepare a full proposal for April 2027.
For a project that includes UK partners, the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) administers the UK funding rules through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The combined UK component may request up to £375,000 in full economic cost, and NERC funds 80% of eligible costs. Projects can run for up to 36 months. The international consortium must include teams from at least three countries that financially participate in this call, including at least two EU member states or Horizon Europe associated countries. Individual national funding organisations apply their own eligibility and budget conditions, so a good scientific idea is only one part of the fit: the consortium also has to satisfy each partner country’s rules.
Key details
| Detail | Confirmed information |
|---|---|
| Opportunity | Biodiversa+ 2026–2027 joint call: Novel ecosystems (BiodivFuture) |
| UK funder | Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), through UKRI |
| Current status | Open |
| UK funding limit | Up to £375,000 full economic cost for all UK partners combined; NERC funds 80% |
| Project length | Up to 36 months |
| Mandatory pre-proposal deadline | 10 November 2026, 12:00 noon Central European Time (11:00 UTC) |
| Full-proposal deadline | 16 April 2027, 12:00 noon Central European Summer Time (11:00 UK time) |
| Application platform | Biodiversa+ Electronic Proposal Submission System (EPSS) |
| UK lead | A project lead at a research organisation eligible for NERC funding |
| International consortium | At least three participating countries, including at least two EU member states or Horizon Europe associated countries |
| UK project scope | Within NERC remit and intended to enhance environmental understanding |
| UK project start | No later than 14 February 2028 under the UKRI rules |
| Official opportunity and UK details | UKRI: Biodiversa+ 2026 to 2027 novel ecosystems |
| Call-wide documents and country rules | Biodiversa+ 2026–2027 Joint Call |
The £375,000 ceiling is the combined full economic cost of the UK partners, not the international consortium budget or cash paid to each team. NERC funds 80% of eligible UK FEC. Requests above £312,500 FEC (£250,000 at 80%) need to justify the extra resources and their added value.
What BiodivFuture is designed to fund
The call addresses ecosystems substantially changed from historical conditions, including new communities, processes, or interactions. Because definitions of “novel ecosystems” vary, proposals must explain their conceptual approach and show how the research addresses the idea.
Projects can study drivers of change, biological responses, and the benefits, risks, or trade-offs of current and possible future trajectories. The call spans terrestrial, freshwater, marine, and coastal environments worldwide and seeks integrated research with potential societal or policy impact.
Applicants can focus on one or more of three themes:
- Novel ecosystem functioning. Research can examine how these ecosystems work, how ecological processes connect with social and economic dynamics, and what mechanisms or approaches may support biodiversity gains.
- Pathways to novel ecosystems. Work can investigate plausible trajectories and the social and ecological dynamics associated with them, including uncertainty and timing differences among processes.
- Biodiversity benefits and equity. Projects can study how biodiversity benefits, costs, and trade-offs are distributed, and how inclusive and collaborative pathways can contribute to nature-positive change.
Themes can be combined. Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary work, including relevant non-academic stakeholders, is encouraged when it helps answer a clear research question.
Who can apply with a UK component
The UK project lead must be based at a research organisation eligible for NERC funding. This includes eligible public-sector research establishments and independent research organisations under UKRI rules. People at any career stage may be involved if they meet funder criteria. Confirm your organisation and role with its research office before committing to the consortium.
Each consortium needs teams from at least three financially participating countries, including at least two EU member states or Horizon Europe associated countries. Confirm that countries and funders participate, then check each partner’s national rules for applicants, costs, and budget limits; the Biodiversa+ page lists funders and country documents.
The UK component must fit NERC remit and enhance environmental understanding. AHRC- and ESRC-related expertise is encouraged where useful, but does not replace the NERC fit requirement. Contact the NERC Biodiversa+ team if remit is uncertain.
International researchers cannot be listed as international Project co-leads on the UK component. They can participate through their national funder or as project partners where appropriate. Explain each UK co-lead’s distinct contribution. Partners without direct funding may still contribute; limited costs such as some travel may be eligible under the rules.
An individual may join no more than two applications and may coordinate only one consortium. Track commitments as teams form, and clarify whether each planned role counts toward this limit.
The two-stage application process
Submit proposals in English through the Biodiversa+ Electronic Proposal Submission System (EPSS). The pre-proposal is mandatory and competitive; only teams selected at stage one may prepare a full proposal.
Stage 1: pre-proposal. Submit by 12 noon CET on 10 November 2026. Assessors consider scope fit, novelty, and impact. The Biodiversa+ page provides the form, checklist, and assessment criteria. Make the research question, call fit, transnational rationale, novelty, and intended users clear.
Stage 2: full proposal. Results are expected in mid-February 2027. Selected teams submit by 12 noon CEST on 16 April 2027. Review covers scientific excellence, project-plan quality and efficiency, and impact, including societal or policy impact and stakeholder engagement. Explain methods, delivery, partner roles, risks, and how results will reach users.
UK applicants recommended for funding will later submit details through the UKRI Funding Service. This post-selection step does not replace the joint EPSS application.
Timeline and funding structure
The call launched on 9 September 2026. A general webinar and a UK applicant webinar followed the next day; UKRI added the recording, slides, and Q&A to its page on 22 September. Use these alongside the written call and funder rules.
The pre-proposal is due 10 November 2026; outcomes are expected in mid-February 2027, followed by the full proposal deadline on 16 April. Funding recommendations are expected in late September or early October 2027. Projects are expected to start between 1 December 2027 and 1 April 2028, with UK awards starting no later than 14 February 2028. Awards last up to 36 months.
UKRI lists a total fund of £3.75 million and expects to support at least 13 projects involving UK partners. This is a portfolio estimate, not a guaranteed award. Include eligible UK research costs, allowed NERC non-ship marine facilities or equipment, and costs for one or two members to attend up to three UK-based RESET programme events.
The call excludes PhD studentships, UK-component costs for international project co-leads, NERC ship time, and equipment requests of £25,000 or more. Smaller items may be requested under the instructed consumables category. Facility costs count toward the cap. Where a technical assessment is required, obtain a pre-proposal estimate and, if invited forward, facility agreement and full costs.
Preparing a competitive proposal
Begin with a fit check. Identify the BiodivFuture theme, describe the ecological change that makes the system relevant, and state what the international team can learn beyond a single-country study. At pre-proposal stage, assessors explicitly consider scope, novelty, and impact; answer each directly.
Build the consortium around complementary roles. Map partners to research tasks, data, study systems, methods, stakeholder relationships, or comparisons. Confirm country participation, each partner’s funding route, national deadlines, and budget limits early.
Define how the project uses “novel ecosystem.” Explain the community and processes, what has changed, and why the current or future state matters to biodiversity and people. Connect the framing to observations, comparisons, models, or stakeholder knowledge. Do not assume a novel state is automatically degraded, beneficial, or beyond restoration; investigate trajectories and trade-offs.
Plan impact as part of the research. Identify who needs the evidence, how their knowledge will shape the work, and what outputs they can use. Explain when and how stakeholder engagement will influence project decisions, not only dissemination.
Work with the research office on UK FEC and the resource narrative. State the UK request in euros in the joint application, give its pound equivalent and exchange rate in the UK justification, and use the official rate for 9 September 2026. Requests above £250,000 at the 80% level need added justification. Check facility, data-management, RESET event, and equipment costs early.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Treating the pre-proposal as optional. It is mandatory; only selected proposals proceed.
- Counting countries without checking participation. All three must be financially participating; confirm the current country and funder list.
- Using a generic biodiversity pitch. Tie the question to novel ecosystems, a call theme, and transnational added value.
- Leaving the concept undefined. The call recognises that definitions vary, but proposals must say how they define and address novel ecosystems.
- Assuming every partner uses UK rules. Each partner must confirm its national eligibility, cost, and budget rules.
- Misstating the UK award ceiling. £375,000 is the UK partners’ combined FEC cap. NERC funds 80% of eligible UK FEC; it is not £375,000 in direct cash for every UK partner.
- Missing excluded costs. Do not include PhD studentship costs, international co-lead costs on the UK component, NERC ship time, or equipment requests at or above £25,000.
- Underplanning facilities and shared work. Confirm facility feasibility and costing; explain cross-country coordination of data, methods, and engagement.
- Relying on a deadline date without time-zone conversion. The full proposal closes at noon CEST on 16 April 2027, which is 11:00am UK time. Submit earlier and check EPSS confirmation.
Frequently asked questions
Can a UK-based researcher apply alone?
No. The joint call requires teams from three participating countries, including two EU member states or Horizon Europe associated countries.
Is the November 2026 deadline for the full application?
No. It is the mandatory pre-proposal deadline. Selected teams submit a full proposal by 16 April 2027.
Is the maximum UK amount £375,000 per UK institution?
No. The cap applies to the combined full economic cost requested by all UK partners in one project. NERC funds 80% of eligible FEC. Partners should agree the UK allocation and costing together.
Can the project include social scientists or arts and humanities researchers?
Yes, where useful to the challenge. The UK research must still meet NERC remit and enhance environmental understanding.
Can international partners be UK co-leads?
No. They can participate through their national funder or as project partners under the applicable rules.
What should applicants do next?
Read the UKRI opportunity page and the Biodiversa+ call documents, confirm the organisation and country eligibility rules, and register or access EPSS. Contact prospective partners and institutional research support immediately, then prepare the mandatory pre-proposal around scope, novelty, impact, and a credible transnational design. UK-specific questions can be sent to [email protected]; the general call contact is the Biodiversa+ Secretariat at [email protected].