Who can apply?
Scientists can bid to NERC for free at the point of use access to its ships, equipment and support facilities if you have secured funding from either:
- NERC
- a non-NERC peer-reviewed source (like the EU or the US National Science Foundation)
- commissioned research
If you have funding from a non-peer-reviewed source, see our policy and guidance for details of eligibility assessment.
NERC marine facilities planning cycle
The NERC marine facilities planning cycle contains some of the most important information for applicants to ensure applications are made at the right time and all the necessary paperwork is completed.
1. Submit ship time and marine equipment application form
All applicants for NERC marine facilities must submit an online Ship time and Marine Equipment (SME) application or Autonomous Deployment (ADF) form by creating a cruise profile through the Marine Facilities Planning website.
In this form you can tell NERC:
- the ship and equipment you wish to use
- when you wish to use it
- how you intend to fund your research
All costings and cruise programming will be based on the information you give on this form, so you must complete it as accurately as possible.
Where an SME or ADF is linked to an individual NERC grant application, you should make it explicit both in the grant application and on the SME or ADF.
2. Policy compliance and funding application
- Submit policy and risk management documents (if necessary, for example the moorings policy) two months before funding application submission. You may not need to submit these. Check the funding policy.
- Apply for funding.
The deadline will depend on the chosen funding route and opportunity closing date.
Find out more about what to include in your application.
Discovery science grants
The SME or ADF must be completed and submitted past ‘Edit SME/ADF’ by the time the grant application is submitted. Please check the call announcement for differing timelines.
The SME/ADF profile number should be included on the grant application form under ‘Facilities’. The grant application is not valid if the SME form is not complete, approved and progressed (if it is still at the ‘Edit’ stage).
Please note that SME/ADF forms that require superstructure costing (that is, those associated with large grant applications) must be submitted at least two months before the grant application deadline. This is to make sure there is sufficient time for the costing process to be carried out.
You should notify NERC Marine Planning (email: marineplanning@nerc.ukri.org) if the SME requires costing.
Research programmes
The SME of ADF must be submitted by the date specified in the documents specific to your funding opportunity. You should notify NERC Marine Planning (email: marineplanning@nerc.ukri.org) if the SME/ADF requires costing.
National capability
SMEs or ADFs can be submitted at any time, but if a costing is required they should be submitted by 1 February, two months before the marine facilities programming deadline of 1 April.
You should notify NERC Marine Planning (email: marineplanning@nerc.ukri.org) if the SME/ADF requires costing.
Notify Marine Planning
Email: marineplanning@nerc.ukri.org
3. Confirm funding on the online SME application
If your funding is approved
If you are successful in securing funding, your SME or ADF must be updated to reflect this immediately. Cruises will not be considered for programming at all unless the SME/ADF has been moved past the ‘confirm funding’ stage on the Marine Facilities Planning website and will not be considered for the next financial year if this stage is not complete by 1 April.
If your funding is not approved
If your funding application is not successful and your SME/ADF is no longer valid, it should be archived on the Marine Facilities Planning website as soon as possible to avoid any confusion at the start of the programming process.
You can create a copy of your SME/ADF for future reference. You cannot reuse an SME/ADF, you will need a new SME/ADF for future funding applications.
Deadline: 1 April for inclusion in the following financial year’s programme.
4. Cruise programming
1 April onwards.
Following submission of an SME or ADF, confirmation of funding must be added to the online SME/ADF profile before it will be considered for a place in the NERC Marine Facilities Programme.
Funding must be confirmed by 1 April at the latest in order to be considered for a place in the programme for the following financial year.
Research grants which are approved for funding after 1 April will be programmed on an opportunistic basis if possible (if there is a space in the programme), or will be carried over for consideration at the following 1 April programming deadline. Programming is undertaken according to NERC’s prioritisation criteria.
Information on current bids to use NERC marine facilities and the cruise programme can be found on the Marine Facilities Planning website.
5. Provisional cruise dates and alterations
Spring and summer.
6. NERC’s Chief Scientists workshop
By providing a Chief Scientist with shiptime, NERC is investing a large amount of funding in a research project above and beyond that announced in the grant award. Therefore, to ensure that the most effective use is made of this investment, NERC holds the Chief Scientists workshop each year, primarily aimed at scientists with a funded bid for a cruise in the following year’s Marine Facilities Programme.
The workshop provides essential, and often novel, information to Chief Scientists. It is also an important opportunity for Chief Scientists to share information and ask questions of marine facilities staff.
The Chief Scientist of a cruise, or a delegated substitute, is required to attend the workshop as part of their bid for their cruise to be included in the Marine Facilities Programme.
Since 2021, the workshops have been held online, opening up the opportunity for other scientists to join, including those who are at an earlier stage of their seagoing science career and are interested in learning more about the marine planning process.
Recordings from the 2024 Chief Scientists workshop
The 2024 Chief Scientists workshop, primarily aimed at those chief scientists with a funded bid for consideration in the 2025 to 2026 NERC Marine Facilities Programme, was held on 26 and 27 June 2024.
Watch the recording from Day One via Zoom
Watch the recording from Day Two via Zoom
Read the questions and answers from the workshop.
7. Cruise programme published
Autumn
Provisional cruise dates will be discussed with the chief scientists to ensure that the dates offered are appropriate for their science objectives. The cruise programme is then presented to the Cruise Programme Executive Board for sign-off and publication on the Marine Facilities Planning website.
All chief scientists offered a place in the programme will be sent an official offer document and must accept the terms and conditions as a condition of the cruise offer.
Read the cruise postponement policy.
8. Cruise planning
Ongoing from programme publication until cruise date, specific activities will depend on the ship operator.
Once a chief scientist has been offered a place in the NERC Marine Facilities Programme a number of planning activities will be undertaken, dependent on the ship operator of the cruise.
Cruises on a National Oceanography Centre (NOC) operated ship
The NOC ships are the RRS Discovery and the RRS James Cook.
The cruise planning process includes the following steps and the chief scientist must:
- Provide an accurate cruise track to NERC Marine Facilities for planning and application of diplomatic clearance to work in foreign waters.
- Engage with the MFP project workflow. Note that required actions and deadlines will be notified by email to relevant personnel as defined on the application.
- Highlight the requirement for MSR/Dipclear applications to be submitted by NMF to FCDO with a six-month lead time. To allow sufficient time for translations/clarifications, submitting these to NMF with a nine-month lead is advisable.
- Attend a cruise planning meeting about six months before the start of the cruise to confirm equipment, sampling and survey requirements.
- Attend the final pre-cruise meeting about three months before the start of the cruise to agree the NERC Marine Facilities Supply Agreement.
- Note that within three months of the scheduled start date of a cruise, after the NERC Marine Facilities Supply Agreement has been agreed, there is minimal scope for altering technical support arrangements. Any costs resulting from alterations will need to be met.
- Attend a de-briefing meeting before the end of the cruise to assess planning and execution of the cruise.
Ask a question, or raise a specific issue about your cruise
You should direct your questions to the individual Project Manager as defined on the MFP project workflow, or to nmfops@noc.ac.uk if unsure.
9. Post-cruise reporting
Read the post-cruise assessment guidance.
Applying for funding to finance your request
Under the current arrangements the funding for RRS James Cook, RRS Discovery and RRS Sir David Attenborough will be provided centrally by NERC. This is provided that the research project involves international quality science (graded seven or higher) that is within NERC’s remit.
Applications for ship time can only be included in the Marine Facility Programme if they have full funding to cover National Marine Facilities or British Antarctic Survey technical support and equipment costs (that is superstructure costs).
Applications to use the RV Prince Madog must include all costs associated with use of the vessel, including any technician and equipment support provided by the National Marine Facilities.
NERC Discovery Science funding applications
There are three discovery science grant types that will cover the superstructure costs for cruises. NERC’s policy on allocation of superstructure costs varies depending on the grant type.
Pushing the Frontiers
Applications for Pushing the Frontiers should not include cruise superstructure costs within the overall cost of the application. These will be calculated by NERC as part of the cruise programming process if funding is approved.
Independent research fellowships
Applications for fellowships should not include cruise superstructure costs within the overall cost of the application. These will be calculated by NERC as part of the cruise programming process if funding is approved. Ship time associated with independent research fellowships is likely to involve small bolt-on activities rather than stand-alone cruises.
Superstructure costs are estimated on the basis of the information provided in SME and/or ADF forms. Where costs are required they should be requested at least two months before the grant application closing date. So, for example, if you are applying for a large grant, your SME/ADF should be submitted and have been approved and costed by Marine Planning prior to submitting your funding application.
Read our grants handbook to find out more about the costing of discovery science grants.
Find out more about independent research fellowships.
Notify Marine Planning
Email: marineplanning@nerc.ukri.org
Large grants
These have a strict maximum funding limit and applications must therefore include all cruise superstructure costs.
NERC Strategic research programme funding applications
For applications for ship time or equipment in association with a NERC Strategic research programme, applicants should adhere to the advice given within the specific programme announcement of funding opportunity.
All ship time and equipment for research programmes must be costed ahead of submission of the associated grant application, unless directed otherwise by the programme. For further advice on costing of ship time in association with research programmes, contact NERC Marine Planning.
Notify Marine Planning
Email: marineplanning@nerc.ukri.org
Applying to use NERC’s marine facilities
Researchers bidding for ship time or marine equipment are advised to speak to Marine Planning to discuss their requirements prior to submission of their online SME application form.
The primary purpose of this is to:
- provide advice and resolve issues such as ensuring a realistic start date, which will affect cost indexation
- inclusion of all relevant costs
- confirmation that NERC can supply the required capability prior to submission of the SME
Without such a discussion, it is possible that NERC will not be able to include a cruise in the NERC Marine Facilities programme.
SME or ADF applications must be approved by Marine Planning ahead of submission of any associated grant applications. If an SME/ADF has not been approved by Marine Planning, NERC are not committed to including that cruise in the NERC Marine Facilities programme should it be funded.
The responsibility lies with the chief scientist to determine if their methodology is feasible and that there is a reasonable likelihood that the facilities will be available within the required timescale.
See our policy and guidance for details of additional policy and risk management forms that may be required as part of your ship time application.
Notify Marine Planning
Email: marineplanning@nerc.ukri.org
Opportunistic sea time
Applications for opportunistic sea time may be made at much shorter notice. Opportunistic sea time is defined as being ship-board research which does not require additional ship time (that is which does not delay the normal progress of the ship during a cruise or passage leg). The opportunistic work must be conducted simultaneously with the objectives of the main research cruise, and must not significantly affect the activities of that cruise.
Such research can often be carried out by National Marine Facilities or British Antarctic Survey staff, and may not require the presence of the scientist. Where the scientist does require a presence aboard the ship, the demand on scientific berths must be very low. In such cases, applicants should contact NERC and the chief scientist (if one will be onboard), requesting the appropriate support services and cooperation. Such applications should be submitted as soon as possible.
Applicants wishing to take advantage of short notice time limited scientific opportunities involving ship time should contact NERC in the first instance to discuss whether the ship time and support are available at short notice, and whether such an application is eligible for the urgency application procedure.
Flexibility in new project applications
Deep field polar support and the RRS Sir David Attenborough as a marine science platform are heavily tasked. As a result NERC are encouraging flexibility in new project applications to:
- share resources and locations
- focus on use of digital approaches or existing data
BAS and NERC will engage with teams to identify where interlinkages may be possible.
You must contact the NERC marine planning team or BAS operations, or both, to discuss any potential project in detail and possible timelines. You should note the likely scheduling timeline for new applications.
Email NERC marine planning team: marineplanning@nerc.ukri.org
Email BAS operations: afibas@bas.ac.uk
Last updated: 11 April 2025