Apply for funding to establish a virtual centre of excellence in sustainable industrial futures to advance the UK’s transition to net zero. You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) funding.
Major progress is still required to make sufficient advances in industrial emissions in the UK as identified by the Climate Change Committee (CCC). Through this funding opportunity we aim to drive a sustainable industrial future, shifting the UK away from environmentally detrimental industries and processes to more sustainable and circular alternatives that will enable wider environmental and socio-economic benefits.
This funding opportunity will focus on an existing critical mass of research to deliver a cross-sectoral systems approach, working closely with industry and policymakers to scale up, drive impact and translation and ensure the entire system delivers enhanced outcomes for society and the environment.
The objectives of this funding opportunity are to:
- support one virtual centre of excellence that enables greenhouse gas (GHG) -emitting UK incumbent manufacturing industries to shift towards sustainable operations with net zero/negative GHG emissions, enabling environmental net gain, economic and societal resilience, employment growth and resource & energy security
- advance the UK’s transition to net zero by building on the legacy of previous UKRI investments (such as the Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge and Transforming Foundation Industries Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund programmes, as well as programmes such as National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Research (NICER) Programme)
- deliver excellent, leading-edge engineering, physical and environmental sciences and transdisciplinary research
