NERC Peer Review College - Self-nomination

Overview

Expert review plays a vital role in ensuring that the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) supports the highest quality research across our portfolio remit. It provides a fundamental contribution to our application assessment process; the expert knowledge provided through this process allows our panels to make appropriate, considered funding decisions.

NERC's Peer Review College members are our preferred source of expert reviewers, as they have undertaken appropriate training and have committed to contribute to our peer review process.

College members form a valuable component of the decision-making process and are critical to the assessment of applications for funding. Members will gain a broad view of the novel ideas coming through the funding pipeline in their area. Assessing high-quality applications provides members with in-depth knowledge of our expert review processes and principles, experience of providing a balanced, informed perspective on applications and helps them to increase their knowledge of writing applications for funding. College members are also kept regularly updated about current relevant NERC news and opportunities.

The NERC Peer Review College would strongly encourage applications to help strengthen the following areas:

General area

Details

AI

Using AI to analyse vegetation cover.

Using AI for weather/climate modelling.

AI/Atmosphere

Data management and AI for atmospheric modelling.

Biological oceanographers

Ocean acidification, coral formation, microbial experts, phytoplankton, carbon uptake in the ocean.

Climate change resilience

Sea level rise, extreme weather prediction, AI, machine learning, climate prediction modelling, climate adaptation.

Digital Environment & Environmental Informatics

AI, machine learning, sensor networks, data science.

Droughts

Extreme drought, ecological responses, biodiversity.

Ecology

Use of AI, machine learning, neural node networks, deep learning to build/run community, population, ecosystem or ecological models.

Epidemiologists / Ecology of diseases

Disease transmission. From parasites in livestock to fly and mosquito ecologists.

Floods

Extreme flooding, river dynamics, sedimentology, flood prediction models and warning systems, AI flood modelling technology, hazard risk assessment.

Genetics/Genomics

All areas within NERC remit. Use of ancient DNA (aDNA) in palaeobiology, palaeoenvironments, archaeology and conservation biology contexts;

Use of environmental DNA (eDNA) for survey/monitoring, conservation, and/or ecosystem process/health studies.

Geochemists

Experts in Isotopic analyses and testing. From geological and paleoenvironmental testing to conservation efforts (Pangolin scales for example).

Lidar and remote sensing

Specifically, when looking at biodiversity measuring of insects using these tools.

Marine ecology

Coral reef/coral experts covering coral mineral composition, coral genetics, coral symbioses, coral physiology, coral restoration (inc. methods such as 3D printing, transplantation & artificial anchor structures).

Ocean ecologists

Particularly experts in deep ocean organisms and their interactions.

Palaeontology

Specific expertise in how biota moves, musculoskeletal reconstructions.

Area overlapping palaeo and modern ecology, reconstruction of fossil organisms to understand modern ecological stressors, using genetics.

Diet/taphonomy/anatomy reconstructions from fossil organism’s teeth.

Brachiopod experts.

Biodiversity over time – speciation, evolution. Digital modelling. Hybridisation.

Physical Oceanographers

Eddy structures, climate modelling interactions, General Circulation Model.

Pollution

Biomarkers and population health.

Space Weather

Effect of space weather on Earth’s infrastructure.

Symbiosis/Host-symbiont interactions

Impacts of endosymbiotes on hosts and/or symbiote populations. Genetic/physiological studies of symbiotes and impact on host-symbiont relationships.

Impacts of climate change/environmental stresses on host-symbiont relationships, hosts and/or symbiote populations.

Bacterial, viral, plant, fungal & invertebrate symbioses.

Wildfires

Air pollution, soil contaminants, post-fire toxins.

Why your views matter

Who is eligible to join the NERC Peer Review College?

NERC seeks college members from academic and non-academic backgrounds (such as commercial, industrial, public services and charity roles) relevant to the NERC remit. We are looking for UK and international college members.

We welcome applications from a broad range of roles and expect you to provide evidence of experience and expertise in areas such as:

  • Scientific expertise
  • Grant or project management
  • Multi-discplinary work
  • Public engagement
  • Collaborative work (academic and non-academic)
  • International work
  • Influencing policy

Early Career Researchers (ECR's)

It is not a requirement to hold an academic appointment. The NERC Peer Review College will consider applications from all career stages.

Please complete all requested fields of the form to be considered for a position in the NERC Peer Review College. Our internal assessors will assess based on the information given within your application.

The self-nomination process to join the NERC Peer Review College will take 10-20 minutes to complete. 

 

 

Apply to join the NERC Peer Review College

Online application process

Closes 31 Jan 2030

Opened 12 Dec 2025

Contact

NERC Peer Review College Team

college@nerc.ukri.org

Audiences

  • Research Community

Interests

  • Research and Innovation Sector Engagement