Aries: Advanced research and innovation in environmental sciences

NERC is funding a consortium of universities to train the next generation of environmental scientists through a Doctoral Training Partnership. This grant addresses a critical gap in the UK’s research pipeline: the need for skilled PhD graduates who can tackle complex environmental challenges—from climate change and biodiversity loss to pollution and natural hazards. Without sustained investment in postgraduate training, the country risks losing the expertise needed to understand and manage these pressing issues. If successful, this programme will produce a cohort of researchers equipped with both deep scientific knowledge and practical skills. These graduates will go on to work in academia, government agencies, and industry, where they will inform policy, develop new technologies, and help businesses adapt to environmental pressures. The impact will be felt in areas most people rarely think about: water resource management, flood forecasting, agricultural resilience, and carbon accounting. This is fundamentally a training and capacity-building grant. It does not target a specific scientific discovery or technological breakthrough. Instead, it ensures that the UK maintains the human capital necessary to conduct the fundamental and applied environmental research that keeps society running.