Natural Environment Research Council

{{Infobox organization

| name = Natural Environment Research Council

| image = Natural Environment Research Council logo.svg

| size = 220px

| caption =

| abbreviation = NERC

| formation = 1965

| type = Research Council within UKRI

| purpose = Funding of UK environmental science research

| headquarters = Polaris House

| location = North Star Avenue,
Swindon,
SN2 1EU

| region_served = United Kingdom

| membership =

| leader_title = Chairman

| leader_name = Anthony Cleaver

| leader_title2 = Chief Executive

| leader_name2 = Louise Heathwaite

| main_organ = NERC Council

| parent_organisation = {{Plainlist|*Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

UK Research and Innovation}}

| affiliations = AHRC, BBSRC, EPSRC, ESRC, MRC, RCUK, STFC, TSB, UKSA

| budget = £400 million

| website = {{URL|https://www.ukri.org/councils/nerc}}

}}

The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) is a British research council that supports research, training and knowledge transfer activities in the environmental sciences.

History

NERC began in 1965 when several environmental (mainly geographic) research organisations (including Nature Conservancy which became the Nature Conservancy Council in 1973 and was divided up in 1991) were brought under the one umbrella organisation.{{cite news |title=Minister sets the new course for science |work=The Times |location=London |publisher=Times Newspapers |date=12 December 1964 |page=12 }} When most research councils were re-organised in 1994, it had new responsibilities – Earth observation and science-developed archaeology. Collaboration between research councils increased in 2002 when Research Councils UK was formed.

=Chief executives=

Sir Graham Sutton (1965–1970){{cite news |title=Chief of Environment Research Council |work=The Times |location=London |publisher=Times Newspapers |date=5 February 1965 |page=12 }}{{Cite journal | last1 = Pasquill | first1 = F. | author-link1 = Frank Pasquill | last2 =Sheppard | first2 = P. A. | author-link2 = P.A. Sheppard | last3 = Sutcliffe | first3 = R. C. | author-link3 = Reginald Sutcliffe | year = 1978 | title = Oliver Graham Sutton 4 February 1903-26 May 1977 | journal = Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society | volume = 24 | pages =529–546| publisher = Royal Society | doi = 10.1098/rsbm.1978.0017 | doi-access = free }}
Professor James William Longman Beament (succeeding V. C. Wynne-Edwards FRS; 1978–1981)
Professor John Krebs, Baron Krebs (1994–1999)
Sir John Lawton (1999–2005)
Professor Alan Thorpe (2005–2011)
Dr Steven Wilson (Acting; 2011–2012)
Professor Duncan Wingham (2012–2024){{Cite web |title=New Chief Executive announced for the Natural Environment Research Council |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-chief-executive-announced-for-the-natural-environment-research-council |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}
Professor Louise Heathwaite (March 2024–Present)

Organisational structure

The council's head office is at Polaris House in Swindon, alongside the other six Research Councils. NERC's research centres provide leadership to the UK environmental science community and play significant and influential roles in international science collaborations.

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:55%" ! Insignia !! Organisation
\|	British Antarctic Survey
\| File:British Geological Survey.png	British Geological Survey
\|	National Centre for Atmospheric Science
\|	National Centre for Earth Observation
\|	National Oceanography Centre (1996–2019)
\|	Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (1994–2019)

It also supports a number of collaborative centres of excellence and subject-based designated Environmental Data Centres for the storage and distribution of environmental data.

Mission

The Natural Environment Research Council delivers independent research, survey, training and knowledge transfer in the environmental sciences, to advance knowledge of planet Earth as a complex, interacting system. The council's work covers the full range of atmospheric, Earth, biological, terrestrial and aquatic sciences, from the deep oceans to the upper atmosphere, and from the geographical poles to the equator.

NERC's mission is to gather and apply knowledge, create understanding and predict the behaviour of the natural environment and its resources, and communicate all aspects of the council's work. The British Meteorological Office is not part of NERC.

NERC Airborne Research Facility

File:Dornier Do 228 NERC (ICARE 2010).JPG

The NERC Airborne Research Facility (ARF) collects and processes remotely sensed data for use by the scientific community. Data are collected from one of four Twin Otter research aircraft (or a Dash 7) operated by British Antarctic Survey, processed by a data analysis team at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory and archived at the National Earth Observation Data Centre (NEODC). Currently the NERC ARF provides radiometrically corrected hyperspectral data from the AISA Fenix and Owl instruments; ground height information from the Leica ALS50-II; and digital photography.

References

External links

{{Official website}}
[http://www.ceh.ac.uk Centre for Ecology and Hydrology] (CEH)
[https://web.archive.org/web/20060206172100/http://ncas.nerc.ac.uk/ National Centre for Atmospheric Science] (NCAS)
[http://www.nceo.ac.uk National Centre for Earth Observation] (NCEO)
[http://arsf-dan.nerc.ac.uk/trac/wiki ARSF-DAN Wiki]

Category:Environmental organisations based in the United Kingdom

Category:Scientific organisations based in the United Kingdom

Category:Conservation in the United Kingdom

Category:Organisations based in Swindon

Category:Science and technology in the United Kingdom

Category:Environmental organizations established in 1965

Category:UK Research and Innovation

Category:1965 establishments in the United Kingdom