Collaborative/partnering opportunities

Darwin Initiative

Defra/ODA funding aiming to support eligible countries to meet their commitments under the Multilateral Environment Agreements, Sustainable Development Goals, and national policy. 

• Capability and Capacity Proposals (£50k-£200k, 1-2 years) should focus on developing the capability and capacity of national and local organisations to efficiently deliver effective and successful biodiversity conservation - multidimensional poverty reduction projects. Deadline 21 October 2024 
• Innovation Aimed at projects (£10k-£200k, 1-2 years) intending to test and evaluate novel approaches that if proven could scale to deliver results for biodiversity conservation and multidimensional poverty reduction. Deadline 21 October 2024 

Darwin Plus

Darwin Plus is one of Defra’s Biodiversity Challenge Funds. The aim of Darwin Plus is to help deliver long-term strategic outcomes for the natural environment in the UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs). 

• People and Skills Applications Aimed at building capacity through training, education, and professional development opportunities. Intended to fund UKOT nationals and/or long term residents and/or those with a long term relationship with an OT where it does not have a permanent resident population, to increase their knowledge and ability to meet long-term strategic outcomes for the natural environment in UKOTs. Funding up to £100k over 24 months. Deadline 23 September 2024 

NERC UK-Canada sustainable critical minerals research partnerships

Apply for up to £240k to collaborate with a Canadian Alliance Missions critical minerals research project to develop partnerships to address key critical minerals research priorities around optimising efficiency and minimising environmental impact across critical minerals value chains.

Online networking workshop (not mandatory), 4pm-6pm 10 June 2024. More information available on Guild.

Deadline 03 October 2024 

International partnership: Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases 

Apply for research funding to understand ecological, evolutionary, and social drivers that influence the transmission dynamics of infectious diseases of animals, humans and plants. You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for funding from UKRI or Defra. Webinar 10 October. 

Deadline 20 November 2024 

Work with US researchers: BBSRC-NSF/BIO lead agency 2024

Collaborate with US researchers on a single joint proposal with a total cost up to £2m over 3-4 years. Deadline 31 October 2024. Proposals may be in the following areas: 

• biological informatics 

• understanding host-microbe interactions 

• synthetic cells and cellular systems 

• synthetic microbial communities. 

Royal Society international exchanges scheme

This scheme stimulates new collaborations within the natural sciences between scientists in the UK and other countries, with the aim to build lasting networks and strengthen emerging collaborations. Collaborations should be based on a single project and travel can only take place between the UK and a country where the overseas collaborator is based. Funding limits depend on the number and duration of visits proposed but the maximum grant is £12,000. Cost share arrangements are in place between the Royal Society and some other international funders - see the call website for more details.

Deadline Repeats three times a year - March, June and September

Work with US-based researchers on environmental science research

Apply for funding to work with US-based researchers on an environmental science proposal. 100% of the full economic cost for equipment, 80% of the full economic cost for other costs.

No closing date

BBSRC Brazil pump-priming award  

You can apply for up to £35,000 over two years to pump-prime collaborations between scientists in the UK and São Paolo state in Brazil.

Deadline: no closing date