More than £67,000 of grant funding through NERC (the Natural Environment Research Council) is available for projects that involve environmental research from the University’s Lancaster Environment Centre – one of the leading environmental science research centres in Europe.

By working with Lancaster Environment Centre to access the funding, businesses will benefit from high-quality graduates working on the projects as part of their postgraduate studies.

Businesses are urged to submit project proposals asap before June 17. The projects should be focused and provide learning opportunities for the students. Businesses will need to provide at least £4,000 spread over four years and contribute towards necessary materials. They also need to provide a placement for students of between three and 18 months.

Chris Holroyd, Business Partnerships manager at Lancaster Environment Centre, said: “These projects are an excellent way for businesses to tap into funding and expertise to develop new products and services to give them an edge in a competitive marketplace.”

The £67,000 funding covers the student’s stipend and fees with around £11,000 of this pot covering consumables, travel, conferences and equipment as jointly decided by the company, academic supervisor and student.

The projects will be jointly managed between the company and Lancaster Environment Centre and must involve one of NERC’s research areas: terrestrial, marine, freshwater, atmospheric and polar sciences, and Earth observation.

They must also fit within the research areas of the Lancaster Environment Centre. More information of suitable research areas can be found by visiting http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/lec/research/research-areas/

More information is available by contacting Chris Holroyd by emailing c.p.holroyd@lancaster.ac.uk or by calling 01524 510228, alternatively contact Paul McKenna by emailing p.mckenna@lancaster.ac.uk or calling 01524 510301.