What Works Centre for a Climate Resilient UK - Warwick Meeting
Funding Opportunity
The University of Warwick is exploring the development of an institutional application to the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) funding opportunity, What Works Centre for a Climate Resilient UK. The call will support the establishment of a national centre that will transform how the UK adapts and builds resilience to the impacts of climate change by generating, synthesising and mobilising evidence to inform adaptation policy and practice.
Sponsored by Warwick's Sustainability Spotlight, this sandpit has been established to bring together researchers from across disciplines to explore opportunities for collaboration and help shape the University's potential application to the funding call.
The successful centre will work with stakeholders across government, business, communities and the research sector to accelerate adaptation actions, interventions and pilots that strengthen climate resilience across the UK.
ESRC will provide up to £21.1 million to support the centre. The opportunity is open to eligible UK research organisations and the funded programme must commence by 1 August 2027.
For full call details, please visit the UKRI funding opportunity page
This meeting will bring together colleagues from across the University with relevant expertise and interests to:
Explore the objectives and requirements of the funding opportunity.
Identify Warwick strengths and potential areas of contribution.
Discuss possible leadership and partnership arrangements.
Facilitate connections between researchers from different disciplines.
Inform Warwick's decision-making regarding institutional engagement with the opportunity.
bring together Warwick researchers with an interest in this opportunity;
identify potential synergies and areas of complementary expertise and where they align with the call themes;
identify possible non-academic co-lead (a requirement of the call)
explore potential project partners who could contribute to and strengthen a bid;
gauge interest in developing either a Warwick-led bid or a collaborative bid with external partners; and linked to the latter, identify any intelligence on other organisations, institutions, or research teams that may be considering an application and with whom Warwick could potentially collaborate.
We welcome expressions of interest from University of Warwick staff with relevant expertise who may wish to contribute to the development of a potential application.
Please note that lead applicants must be currently employed by the University of Warwick and eligible to hold research funding on behalf of the University.
We are particularly keen to hear from colleagues with expertise in areas such as:
Climate adaptation and resilience
Environmental and sustainability research
Public policy and governance
Behavioural and social sciences
Economics and business
Data science, modelling and analytics
Infrastructure and engineering
Health, communities and inequalities
Knowledge exchange, impact and stakeholder engagement
Evidence synthesis and What Works approaches
We encourage participation from researchers at all career stages and welcome contributions from all disciplines with relevant expertise. Individuals with experience of interdisciplinary collaboration, stakeholder engagement, or translating research into policy and practice are particularly encouraged to express their interest.
As this is a strategic institutional opportunity, an internal coordination process will be undertaken to determine Warwick's engagement and any subsequent proposal development activities.
Colleagues interested in contributing to discussions should complete the expression of interest form, even if they are unable to attend the meeting.
When : 15th October
Time: 9.30 - 11.00
Location: Teams
Please register your interest even if you cannot attend the meeting, as this will enable us to keep you informed about future opportunities to participate in the bid.
