Consortium grants are intended to support focused, co-ordinated, collaborative research into specific issues that cannot be addressed through other NERC funding modes.
To promote flexibility and collaboration, consortium grants will blur the boundaries between existing NERC funding categories and will reduce the number of small research programmes submitted to and managed by NERC.
As consortium grants are intended to promote inter-institutional collaboration, they are also expected to enhance opportunities for inter-disciplinary collaboration.
The four institutions involved in this consortium are Royal Holloway, University of London (Geography and Earth Sciences); Natural History Museum; Oxford University (School of Archaeology); and Southampton University (NOCS and Archaeology). The lead institution is Royal Holloway University of London.