The Antarctic Funding Initiative (AFI) is a non-thematic Initiative of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and is supported logistically by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). Funding is awarded annually, on a competitive basis, to support field-based research conducted in the BAS operating area. An Announcement of Opportunity will usually be made in May, with funding decisions being announced the following April. AFI is subject to the usual NERC non-thematic eligibility requirements, both at individual and institutional level.
There is also a Collaborative Gearing Scheme (CGS), which offers opportunities for scientific collaboration with BAS in cases where no additional funding for salaries, grants or direct science costs is required, but where access to field activities already included in the BAS science programme can enhance the scientific outcome of the latter significantly. Applications may be submitted at any time of the year, but please note that: (1) unless there are exceptional mitigating circumstances, proposals must be submitted to the AFI Coordinator no later than 31st March in the same calendar year as the start of the intended field season; (2) contact details of all fieldwork participants must be supplied to the AFI Coordinator no later than 30th June preceding the intended Antarctic season.
News Items
Future of the Antarctic Funding Initiative (AFI)
Since its creation in 1998, the Natural Environment Research Council's Antarctic Funding Initiative (AFI) has proved to be a very successful scheme for funding responsive-mode research requiring access to BAS Antarctic infrastructure. As a result of recent changes that NERC has made to the way research is funded and delivered, such proposals will in future be considered through the responsive-mode standard grant scheme. This will enable all proposals that require access to BAS Antarctic infrastructure to compete on an equal footing with other responsive-mode proposals, so removing the upper limit on funding that was a consequence of having a separate AFI scheme.
Discussions are ongoing within NERC about how best to make this change, and the excellent working relationship with BAS in considering feasibility and planning of logistics will remain. It is intended that the new arrangements will be in place for applications to the July 2010 grant round, with the primary fieldwork season for successful proposals being 2012/13.
The current AFI round (round 11) will not be affected by these changes.
For further information please contact Martin Miller mfm@bas.ac.uk or Ned Garnett nedg@nerc.ac.uk.
Future of the Collaborative Gearing Scheme (CGS)
The Collaborative Gearing Scheme is intended to provide opportunities for researchers based at higher education institutions (and academic analogues) to undertake field-based research in Antarctica, in scientific collaboration with the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and with logistic support provided by BAS. The Scheme does not provide funding for salaries, capital equipment or other direct costs, but does offer access to BAS Antarctic infrastructure, together with transport between the UK and Antarctica and the provision of fieldwork clothing. Further information about the Collaborative Gearing Scheme.
Although responsive-mode research proposals requiring access to BAS Antarctic infrastructure will in future be considered through the responsive-mode standard grant scheme (instead of through the Antarctic Funding Initiative), it has been decided that the Collaborative Gearing Scheme will be continued. Note that CGS proposals requesting fieldwork support for the 2010/11 Antarctic field season must be submitted no later than 31st March 2010. For further information, please contact Martin Miller at mfm@bas.ac.uk.
AFI Round 11
The deadline for submitting outline proposals to Round 11 of AFI was 4 p.m. on Thursday 29th October 2009. The received proposals will be considered by the AFI Moderating Panel on 25th March 2010 and funding recommendations made to NERC. It is expected that funding decisions will be announced during April 2010. The primary Antarctic field season for funded projects will be 2011/12.
AFI Workshop 2010
The annual AFI Workshop for 2010 will be held at the usual venue of Murray Edwards College (formerly known as New Hall), Cambridge, on 13th and 14th September.
