About the NERP

The National Environmental Research Program (NERP) aims to improve Australia’s capacity to understand and respond to priority environmental concerns and to support the development, implementation and evaluation of public good policy for environmental sustainability.  It builds on the Commonwealth Environment Research Facilities (CERF) program, funded by the Australian Government between 2006 and 2010, with a specific focus on biodiversity.

NERP funded research will specifically fulfill the needs of environmental decision makers and target Australian Government environmental agencies as primary users of the research.  In particular, the NERP will fund research that supports the development, implementation and evaluation of public policy for environmental policy.

The NERP aims to improve our capacity to understand, manage and conserve Australia’s unique biodiversity and ecosystems through the generation of world-class research and its delivery to Australian environmental decision makers and other stakeholders.

The NERP seeks to achieve its objectives by supporting applied research that:

  • Has a strong public-good focus and public-good outcome;
  • Is research-user focused and addresses the needs of the Australian Government and other stakeholders in developing evidence-based policy to improve management of the Australian environment;
  • Is highly innovative and aims to achieve world-class research;
  • Enhances Australia's environmental research capacity;
  • Is collaborative and builds critical mass by drawing on multiple disciplines from multiple research institutions to address challenging research questions;
  • Provides results accessible to government, industry and the community; and
  • Includes a focus on synthesis and analysis of existing knowledge.

Up to $68.5 million in funding over four years to December 2014 will be made available to achieve the NERP objectives.

 

NERP Research Hubs

NERP has established five large multi-institutional research hubs to examine biodiversity issues in terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems across Australia:

The largest of the five NERP hubs, the Tropical Ecosystems Hub is a $61.9 million research program supported by the Australian Government in partnership with a number of key Australian research institutions.

Further information about the NERP funded hubs is available from the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (DSEWPaC) website.