About NERC ICURe Discover
NERC ICURe Discover is one of the UKRI council pathway programmes running through 2026/27, delivered by Innovate UK ICURe in partnership with the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).
This 9-week, part-time online market discovery programme is designed to support researchers and technicians in exploring their potential market. The programme aims to enhance market awareness and deepen the understanding of potential technology applications. It is focused on innovations in the fields of climate adaptation, environment and resilience.
Based on the lean start-up methodology, it applies the scientific method to business ideas. Participants will learn how to use this approach to gauge their potential customers’ opinions about their idea, product or service.
If you are unsure whether your technology or research fits these sectors, please get in touch icure@setsquared.co.uk.
Please note it is a pre-requisite to attend ICURe Discover if you wish to apply for ICURe Explore.
Who can apply?
Please note that this programme is open to those who have previously received NERC funding directly as an individual or been affiliated with NERC-funded programmes, e.g., studentships, fellowships, research grants etc. The NERC ICURe Discover programme is open to early career researchers at all levels of seniority, technicians and students from all disciplines undertaking master’s degrees, PhDs, and Post-Docs, based at universities and independent research organisations (IROs) across the UK and who are interested in entrepreneurship.
Your course of study, your idea and/or your research must be directly related to the commercialisation of NERC-funded research to solve climate adaptation challenges by bringing new or improved technologies, processes, products and services to market to enhance UK’s climate resilience. This ensures physical and social systems are resilient and well adapted to a changing climate. This includes, but is not limited to food security, water supply, transport, urban design, large infrastructure resilience community preparedness and response, and physical risks for the finance sector.
Climate adaptation, environment and resilience is one of UKRI’s new priority programmes and UKRI will invest in improving the UK’s climate resilience, including in support of the National Adaptation Programme as published in its new strategy and delivery plan
The Climate Adaptation Research and Innovation Framework – April 2025 provides a non-exhaustive collation of adaptation R&I needs across sectors and ‘systems’, key to strengthening the UK’s climate resilience.
Climate Adaptation Research and Innovation Programme Inventory provides an overview of the main Government-funded R&I programmes that support climate adaptation, where adaptation is a core or significant component. It may not capture all relevant activity – some Government programmes include adaptation-related research as part of broader portfolios that may not be substantial enough to be included here.
What’s included?
The programme includes:
- support to carry out market and customer discovery on a part-time basis over an 8-week period
- 8 half-day workshops, following a pre-course briefing with our team of experts
- flexible online delivery
- hearing from guest speakers, who will share their learning and experiences from their ICURe journeys
- introduction to Strategyzer Business Model Canvas (BMC)
- trainer, mentor, and peer feedback with next steps guidance following your ICURe Discover journey
- up to £2,500 support for market discovery activities
Why attend?
ICURe Discover is now a compulsory route into the ICURe Explore Programme. Past participants say that having dedicated time to spend understanding what commercialisation of research means has dramatically changed their perspective on their research, ideas, and innovations. The programme introduces ICURe and provides the space and opportunity to think differently about impact, commercialisation and entrepreneurship.
Key dates
Applications open: 15/10/2026 Online briefing session: 16/10/2026 – Register for the session. Applications close: 12/11/2026 Start date: 13/01/2027 Location: Online Delivery partner: SETsquared Partnership
Application support
The online application form will ask a series of questions about you and your research project.
There is a limited number of spaces on each cohort, but we try to provide support for as many applications as possible.
The application form may be accessed from the links on this website.
You will need to have engaged with your University Technology Transfer Office (TTO) and your Principal Investigator prior to applying. Please contact us if your university does not have a TTO or IP Manager and we will endeavour to help.
