UK National Clean Maritime Research Hub Wave 3 Flexible Funding – Call for Responsive Research Proposals

Led by Professor Tony Roskilly, the UK National Clean Maritime Research Hub (UK-MaRes) was established in September 2023 with £21.3 million of funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Department for Transport (DfT), collaborating universities and industry.

It has since secured a further £3.85 million to develop a Liquid Hydrogen Research and Innovation Facility, along with funding for a 12-month extension. Going beyond conventional marine engineering and naval architecture, the UK-MaRes Hub is a research community of almost 80 people across 14 universities, working together to conduct innovative research under five key themes: marine fuel scale-up and safety; power and propulsion systems; vessel design and efficiency; port and vessel support infrastructure; as well as digitalisation, maritime operations, and finance.

Having previously awarded nine Flexible Fund projects from two waves of funding calls, the Hub is now inviting applications for Wave 3. Flexible Funding enables the Hub to extend its capacity and capability into new areas of research beyond its core programme of activity, to accelerate the transition to a cleaner maritime future by providing a fresh approach to maritime decarbonisation. Closing date for applications is Friday 30th January 2026

Wave 3 Funding is available for up to 11 projects that address any of the following 9 priority areas:

1. Real-world emissions monitoring & enforcement technologies
2. Skills, workforce & capability development to support the clean maritime transition
3. Disruptive onboard power systems and electric drives
4. Nuclear applications for maritime decarbonisation
5. Environmental impact of dredging & sediment management
6. Onboard carbon capture & disruptive after-treatment technologies
7. Design and operation of onboard power and propulsion systems using advanced learning algorithms and next-generation digital tools to improve performance and fuel safety
8. Autonomous vessel design and operations
9. Advanced design and mitigation strategies to understand and prevent unsafe release of future clean fuels in real-world maritime environments

These priority areas were identified through engagement and consultation with key stakeholders across the maritime sector.

Eligibility

• As per the Wave 2 call, applications are welcome from both UK-MaRes Hub’s consortium universities and external institutions. However, applicants must not have any prior involvement with the existing Principal and Co-Investigators of the Hub to be considered eligible. 'Prior involvement' has been defined as: being a named researcher/investigator on a project also involving any of the investigators from the Hub, being part of the same research group as any of the investigators from the Hub, or having a publication history with any of the investigators from the Hub.
• The universities in the consortium are Aston, Birmingham City, Birmingham, Brighton, City St.George’s, Cranfield, Durham, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield, Solent, St Andrews and Ulster
• Academic staff based at a UK institution eligible of receiving EPSRC funding. 
• Principal and Co-Investigators of the UK-MaRes Hub are not eligible to apply for this flexible funding.
• Whilst this funding is open to eligible individuals at all career stages, projects must be led by an Early Career Researcher (ECR) supported by an experienced academic mentor. An ECR is defined as any individual who has been awarded a PhD but has not yet held a research grant of £100,000 or more. Eligible individuals from under-represented groups are particularly encouraged to apply.
• Please get in touch prior to application if you have any questions concerning your eligibility to apply. 

Please note: potential applicants are encouraged to liaise with their Research Office to discuss any potential implications for applying for future funding from other sources, should they be successful in receiving an award from this funding call.

The full call for research proposals can be found here and the application form is also attached here