The Royal Society 2021 University Research Fellowship for Early-career Scientists (UK)

This scheme is for outstanding scientists who are in the early stages of their research career and have the potential to become leaders in their field.

The scheme offers you the opportunity to:

• build an independent research career
• focus on your own research, with a limit on administrative and teaching duties
• hold your fellowship on a part-time basis to suit personal circumstances

This scheme is highly flexible to accommodate for part-time working, sabbaticals and secondments. There is also provision for maternity, paternity, adoptive or extended sick leave (PDF).

• Table of Content
• About The Royal Society
• The Royal Society University Research Fellowship
• Aim and Benefits of The Royal Society University Research Fellowship
• Requirements for The Royal Society University Research Fellowship Qualification
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About The Royal Society

Our origins lie in a 1660 ‘invisible college’ of natural philosophers and physicians. Today we are the UK’s national science academy and a Fellowship of some 1,600 of the world’s most eminent scientists. The very first ‘learned society’ meeting on 28 November 1660 followed a lecture at Gresham College by Christopher Wren. Joined by other leading polymaths including Robert Boyle and John Wilkins, the group soon received royal approval, and from 1663 it would be known as 'The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge'. The Royal Soc... continue reading

The Royal Society University Research Fellowship

Aim and Benefits of The Royal Society University Research Fellowship

The scheme provides:

• Research Fellows salary: 80% of the basic salary costs up to £40,681.46 in the first year, estates costs and indirect costs
• Research expenses: 
  – Contribution to research expenses of £13,000 in year one and £11,000 per year thereafter
  – Additional research expenses of up to £40,000 in 2021/22 will also be awarded
• Research assistance: 
  – Contribution to a postdoctoral research assistant and/or a four-year PhD studentship
  – Equipment costs
  – Support for public engagement activities
  – Funding for training and professional development for the Research Fellow and any staff or students supported by the grant

Read the scheme notes for full value of award information.

Requirements for The Royal Society University Research Fellowship Qualification

Research must be within the Royal Society’s remit of natural sciences, which includes but is not limited to biological research, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and physics. For a full list, please see the breakdown of subject groups and areas supported by the Royal Society.

Researchers addressing a direct biomedical research question should apply for a Sir Henry Dale Fellowship. Those applying from Ireland (ROI) are funded by Science Foundation Ireland and will need to read the eligibility requirements in the specific scheme notes.

You can apply for this scheme if you:

• have between three to eight years of research experience since your PhD by the closing date of the round. Career breaks are taken into account, please refer to the scheme notes for further detail
• do not hold a permanent post in a university or not for profit research organisation
• do not hold, or have not previously held, an equivalent fellowship that provides an opportunity to establish an independent research group and therefore independent researcher status

Application Deadline

How to Apply

Applications should be submitted through the Society’s grant management system Flexi-Grant®.

Your application will go through the process detailed on the Making a grant application page overseen by the one of four research appointment panels based on your research area:

• Ai: Astronomy, cosmology, physics, earth sciences, environmental physical sciences & geosciences 
• Aii: Chemistry and engineering
• Aiii: Pure and applied mathematics, computer science, statistics, communications and computer engineering; the mathematical aspects of astronomy, physics, cosmology, gravitation, theoretical physics
• B: Molecular and cellular biology, zoology, plant sciences and physiology

For more details, visit The Royal Society website.