Before applying for funding, check the .
You can apply if you have a PhD or have worked in a relevant field for at least four years by the start date of your fellowship.
This is an early career fellowship for those that have not already been in receipt of significant funding or been leading in an area of technical development.
Postdoctoral fellowships are only available in limited topics.
You could consider applying for a postdoctoral fellowship if you:
- have recently started formulating your own research ideas for programmes of work up to three years in duration that will deliver high quality research with a focus on discovery science, innovation, instrumentation or technique development, or software engineering
- can demonstrate that you have acquired the skills and expertise to successfully deliver your research proposal
- have not previously held a significant grant (usually defined as those that included postdoctoral research associate (PDRA) time, capital equipment, or were over £100,000 full economic cost (FEC))
- have identified training and development needs to enable you to prepare for an enhanced career in research and innovation
There are no eligibility rules about how many years of postdoctoral experience you need. You do not need to hold a permanent academic position to be eligible for postdoctoral fellowships. Your employment status may vary by host institution.
Candidates with more research experience may prefer to apply for the open fellowship or open plus fellowship.
We encourage applications from candidates who have taken a non-standard career path after their first degree.
We also welcome applications from candidates who want to move back into research after a career break or any other type of break from active research.
Research organisations
We expect eligible research organisations to submit the most suitable candidates for these fellowships and identify the additional support and resources they will provide the applicant with if successful.
If you are a research organisation, you must:
- make sure that the experience, aims and aspirations of the applicant are suitable for a fellowship application
- commit to supporting the applicant to ensure their knowledge and expertise in implementing good practice and in creating a modern and inclusive research environment is continually updated
- identify the additional support you will provide to ensure successful project delivery and opportunities for the applicant to expand or enhance their current role
- for those applicants who are choosing to add the additional plus component, you should indicate how the topic they have chosen to champion fits the work your organisation is doing in this area, and how you will assist the applicant to lead their chosen area
Resubmissions
We will not accept uninvited resubmissions of projects that have been submitted to UKRI or any other funder.