The Royal Society’s University Research Fellowship supports early-career scientists seeking to build independent research careers in the United Kingdom or, under separate funding arrangements, the Republic of Ireland. The 2027 application round has closed. The Society lists the 2028 dates as expected, so applicants should check for confirmation before planning around them.
Funding and Duration
The fellowship runs for eight years. Applicants can request up to £1,907,400 for salary contributions, research expenses, equipment, staff and other eligible costs. Funding for years six to eight depends on satisfactory progress at a review held at the start of year four.
Who May Apply?
The general criteria call for three to eight years of research experience since the PhD award by the closing date, with career breaks excluded under the scheme’s rules. Proposed research must fall within the Royal Society’s natural sciences remit, which includes areas such as biological and biomedical sciences, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and physics.
The scheme excludes applicants who already lead a research group or hold an external award as principal investigator. It also excludes applicants with a tenure-track faculty position or permanent academic post, and those who hold or have held an equivalent nationally competitive fellowship. Applicants should check the complete scheme notes against their own circumstances.
Dates and Application Route
The 2027 round opened on 14 July 2026 and closed on 9 September 2026. The Society expects the 2028 round to open in July 2027 and close in September 2027, but those dates are not confirmed. Applications go through the Society’s Flexi-Grant system.
UK and Republic of Ireland awards have different funding arrangements. The Royal Society directs Ireland-based applicants to separate Research Ireland scheme notes. Check those rules, along with host-institution requirements, before developing a proposal.
