Research Fellowships

 

The Royal Academy of Engineering offers Research Fellowships each year to outstanding early-career researchers to support them to become future research leaders in engineering. The scheme's objectives are to:

• support the best early-career researchers in establishing their independence and international reputation
• provide long-term support enabling the pursuit of an ambitious programme of engineering research and impact
• develop ambassadors for the Academy and advocates for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines

The Academy welcomes applications from early-career researchers worldwide who have been awarded their PhD in the last four years. The scheme provides funding for five years. Each application is capped at a maximum contribution from the Academy of £625,000 over the five-year period, at 80% of full economic costs. Research Fellowships must be held at a UK higher education institution/university or at a UK research organisation eligible to receive UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding.

The 2022/23 round accepts applications for the following research fellowship schemes: 

1. Research Fellowship
2. Engineering for Development Research Fellowship

In addition to the direct financial support, the scheme benefits include:

• an opportunity to establish a research track record and in turn be in a stronger position to apply for additional funding and grow own research team
• mentoring support from an Academy Fellow to offer advice on research and career development
• reduction of teaching and administrative duties to dedicate time to research
• training opportunities
• networking opportunities with other Research Fellows and Academy Fellows

Please refer to the guidance notes on the How to apply page for full details.

Access Mentoring support

The Academy aims to provide additional support to applicants from groups that are persistently underrepresented within UK engineering through the grant application process. This positive action will contribute to improving diversity in the talent pipeline and widening the diversity of applicants and awardees within the Academy’s research grant schemes.

Access Mentoring application deadline is 4pm Tuesday 16 August 2022. This is subject to capacity of mentors being reached and may close sooner.

Applicants will need to meet the following criteria to qualify for Access Mentoring:

1. Meet the eligibility criteria for a Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship.
2. To be from an underrepresented group in engineering, specifically:
   • Women
   • Black people including those with any mixed ethnicity with Black ethnic background(s)
   • Disabled people

Application limit

For Research Fellowships the standard application limit for each host institution is two applications, but the host institution can submit up to four applications (either Research Fellowships or Engineering for Development Research Fellowships) as part of our positive action initiative with the following conditions:

• If the submission is four applications, at least two of the four applications must be submitted by candidates from the identified underrepresented groups.
• If the submission is three applications, at least one of the three applications must be submitted by a candidate from the identified underrepresented groups.
• If the submission is one or two applications, the application or applications do not need to be submitted by candidates from the identified underrepresented groups. However, the expectations of host institutions above still apply.

Therefore, up to a maximum of four candidates per institution can apply for access mentoring providing they meet eligibility criteria and submit a full application to the Research Fellowship grant scheme.

 

PLEASE NOTE: Access Mentoring is a resource limited opportunity. Applicants do not need to wait until the deadline to submit their application and can be matched with a mentor as soon as the application is approved. Early submission is encouraged.

For more information, please read the Access Mentoring Applicant Guidance. 

Access Mentoring Applicant Guidance - Research Fellowships (238.51 KB)

Applications for Access Mentoring support must be submitted via the Academy's Grants Management System (GMS). 

Grants Management System

Diversity and Inclusion

The Royal Academy of Engineering is committed to diversity and inclusion and welcomes applications from all underrepresented groups across engineering. It is the Academy's policy to ensure that no applicant is disadvantaged or receives less favourable treatment because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

For all queries, please contact the Academy's research programmes team at research@raeng.org.uk