FAQ

The programme is aimed to support outstanding early-career researchers, who have been awarded their PhD in the last four years to enable them to become future research leaders in engineering.  

Early-career researchers worldwide with a PhD, which was awarded (or the PhD has been unconditionally approved) no more than four years before the submission deadline.

There are no nationality and age restrictions for applicants, but Research Fellowships must be held at a UK higher education institution/university or a UK research organisation that is eligible to receive UKRI funding and in a department that can show it is capable of fully supporting an engineering-focused research project and researcher. In addition, the host institution must agree to provide the Research Fellow all the support normal for a permanent employee.  

The host institution is responsible for securing all necessary work permits and related costs for the Research Fellows. Applications will be assessed on the assumption that applicants have obtained the necessary work permit in the UK.

Applicants for the Research Fellowship must have a PhD that has been awarded or unconditionally approved up to four years before the submission deadline. A margin of up to three months beyond the four-year limit is acceptable. This refers specifically to the date the PhD was awarded/unconditionally approved rather than the date of thesis submission, PhD viva or graduation. For the PhD to be defined as unconditionally approved, applicants should have received a statement of confirmation from their university, issued after the viva had taken place and any corrections had been implemented fully. Applicants are not required to submit this statement as part of their application.

In cases where the applicant’s PhD was awarded more than four years before the submission deadline and there are extenuating circumstances (for example, maternity/paternity leave, extended sick leave, national service, caring responsibilities and relocation due to fear of persecution or human rights violation), this will be taken into consideration if the relevant dates and details are provided in the application form.

In cases where the applicant has more than one PhD, the four-year limit will apply from the date the first PhD was awarded if both PhDs are in engineering disciplines.

Each application is capped at a maximum contribution from the Academy of £625,000 over a five-year period at 80% of full economic costs. The host institution is responsible for providing the remaining costs. For further details, please refer to the 'Resources requested' section in the applicant guidance notes.

The scheme is funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

In addition to the financial support, the scheme also provides mentoring support, reduction of teaching experience, training, additional funding and networking opportunities, be part of the Awardee Excellence Community and an opportunity to establish a strong research track record which will improve the chances of securing additional funding and expanding the awardee's research team.

The funding is at 80% of full economic costs.

The funding includes directly incurred costs (e.g. salary, travel and subsistence, other costs), directly allocated costs (e.g. estates) and indirect costs. For further details, please refer to the 'Resources requested' section in the applicant guidance notes.

There are limits to the costs that can be requested, e.g. no computer should cost more than £3,000 and no single item of equipment or upgrade to existing equipment should cost more than £10,000. For further details, please refer to the 'Resources requested' section in the applicant guidance notes.

Frequency of award cycle

Applications are open once a year, opening in February and closing in September. There is one stage of applications only. 

Please refer to the applicant guidance notes for information on the key dates. 

Start date of award

Research Fellowships must start between 1 August and 31 October, unless otherwise advised by the Academy. Please refer to the applicant guidance notes for information on the key dates. 

Duration of award

The duration of a Research Fellowship is five years full time, calculated on a pro-rata basis for part-time awards. Research Fellowships cannot be held for less than five years as they are intended for projects of significant scope only. Requests for a shorter Research Fellowship are not accepted. 

Stage one: general reviews

Each eligible application will be assessed by three reviewers (Academy Fellows or former Research Fellows). The application should be written to help non-expert reviewers understand the research content. Based on the reviewers’ comments and scores, the sift panel (consisting of Academy Fellows) will conduct moderation reviews and select applications proceeding to stage two: expert reviews.

Stage two: expert reviews

Each selected application will be assessed by three expert reviewers. The expert reviewers will be asked to provide comments, a score, and key technical questions (if any) that the applicant should clarify. The technical questions will be forwarded to the applicant for their response (please refer to the applicant guidance notes for the timeline). The shortlist panel will then moderate the expert reviewers' comments and scores along with the applicants' response to technical questions to select strong candidates for stage three: interviews.

Stage three: interviews

Interviews will take place online. Each interview will be conducted by a panel of four Academy Fellows and will be 30 minutes long. This includes a five-minute presentation from the candidate. Following the interviews, the panel will rank the applications and select the top ranked candidates for awards. 

Applications must be submitted via the Academy's Grants Management System. Please read the How to apply page for details.

No. There is a limit on the number of applications each host institution can submit. If a host institution submits more than the permitted number of applications, they will be asked to withdraw any applications exceeding this limit (please refer to the 'Application limit' section in the applicant guidance notes). Host institutions are likely to have an internal selection process that applicants must find out in advance.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to contact the host institution and gain the formal approval from the relevant head of department or school before applying.

Yes. Applicants who have applied to this scheme before and were unsuccessful are eligible to reapply.

Research Fellows are required to submit a progress and financial summary report to the Academy each year. The Research Fellow, Academy representative and mentor will meet annually to discuss the report, identify progress being made, and suggest future plans.

Research Fellows are responsible for arranging the annual progress report meetings with their mentors. The head of department or school should be invited to two out of the five meetings to ensure sufficient support is provided to the Research Fellow. Research Fellows will also be asked to provide some key data of their annual performances (e.g. publications and additional research funding) for the purpose of auditing and reporting to the Academy’s funders. Post-award information can be found on our policies page.

Research Programmes Team

Applications are encouraged from members of multidisciplinary research groups, provided that the research undertaken can be readily classified as engineering and will have engineering outcomes and the Research Fellowship is held in a department that can show it is capable of fully supporting an engineering-focused research project and researcher.  

To see the list of categories your research proposal must fit into, please refer to the 'Project details' section of the applicant guidance notes.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to contact the host institution and gain the formal approval from the relevant head of department or school before submitting an application.

It is strongly recommended that all potential applicants contact their intended host institution as soon as possible due to the application number limit that applies to all UK higher education institution/universities and research organisations. Host institutions are likely to have an internal selection process that applicants must find out in advance.

Research Fellowships cannot be held at industrial institutions. However, research may be carried out with an industrial collaborator, providing the research is relevant to the programme of Research Fellowships.

If you have a collaborator (not the chosen host institution and current employer) who will be contributing financially or in kind to the Research Fellowship, a letter of support from the collaborator detailing their contribution will be required. Letters of support must:

• Be on headed paper and clearly state who they are from
• Be from external collaborators i.e., people and organisations NOT working at the host institution and its affiliates
• Be signed
• Confirm that the author knows the applicant
• Explain why they are interested in the project
• Provide details on what form the collaboration will take
• Clearly demonstrates the nature of the collaboration and how it will be beneficial to you and the project
• Be no more than two pages

As reviewers are asked to assess these alongside your plans for collaboration, aim for quality over quantity and keep the letters short and concise to better enable the reviewer to identify the salient information. A bullet-point list of contributions is a highly effective method of making the reviewers’ role easier.

No, letters of support need to be submitted by the closing date. You cannot add these to your application once it has been submitted. In cases where an application refers to a collaborator who is contributing to the grant, but does not have a letter of support to corroborate the collaboration, will be considered as 'sought after' rather than agreed.

Once submitted, an application is considered final and cannot be updated or amended. Should you reach the interview stage, you can raise further developments at your presentation to the interview panel.

A degree of mobility during the Research Fellowship may be beneficial. This would include plans to engage in collaborative research at centres of excellence overseas, but in such cases the Research Fellow will still be employed by the UK host institution.

Any proposal to transfer the Research Fellowship to a different host institution within the UK would need to be discussed with the existing and proposed host institutions. In addition, the Research Fellow is required to discuss the transfer with their RAEng mentor to get their advice. If the new host institution agrees to host the Research Fellowship and the mentor supports the transfer, the Academy will normally be agreeable to a transfer should it be justifiable and beneficial for the Research Fellowship.

Such a transfer will rarely be approved within the first or last years of the Research Fellowship. Research Fellowships cannot be transferred to non-UK institutions.

Research Fellows may interrupt their Research Fellowship on one occasion, if they need to spend time on activities unsupported by it. Although the activities should relate to their overall research programme in some way. Such periods of suspension must not exceed 12 months. Prior agreement must be sought from the Academy.

Interruptions are not permitted in the first or last years of the Research Fellowship. Where periods of suspension are agreed, the Academy may also agree to extend the Research Fellowship by a period of time up to the length of the suspension.

Research Fellows are entitled to maternity, paternity and adoption leave under the host institution’s normal conditions of employment. The Academy will extend the duration of the Research Fellowship pro-rata, to take into account such periods of leave and any conversions to part time working.

Research Fellows with caring responsibilities for children, elderly relatives or dependents should liaise directly with the host institution if they wish to apply for part-time or flexible working.

Research Fellows are required to devote all their working time to the Research Fellowship programme of work. The Research Fellowship must be the Research Fellow's only source of employment. Up to four hours a week may be spent on teaching and administration duties, and consultancy work. However, if the fellowships has been granted on a part-time basis ( to a minimum of 50% of the fellowship time), then the other source of employment should be external to the host organisation, such industry, government, or other stakeholders. 

Research Fellows are encouraged to apply for further funding from other institutions, but these grants should not include any components that requires the Research Fellows to reduce their time working on the Research Fellowship committed. The further funding should not cause any delay and interruption to the completion of the Research Fellowship. 

Previously Research Fellowships could be held part time but must have been the only form of employment, however from round 25 this requirement has been removed. The part-time requirement is limited to a minimum of 50% of the fellowship time.  The other source of employment should be external to the host organisation, such as industry, government, or other stakeholders. The request for a part-time Research Fellowship (at no less than 50% of full-time equivalent) must be clearly stated within the application. Alternatively, the Research Fellowship can be converted from full time to part time, or from part time to full time, during the fellowship, assuming the host institution supports the request.  

Extensions beyond the five-year period of the Research Fellowship are not permitted except in extenuating circumstance (e.g. maternity, paternity, sick leave and caring responsibility). 

No. All applications undergo the same review process irrespective of submission type.

No. Applicants' research independence will not be assessed purely by the change of their PhD institution. The research independence is assessed in terms of the candidate's research profile and track record, and the support provided by the host institution and its appropriateness for the proposed research programme. 

Unfortunately, although we appreciate your situation and would have tried to match you with an access mentor had there been more time, it would not be possible to accept your application for Access Mentoring at this stage.

Currently, the standard application limit for each host institution is two applications, although the host institution can submit up to four applications as part of our positive action initiative with the following conditions:  

• If four applications are submitted, at least two of the four applications must be submitted by candidates from an identified underrepresented group (see below)
• If three applications are submitted, at least one of the three applications must be submitted by a candidate from an identified underrepresented group 
• If one or two applications are submitted, these do not need to be submitted by candidates from identified underrepresented groups. 

The Academy has identified the following groups that are currently clearly significantly underrepresented in UK engineering research:  

• Women 
• Black people, including those with any mixed ethnicity with Black ethnic background(s) 
• Disabled people 

The Academy accepts applicants’ self-declaration on the above identified underrepresented groups under the host institution’s guidance. All candidates, including those from the identified underrepresented groups, must meet the assessment criteria detailed in the applicant guidance notes. 

In terms of collaborations, there is no limit on the number of letters of support that can be submitted. However, we suggest candidates aim for quality over quantity. There are also no restrictions on the types of organisations that can provide the letters of support. As suggested in the guidance notes , letters of support are optional, but provide an opportunity for the applicant to demonstrate wider support for themselves and their project. Letters of support must be collated and uploaded as a single PDF.  

Moreover, the Academy does not prescribe specific contributions that industry and collaborators must provide. The assessment of whether the industry's or collaborator's contribution is valuable to applicant’s proposed research is at their discretion. It's important for candidates to be practical when considering potential collaborators and industry support. The applicant should evaluate why collaborators would be interested in their research and how involving them or industry partners would be advantageous. 

In essence, the Academy recognises that the nature of contributions can vary greatly based on the context of the applicant's research and the interests of their collaborators. The applicant’s assessment of the potential benefits to both their research and the collaborators is key. This approach ensures that collaborations are meaningful, mutually beneficial, and tailored to the specific objectives and challenges of the applicants' research project. 

Although we do appreciate your situation, we are afraid it would not be possible to extend the deadline for submitting your Research Fellowship application. 

As mentioned in the applicant guidance notes, the submission deadline will not be extended due to an individual’s unavailability. 

Although there is an expectation that a permanent position will be offered to an awardee at the end of the funding period, this is not a contractual requirement of the host institution. 

There is no need to split the costs evenly across the years. The costs table should be agreed with your host institution, and the letter of support provided by the host institution will need to confirm that the costs submitted in the application are correct and sufficient to complete the project as envisaged. If awarded the fellowship, the host institution would need to provide annual expenditure statements in line with the cost breakdowns stated in the costs table presented in the application form. Each application is capped at a maximum contribution from the Academy of £625,000 over the five-year period, at 80% fEC. 

Furthermore, virement between the directly-incurred cost categories of ‘Travel and Subsistence’ and ‘Other Costs’ is permitted without approval from the Academy. Other reallocation of expenditure between different cost categories requires prior approval from the Academy. Any underspend across all cost categories can be carried forward to the corresponding cost category for the remaining period of the Research Fellowship. 

In previous rounds, it was stated that applicants for the RAEng Research Fellowship could not hold a permanent academic position. This eligibility criterion is no longer applicable in this round. Candidates with a permanent position who meet all other eligibility criteria are able to apply for the Research Fellowship and will be assessed on the same basis as other candidates. 

Previously Research Fellowships could be held part time but must have been the only form of employment, however from round 25  this requirement has been removed. The part-time requirement is limited to a minimum of 50% of the fellowship time.  The other source of employment should be external to the host organisation, such as industry, government, or other stakeholders.

In cases where the applicant’s PhD was awarded more than four years and three months previously and there are extenuating circumstances, this will be taken into consideration. The impact of Covid would still be considered an extenuating circumstance. The candidate would need to provide the relevant dates and details in their application form and include further information in their response to the question on the impact of Covid on their research. 

If you are successful, your funding will be awarded under the RD&I Terms and Conditions found on the Academy’s website.
This agreement has been developed to ensure funding aligns with our Academy values, is used for the purposes for which it was awarded and is managed in compliance with our own funders’ agreements, UK legislation and funding best practice.

If selected as an awardee of the Research Fellowships, you will gain access to the Awardee Excellence Community.

The community brings together awardees from across the Academy’s programmes from all career stages and disciplines to share their expertise, collaborate, and contribute new perspectives to the Academy’s work. You can meet, learn from and support other awardees beyond your immediate cohort, as well as a broader cross section of Academy Fellows through a programme of events and opportunities to connect in person and online. Benefits include:

• access to the Awardee’s Area, which is home to our awardee directory and community noticeboard. Here you can meet, connect with and support other awardees beyond your immediate cohort
• a monthly newsletter that keeps you up to date with news from the Academy and other awardees
• exclusive access to community events including the Academy CAFÉ, online networking and our in-person flagship event
• shaping the Academy’s work through opportunities to join Academy committees, speak at our events, and informing our policy work
• support from the Academy to organise your own activities and events.

Yes, a D.Eng is considered equivalent to a PhD in terms of academic level.