Eligibility

Eligibility criteria

• Awards can only be held at UK universities

• All such awards made in this round must start on 1 September 2023.

• Research Chairs are professorial appointments, so applicants should already be a professor or equivalent

• Senior Research Fellowships are senior academic appointments, so applicants should already be a Reader or Lecturer level or equivalent
• It is expected that applicants should be able to demonstrate an outstanding research profile including a proven track record in securing external grant income (RCUK, EU, industry, charities, etc) and developing collaborations

• Applications are welcome from any engineering discipline. Engineering is defined in its broadest sense, encompassing a wide range of diverse fields, including computer science and materials. If you are unsure whether your collaborative research project falls within the Academy’s engineering remit area, please contact the Research team.

• The duration of an award is five years, normally on a full-time basis. The industrial sponsor must commit to fund the entire five-year period. Applications for shorter time periods will not be accepted
• The industrial sponsor must have a significant base in the UK. Usually no more than a maximum of two industrial sponsors per application would be allowable
• In special circumstances the ‘industrial sponsor’ may be another funding body such as a charity or government department. In such cases, the funding body is subject to the same terms and conditions as an industrial sponsor, and must also demonstrate suitable pathways to impact in order to exploit research outcomes
• The industrial sponsor should contribute at least £250,000 towards this collaborative research project over the five-year period. The amount of funding the industrial sponsor is willing to contribute is an important assessment criterion, being an indicator of the level of commitment to the post and the level of ambition for the group to be created

• The university is expected to have already identified an appropriate collaborative research project and secured the support of an industrial partner prior to submitting an application
• This research programme will naturally align with the interests of the industrial sponsor and its ‘use-inspired research’ should be underpinned by world-class basic research. This collaborative research proposal must be of mutual benefit to both industry and academic partners. Please note that it is not a contract research or consultancy agreement