EPSRC open fellowship

Apply for a fellowship focusing on any topic in the EPSRC portfolio.

You must have either:

• a PhD
• at least four years’ experience in a relevant field by the start of your fellowship.

You must be hosted and supported by an eligible UK research organisation during your fellowship.

Your fellowship can be up to five years long. This is prorated for part-time fellows, at a minimum of 50% full-time equivalent.

Your project can use one or a combination of:

• discovery science
• innovation
• instrumentation and technique development
• software engineering.

There is no limit on how much funding you can request. We cover 80% of your full economic costs. Your research organisation must fund the remaining 20%.

You could consider applying for an open fellowship if you:

• have already been in receipt of significant funding or have been leading in an area of technical development
• have a planned programme of work up to five years in duration which 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, and that you are committed to being an advocate for EPSRC and to implementing good practice in creating a modern and inclusive research environment
• have identified training and development needs to enable you to expand or enhance your role and career.

Additionally, if you want to use this opportunity to design a package of work which meets your wider aspirations, there is an option for you to add a ‘Plus’ component to your fellowship application.

This will enable you to allocate 20% to 50% of your time spent on the fellowship to create positive change in the research community. You’ll do this by championing a topic aligned to EPSRC aspirations to deliver improvements in research culture in topics such as:

• equality, diversity and inclusion
• responsible research and innovation
• public engagement.

If you haven’t already been in receipt of significant funding or been leading in an area of technical development, you may wish to apply for a post-doctoral fellowship.

Research organisations may wish to show their commitment to applicants by providing additional support and resources as evidenced in the host organisation statement (EPSRC).

You can apply for up to five years for an open fellowship award. We will also allow fellowships over shorter periods. You can spend between 50% and 100% of your time on a fellowship.

If you want to work part-time, you can hold your EPSRC fellowship part-time as well, at a minimal level of 50%. In these circumstances, the duration of your fellowship can be extended pro rata.

We will fund 80% of the full economic costs of your project. You may request funding for:

• staff costs
• equipment and other items needed to carry out the project
• costs related to impact
• travel and subsistence.

If you are a research organisation 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 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.

Find details of current fellows We invest in people with leadership potential at all career stages, helping them to lead excellent research projects.

Read more about the inspiring scientists and engineers who are our current fellows (EPSRC) and find out how taking part in a fellowship has influenced their careers.

Find examples of projects we have funded by searching for ‘fellowship’ in our online portfolio (EPSRC).

Research grants are open to UK higher education institutions, research council institutes, UKRI-approved independent research organisations, Public Sector Research Establishments and NHS bodies with research capacity.

Read the guidance on institutional eligibility.

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.

There are no eligibility rules about how many years of postdoctoral experience you need or whether you are currently in a permanent academic position.

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.

There are no restrictions on nationality.

For more information, read our fellowship application guide (PDF, 277KB).

We will not accept uninvited resubmissions of projects that have already been submitted to UKRI or any other funder.

Submissions to this call will count towards the EPSRC repeatedly unsuccessful applicants policy.