Industry Fellowships

The Industry Fellowship is part of the Royal Society's wider Science and Industry Programme which strives to promote the value and importance of science by connecting academia, industry and government.

The Industry Fellowship scheme is open to academic and industrial researchers from early to senior career stages based in the UK (see below and in the scheme notes for for eligibility information). The aims of the scheme are to:

• Support the mobility of excellent academic or industrial researchers between in two sectors in the UK, across the natural sciences.
• Enable the Industry Fellow to develop and establish collaborative links between the academic and industrial organisations, which may lead to longer term collaborations.
• Support the career development of the Industry Fellow, and their team, through the cross-sector collaborative research experience afforded by the fellowship.
• Enhance knowledge exchange in science and technology between industry and academia.

The scheme provides a basic salary for the researcher and a contribution towards research costs.

The scheme is currently funded by the Royal Society.

For shorter term collaborative projects between industry and academia, see the Short Industry Fellowship.

"My Industry Fellowship has allowed me to do something quite unique at NNL - establish a brand-new research area and a brand-new collaboration with a university from scratch." Professor Nick Smith. Awarded: 2013 – 2017

Research must be within the Royal Society’s remit of natural sciences, which includes but is not limited to biological research, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and physics. For a full list, please see the breakdown of subject groups and areas supported by the Royal Society. 

Am I eligible to apply?

You can apply for this scheme if you:

• have a PhD or are of equivalent standing in your profession
• hold a permanent post or have an 'open-ended contract' in either a university, not-for-profit research organisation or industry in the UK
• are at a stage in your career when you would particularly benefit from establishing or strengthening personal or corporate links between academia and industry as a foundation for long-term collaboration and development

These fellowships are aimed at supporting new collaborations between academic and industry organisations. If you are applying to support an ongoing collaboration with an industry partner or UK University, or not-for-profit research organisation you will be required to submit a new project involving a different university/industry department.

You should clearly state how the fellowship will benefit the not-for-profit research organisation and the industrial partner, including any potential to lead to longer-term collaboration.

We actively seek applications from underrepresented groups to increase the diversity of our grant holders with a focus on improved gender balance, greater representation from BAME groups and wider UK institutional reach. Watch the video below to hear about the experiences of our past female award holders.

For further information about how to apply, read the FAQs (PDF).

Before applying, please ensure that you meet all the eligibility requirements, which are explained in the scheme notes.

What is the scheme’s value and tenure?

The scheme provides the applicant’s basic salary while on secondment. The employing organisation continue to pay national insurance and pension contributions.

Research expenses may be claimed up to the value of £4,000 per year, and may be used to support summer studentships at £2,000 per year. The summer studentship allows a student to work on an industrially relevant research project under the award holder’s supervision and in collaboration with the host organisation. At the end of their projects, students are invited to present their work at the annual Industry Fellows Networking event held at the Royal Society.

The Society can provide financial support to research fellows for any additional care costs that arise when attending conferences, collaborative research visits or invited talks directly related to their fellowship. These requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.

“I cannot speak fondly enough of my summer studentship experience, and found that I gained a surprising number of skills which I still call upon today. As for my current professional life, I owe both my choice of industry and my place of work to the experiences and connections made throughout my studentship.” – Tom Payne, Footfalls and Heartbeats. 

Awards can be for any period up to two years full-time or a maximum of four years pro rata, i.e. an award could be held at 50% part-time for four years enabling fellows to maintain links with their employing institution more easily.

What is the application process?

Applications should be submitted through the Society’s grant management system Flexi-Grant®.

Your application will go through the process detailed on the Making a grant application page overseen by the Industry Fellowship panel.

Applications are initially assessed by panel members and a shortlist is drawn up. Shortlisted applications are then sent for independent review and are finally considered at a panel meeting.

It is expected that applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application four months after the closing date.

The Royal Society recognises that diversity is essential for delivering excellence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The Society wants to encourage applications from the widest range of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences to maximise innovation and creativity in science for the benefit of humanity. We regularly review and revise processes to help ensure that all talented applicants have an equitable chance to succeed as per the assessment criteria. This includes ensuring all panel members are briefed on unconscious bias in decision making as part of our assessment process.

Support for applicants with disabilities

The Royal Society welcomes applications from scientists with disabilities and provides adjustments to ensure that they can participate fully in the selection process. If you need an adjustment when accessing the application form, attending interviews, or for any other part of the application process, please contact the Grants team (see below for contact details). Adjustments can include, but are not limited to:

• extension of the deadline
• additional support to complete the application form

Find out more about the Royal Society's Science and Industry programme.

For more information regarding the scheme, please contact the Grants team on innovationgrants@royalsociety.org or visit our contact us page.