The Royal Society Yusuf Hamied Visiting Fellowships

The Yusuf Hamied Visiting Fellowships support the Royal Society’s mission to promote excellence in science and the application of science for the benefit of humanity. The programme is generously supported by the Yusuf and Farida Hamied Foundation as part of the Royal Society Yusuf Hamied Programme for India.

The next round of Yusuf Hamied Visiting Fellowships will enable five Fellows of the Royal Society to make visits to India for between 3 to 12 weeks. The programme will cover return international flights up to a maximum of £5,000 and weekly travel grant of £1,000.

The call for applications for Senior Grant Holders has now closed, and will re-open in 2025. The next call for applications for Fellows will open in the autumn. 

Eligibility

The Yusuf Hamied Visiting Fellowships for Fellows are open to all Fellows and Foreign Members of the Royal Society. Applicants cannot be a member of the Society’s Board, the awarding body for the scheme. 

The Yusuf Hamied Visiting Fellowships for Senior Grant Holders are open to the following Royal Society grant holders:

• Royal Society Research Professors
• Royal Society Wolfson Fellows
• University Research Fellows on Renewal (i.e. 5-8 years into their early career fellowship)

Applications

Applications should outline the length of stay, amount requested, a schedule of activities and set out how their visit will support the exchange of expertise between scientific communities and India. Giving reference to planned and proposed activities as well as longer term outcomes for the visit.

All applications should be submitted via email to the Yusuf Hamied Programme.

Selection

The Royal Society’s Board will review the applications received and select up to five Fellows and up to five Senior Grant Holders for the Visiting Fellowships each year. If more than five applications are received for each round, the Board will also consider the research areas covered in the application, the range of partner organisations and locations proposed, and the quality and impact of the anticipated outcomes as well as take into consideration the breadth and diversity of applicants. The decision of the Board is final.

Visits

Awards for Senior Grant Holders are expected to be announced in August 2024 and the visits should take place between 1 September 2024 and 31 August 2025.

The Royal Society will help visiting Fellows and Senior Grant Holders make arrangements for their return flights (up to a maximum of £5,000) via its travel agent. Visiting Professors will be expected to arrange their own travel insurance and accommodation while in India. Any additional costs for travel incurred above £5,000 must be met by the Visiting Professor and/or their institution. The weekly travel grant of £1,000, calculated pro rata, is expected to cover any accommodation, in-country travel, insurance, visa and subsistence costs as well as any project, activity or research costs. Any additional costs incurred above this travel grant must be met by the Visiting Professor and/or their institution.  

Reporting

After their visit, the Visiting Professors will be asked to provide a short report (up to 1,000 words) outlining the main highlights of their visit and how their visit supported the exchange of expertise between scientific communities in the UK and India within 6 weeks of return. Visiting Professors may also be asked to provide feedback on the scheme to improve future implementation.