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Royal Society and NRF funding opportunities

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Post-doctoral Fellowships - Singapore (closing 30 November 2017)

The National Research Foundation Singapore has established a Post-doctoral International Collaborative Fellowship for the Commonwealth. Up to ten Post-doctoral Fellowships will be awarded to do research in either Oceans or Sustainable Cities at a Singapore institution.

Find out more about the Fellowship and how to apply or download the registration form

Read more about potential supervisors and projects for Oceans and potential supervisors for Sustainable cities.

Resilient Futures Challenge Grants (opening end 2017/early 2018)

The Royal Society is working with its sister Academies in the UK to launch an interdisciplinary challenge led research programme funded through the Global Challenges Research Fund.  The programme will bring together research groups from the UK and countries on the OECD DAC list to address specific global challenges around the theme of resilience and sustainability. 

The programme will provide 15 programme grants of up to £500,000 over three years.  The grants will be awarded across the broad areas of the Global Challenges Research Fund.  We will particularly welcome applications in global challenge areas discussed at the Commonwealth Science Conference (Low Carbon Energy, Infectious Diseases and Oceans).  

The programme aims to:

  • Fund excellence - Funding exceptional research programmes and researchers to address global challenges that are relevant to development.
  • Build research capacity – Using the strengths of the UK research base to build research capacity in developing countries through collaboration in global challenge areas relevant to development.
  • Promote collaboration - Enabling researchers to undertake collaborative research in support of socio-economic development in OECD DAC list countries
  • Train research leaders – Supporting the next generation of research leaders in developing countries. 

Find further information on Challenge Grants.

International Collaboration Awards (next call opening 2018)

The Royal Society is providing 10 to 15 International Collaboration Awards each year for four years funded through the Global Challenges Research Fund to support collaborations between UK research leaders and the best leading researchers from around the world to work on global challenges and problems facing developing countries.  Partnerships with countries on the OECD DAC list are expected. The aims of the programme are to:

  • Support the development of sustainable collaborative partnerships between outstanding researchers in the UK and the best research groups in developing countries to generate new approaches to the most significant and complex problems faced by developing countries
  • Strengthen research capacity in developing countries through collaboration, sharing of knowledge and skills and exchange of staff between research groups in the UK and their partners in developing countries. 
  • Attract outstanding international scientists from developing countries and their teams to work with the UK’s best universities and research institutions.
  • Support the research of the best UK scientists working in fields relevant to the Global Challenges to formulate new approaches to global development problems

The proposed research must fall within the remit of the Royal Society (the natural sciences including engineering). The Royal Society does not cover social sciences or clinical medical research.

Find further information on International Collaboration Awards.

Newton International Fellowships (next call opening 2018)

The Royal Society offers over 40 Newton International Fellowships each year.  The fellowships are 2 year post-doctoral fellowships, selecting the very best early career postdoctoral researchers from all over the world, and enabling them to work at UK research institutions.  They cover subsistence, research expenses, relocation costs, and a contribution to the UK host institution.

The aims of the fellowship are to:

  • Support the development and training of postdoctoral researchers at an early stage of their career from any country outside the UK, by providing an opportunity to work at a UK research institution for two years
  • Ensure the best postdoctoral researchers across all relevant disciplines from around the world are supported in the UK
  • Foster long-term relations between Newton International Fellows and the UK research base through the establishment of an alumni programme for former Fellows of this Scheme. The alumni programme will include the possible provision of further funding for Newton International Fellows for follow-on activities, to enable links with UK based researchers to be maintained and developed. Please note that due to funding constraints the alumni programme is not currently available for clinical or patient oriented Newton International Fellows 
  • For Newton Fund countries: The Newton International Fellowships aim to develop research and innovation capacity, supporting the development of a well-trained research community to promote economic development and welfare of partner countries  

Find further information on Newton International Fellowships.

International Exchanges/Newton Mobility Grants (next call opening August 2017)

This scheme is for scientists based in the UK (or US for the Kan Tong Po programme) who want to stimulate new collaborations with leading scientists overseas through either a one-off visit or bilateral travel.

The Standard Programme is available for travel to/from all countries outside the UK. The funding available is dependent upon the length of the visit. Applicants may request:

  • up to of £3,000 for one-off travel lasting up to 3 months
  • up to £6000 for multiple visits to be completed within 1 year (including a maximum of £1000 for research expenses)
  • up to £12,000 for multiple visits to be completed within 2 years and cost share projects fixed at 2 years (including a maximum of £2000 for research expenses)

Find further information on this scheme.

Newton Advanced Fellowships (next call opening July 2017)

This scheme is funded by the Newton Fund, and links international early career group leaders to some of the best research groups in the UK.  The scheme aims to:

  • Support the development of a well-trained research community who can contribute to poverty alleviation by transferring new skills and creating new knowledge which can lead to changes in the wellbeing of communities and increased economic benefits.
  • Strengthen research excellence in partner countries by supporting promising independent, early-career scientists and their research groups and networks to develop their research through training, collaboration, reciprocal visits and the transfer of knowledge and skills from the UK.
  • Establish long-term links between the best research groups (and networks) in partner countries and the UK to ensure that improvements in research capacity are sustainable in the longer term. Such long-term links will also benefit the UK, securing our position with partner countries as the scientific partner of choice.

Find further information on this Newton Advanced Fellowships.

Wolfson Research Merit Awards  - Open now, deadline 28 June 2017

The Wolfson Research Merit Awards aim to recruit outstanding scientists to the UK, as well as retaining outstanding scientists at UK institutions.  It provides a five year salary enhancement, it is jointly funded by the Royal Society and the Wolfson Foundation.

Find further information on Wolfson Research Merit Awards.