Research Council Fellowships

Research Fellowships are a stepping stone for junior researchers to establish themselves as an independent world-leading researcher. Fellowships are aimed at academics with a PhD and one or two postdoc experiences who have proven to be able to carry out excellent research and are now ready to embark on their own independent research path. In the UK, research fellowships typically provide the ideal environment to prepare a young researcher to apply for permanent academic positions later on.

The aim of the Research Excellence Fellowship scheme is to attract and retain outstanding researchers in environment and sustainability by supporting them in their application to competitive and prestigious research fellowships. The Grantham Institute offers a number of attractive benefits to candidates interested in applying to UK Research Council fellowships or Royal Society university research fellowships, and can boost their application with:

An additional fully funded PhD studentship with consumables.
Comprehensive support in proposal writing and interviewing. This will be done with departmental experts and a Grantham Institute non-expert panel drawn from across the College.
A suite of personalised professional development training with an environment focus, many run by external experts, including on how to engage with the media, debating, environmental policy and research translation, green innovation and entrepreneurship.
A fellowship co-hosted at a department and the Grantham Institute, which is a unique multidisciplinary hub.
Optional media exposure — fellows can typically expect monthly appearances.
Optional placement with strategic international research partners, including CNRS (France), TMU (Germany), NTU (Singapore).
Optional placement in government departments.
Candidates who are unsuccessful in the research council scheme will be considered for an independent Grantham Research Fellowship.

Candidates must propose work in the broad areas of environment and sustainability. Their proposal must also fit the specific remits of the respective research council.

Candidates will be nominated and co-hosted by a department. Candidates should identify the department most relevant to their research, contact them and seek their nomination first.

The internal deadlines below are set to allow time to help candidates prepare their applications and receive feedback: