Opportunity status:
Open
Funders:
Funding type:
Fellowship
Total fund:
£7,250,000
Publication date:
25 February 2026
Opening date:
25 February 2026 9:00am UK time
Closing date:
16 June 2026 4:00pm UK time
Apply for funding to further your career through an independent research fellowship
You must:
* be based at a UK research organisation eligible for Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) funding
* meet the individual eligibility requirements
* be an early career researcher
* hold a PhD qualification or have relevant research experience combined with clear evidence of leadership potential
Your application must be within NERC’s remit.
There is no limit on the value of the grant. NERC will fund 80% of the full economic cost (FEC).
Your fellowship will last five years. You can work full time or part time (pro rata), see section ‘Who can apply’ for details.
This opportunity is open to organisations with standard eligibility. .
Before applying for funding, check the following:
* * check if your project is within and complete a if you are unsure if your application falls in NERC’s remit.
For more details on funding for fellows on research grants, .
Who is eligible to apply
This funding opportunity is open to early career researchers, as well as to a diversity of research and innovation staff including research technical professionals and research software engineers, wishing to carry out independent research. Applicants on an upward trajectory to pursuing working independently and developing research leadership are encouraged to apply.
You should be able to demonstrate appropriate and relevant research or innovation experience. You must also be able to evidence reasonable scientific and technical skills and competencies, in line with the ambitions of the Independent Research Fellowship scheme.
This could be through:
* completion of a PhD or other higher qualification
* relevant employment within a research or innovation environment
You do not need to hold, or be studying for, a PhD to apply. However, if you are currently studying for a PhD, you are only eligible if you are expecting to have submitted your PhD thesis before the Independent Research Fellowship (IRF) interview with the condition of having been awarded the PhD by your fellowship project start date.
There is no limit on the number of years postdoctoral or work experience.
Holders of postdoctoral training fellowships such as the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions can apply. Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin fellows and Daphne Jackson Trust fellows who meet all eligibility requirements may also apply.
If you have been included on applications to other funding opportunities as a project co-lead, then you are eligible to apply provided you still meet all eligibility criteria. Your fellowship application must be different from previous applications you have been included on.
Applicants that have been previously employed at lecturer level are still eligible to apply for IRF if this was clearly a ‘teaching only’ post that did not provide an opportunity to start an independent research group.
International applicants
Fellowships are open to applicants of any nationality, with the condition that your fellowships must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for NERC funding. Where applicable, you will need to comply with the UK Visas and Immigration requirements and hold a work permit prior to taking up the fellowship. Work permits are a matter for direct negotiation between the institution, the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) department and the Home Office.
All successful applicants who require a visa to work in the UK will be eligible to be considered under the route.
This visa route is designed for people who are internationally recognised as world leaders or potential world leading talent in the fields of science and the arts and enables the holder to be both adaptable and flexible during their research in the UK.
The grant of any visa is always subject to the standard Home Office general grounds for refusal of a visa. UKRI is able to provide additional guidance regarding the appropriate evidence required to complete the visa application process under the Global Talent visa route. If you have queries around the Global Talent Visa, please contact .
Applications are welcome from candidates who intend to use the fellowship as a means of re‐establishing themselves in the UK following a period overseas.
Who is not eligible to apply
You should not apply if you hold, or have ever held:
* a position at lecturer level, or the equivalent in an institution other than a university, that allowed you to set up a research group and conduct your own research
* an equivalent competitive fellowship that allows you to establish an independent research group, and therefore independent researcher status
* a tenured academic post
If you hold or have held a fellowship where you are eligible to supervise PhD students, as first supervisor, or are able to submit research applications as a project lead, then we consider that equivalent to a lectureship. As a result, you are not eligible to apply.
Examples of these fellowships include, but are not limited to:
* Wellcome Trust Sir Henry Dale Fellowships
* Medical Research Council career development awards
* UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships
* Royal Society University Research Fellowship
If you are unsure of your eligibility status, then email to confirm before you apply.
Applicants cannot submit applications to concurrent .
Equality, diversity and inclusion
for all funding applicants. We encourage applications from a diverse range of researchers.
We support people to work in a way that suits their personal circumstances. This includes:
* career breaks
* support for people with caring responsibilities
* flexible working
* alternative working patterns
for UKRI applicants and grant holders during the application and assessment process.