Opportunity status:
Open
Funders:
Funding type:
Fellowship
Total fund:
£9,000,000
Publication date:
11 February 2026
Opening date:
11 February 2026 9:00am UK time
Closing date:
22 April 2026 4:00pm UK time
Last updated: 13 February 2026 -
Apply for a Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) fellowship to further your career through an early independence research fellowship.
You must:
* be based at a UK research organisation eligible for BBSRC funding
* meet the individual eligibility criteria
* hold a PhD qualification or have relevant research experience combined with clear evidence of leadership potential
There is no limit on the value of the grant. BBSRC will fund 80% of the full economic cost.
Your fellowship will last three years. You can work full time or part time (pro rata).
This award now includes an outline stage. You are therefore advised to carefully read all the guidance we have provided, before submitting your application .
This opportunity is open to organisations with standard eligibility.
Applications are welcomed from applicants of all nationalities, including those not currently located in the UK, however, this is subject to the fellowship being based at an .
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 BBSRC fellowship scheme.
This could be through:
* recent 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 in order 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 BBSRC fellowship 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.
Applicants that have been included on applications as a researcher co-lead (previously known as a researcher co-investigator) are eligible to apply, provided they still meet all eligibility criteria.
You may only submit one application for a BBSRC fellowship scheme each year.
This funding opportunity was renamed in 2024, it was formerly known as the ‘BBSRC Discovery Fellowships’.
This is the only BBSRC fellowships opportunity open in 2026.
Who is not eligible to apply
You are not eligible to apply if:
* you have applied to a concurrent UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) fellowship of the same type (career transition)
* you are the project lead on a UKRI grant application and it is being assessed
* you have secured grants as a project lead, that include support for and leading of research staff such as postdoctoral research associates (PDRAs) as this would indicate you have already made the step-change to independence
* you are not planning to be based at an for your fellowship
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), unless this is a teaching-only post or did not provide an opportunity to start an independent research group
* an equivalent competitive fellowship that allows you to establish an independent research group, and therefore independent researcher status
In addition, you should not have been offered such an appointment before taking up a BBSRC fellowship. This applies to both fixed-term and permanent positions, and includes positions held at overseas institutions.
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 .
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 BBSRC 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 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.
Part-time fellowships
BBSRC fellowships may be held full or part-time. We welcome applications from candidates who wish to work on a part-time or flexible basis to combine their responsibilities with a career.
BBSRC fellowships can be held on a part-time basis down to 0.5 full-time equivalent (FTE). In all cases, the length of the fellowship must be extended accordingly on a pro rata basis. For example, a three-year fellowship on a full-time basis would equate to a six-year fellowship with the fellow working 0.5 FTE, but the value of the award would remain the same.
It is possible to change from part time to full time, or full time to part time at any point during the lifetime of the award but with an expectation of a min 0.5 FTE.
A part‐time fellow may not hold another part‐time position in conjunction with the fellowship.
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.
Resubmissions
Resubmissions of identical fellowship applications are not permitted. However, applicants may submit revised applications that clearly address feedback from previous assessment.
Applicants to the 2025 BBSRC Fellowships Scheme that did not receive feedback on their applications may submit an outline for an otherwise unaltered project.
Aim
The aim of this fellowship is to support talented researchers to:
* lead their own research plans to establish their own research niche
* make the first step-change towards independence
Scope
The BBSRC fellowship will provide support for researchers wishing to undertake independent research and gain leadership skills. The scheme will support the transition of early-stage researchers to fully independent research leaders. As such, BBSRC fellows represent part of our commitment to the supply of highly skilled professional scientists to the UK.
Through our Fellowship Scheme, we will invest in researchers who are seeking to conduct their own independent research within a host laboratory.
You must provide strong evidence of working towards this goal, demonstrating an upward trajectory to pursuing independent work within a host organisation. You must show high potential to become future research leaders.
This scheme supports excellent investigator-led research across the breadth of our scientific remit.
You can apply to undertake biotechnology or biological research in:
* plants
* microbes
* animals and humans
* developing tools and technology relevant to biological research
We also support non-hypothesis driven applications, including:
* data-driven, discovery led projects
* technology development projects
Where a project is not guided by an explicit hypothesis, there should be clearly articulated goals, justification, and potential outcomes of the project.
Investigations within and across scales are supported from molecules and cells to tissues, whole organisms, populations, and landscapes.
We welcome multidisciplinary applications that cross into other research council areas but expect the primary focus of your work to fall within BBSRC’s remit.
We work with other research councils to ensure that applications close to remit boundaries are assessed by the most appropriate lead council.