Future Leaders Fellowships

Email all material to grants [at] ph.ed.ac.uk by noon on  the 5th of March 2025. More information on the fellowship can be found here. Below a list of all material needed for the internal selection:

-  Identify local academic who will support the application and identify host institute. 

Candidate information: Case for Support in line with UKRI requirements (see also the “How to Apply” section of the UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships: round 10 call webpage for full guidance):

• Applicant Name and Proposed UoE Host School
• Summary (up to 550 words) –this should be suitable for a variety of readers
  • Clearly describe your proposed work in terms of:
    • context of the research and/or innovation
    • the challenge the project addresses
    • aims and objectives
    • potential applications and benefits
• Vision and Approach (up to four sides of A4 + diagrammatic work plan (5 pages in total, including references), single spaced in paper in 11-point Arial (or equivalent sans serif font) with margins of at least 2cm)
  • What are you hoping to achieve with and how will you deliver your proposed work?
  • For the Vision, explain how your proposed work:
    • is of excellent quality and importance within or beyond the field(s) or area(s)
    • has the potential to advance current understanding, or generate new knowledge, thinking or discovery within or beyond the field or area of its focus
    • is timely, given current trends, context, and needs
    • impacts world-leading research, society, the economy or the environment
    • identify the potential direct or indirect benefits and who the beneficiaries might be
  • For the Approach, explain how you have designed your work so that it:
    • is effective and appropriate to achieve your objectives
    • is feasible, and comprehensively identifies any risks to delivery and how you will manage them
    • uses a clearly written and transparent methodology (if applicable)
    • summarises the previous work and describes how you will build on and progress this work (if applicable)
    • will maximise translation of outputs into outcomes and impacts
    • demonstrate access to the appropriate services, facilities, infrastructure, or equipment to deliver the proposed work
• Applicant capability to deliver (up to 1650 words [1150 words to be used for R4RI, with a further 500 words for Additions])
  • Why are you the right individual to successfully deliver the proposed work?
  • What the assessors are looking for in your response - evidence of how you have:
    • the relevant experience (appropriate to career stage) to make best use of the benefits presented by this funding opportunity to develop your career
    • the right balance of skills and aptitude to deliver the proposed work
    • contributed to developing a positive research environment and wider community
    • the appropriate team working or leadership skills (appropriate to career stage)
  • Complete this section using the UKRI R4RI module headings.
  • Additions: Provide any further relevant details, e.g. details of career breaks, etc. (up to 500 words)
  • You should complete this section as a narrative. Do not format it like a CV.
• Career development (up to 1000 words)
  • Why is this fellowship the right way to develop your career and how will you use it to benefit others?
  • Ensure that you have identified:
    • career development goals appropriate to the fellowship funding opportunity
    • how the fellowship will provide a feasible and appropriate trajectory for your personal development and to achieve your stated career development goals (as appropriate to your career stage and field)
    • how you will instigate positive change in the wider research and innovation community, for example through Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), advocacy or advisory roles, stakeholder engagement, participation in peer review, influencing policy, public engagement or outreach
  • Within the Career Development section, we also expect you to describe:
    • how you will ensure continued research and professional development in those you will be managing on the project, to have a positive research and innovation experience, with opportunities or support to progress their own careers (useful links Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers and Technician Commitment)
    • the proposed work will provide a feasible and appropriate trajectory for you to acquire additional skills, like research, leadership, communication and management
    • what mentoring arrangements are proposed and how they are appropriate to you
• Host organisation support (up to 1000 words)
  • How will the host organisation support your fellowship?
  • What the assessors are looking for in your response
    • provide evidence detailing how the host will support you, as appropriate for your career development and the vision and approach of the fellowship
    • who you have engaged with in your host organisation (name and role)
    • how your research environment will contribute to the success of the work, in terms of suitability of the host organisation and strategic relevance to the project
    • how the host organisation will ensure your time commitment to the fellowship is protected
    • what development and training opportunities will be provided and how they form a cohesive career development package tailored to your aims and aspirations
    • what financial or practical support, such as access to the appropriate services, facilities, infrastructure, or equipment, is being provided and how this strengthens your application
  • Within the Host organisation support section we also expect you to describe:
    • details of the fellowship work to be conducted at another UK or overseas host organisation and how they will support you (if applicable)

Further information on ECR eligibility criteria

• Career stage UKRI has a very broad definition of ‘early career’ e.g. it does not specify a particular number of years of experience, but candidates must have a PhD or equivalent experience
• Current job status There are no eligibility rules based on holding/not holding a permanent or open-ended academic position or job role.
• Other UKRI Fellowship applications Candidates cannot have any other UKRI Fellowship application under consideration at the time of submission, unless expressly permitted in the other Fellowship call documentation

The scheme is for early career researchers. But what is an early career researcher? There is no quantitative answer, and it’s up to the applicant to make it clear to the reviewers how this fellowship will have transformative added value for their research and career. Applicants are encouraged from the broadest spectrum of backgrounds, career pathways and disciplines; including those who have changed disciplines, had career breaks, and time in other roles. Demonstrating how the fellowship will support the transition to independent researcher will provide strong justification, whereas applicants who have already achieved research independence – as evidenced by, for example, a portfolio of grants aimed at this level as project lead - will not be competitive unless they can make a compelling case – for example, that they are moving into a new field.