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Future Leaders Fellowships: round 11

Description

This is a prestigious cross-UKRI fellowship programme that funds ambitious research and innovation projects led by early-career researchers and innovators who are either looking to establish or transition to independence or developing their own original and ambitious plans within a commercial setting. It supports bold, long-term programmes across all areas of UKRI’s remit, spanning disciplines, sectors and methodologies.

Funding amount

  • Total funding available: £110,000,000 for Round 11.
  • Per fellowship:
    • There is no minimum or maximum project cost limit; funding must be appropriate and justified.
    • Fellowships have historically ranged from ~£300,000 to over £2,000,000 in total award value, covering salary, research and project costs, staff, training and professional development.
  • UKRI will fund 80 % of the full economic cost (FEC).

Submission deadlines

  • Competition opens: 2 February 2026 at 9:00 am UK time.
  • Competition closes: 16 June 2026 at 4:00 pm UK time.
  • Assessment: Applicants may be short-listed and interviewed as part of the selection process.

Submission conditions

Applicants must:

  • submit their application on the appropriate UKRI Funding Service (academic hosts) or Innovation Funding Service (non-academic hosts).
  • secure support and nomination from a UK-based host organisation eligible for UKRI funding.
  • comply with all eligibility requirements in the Round 11 guidance documents, including host organisation quotas (academic hosts may face application caps).
  • justify how the fellowship will enable career development and ambitious research/innovation plans.

Eligible types of businesses / organisations

Eligible hosts include:

  • UK higher education institutions;
  • research organisations eligible for UKRI funding;
  • independent research organisations;
  • eligible UK businesses and non-academic organisations that meet UKRI criteria.

The applicant must be hosted by such an organisation; the fellowship itself is an individual award. Partners and collaborators may be included as appropriate but do not lead the fellowship.

Expected Outcome

Successful fellows are expected to:

  • become independent research or innovation leaders capable of leading major programmes of work;
  • pursue high-quality research or innovation outputs that advance understanding, drive new technologies or influence practice or policy;
  • significantly develop their careers, with structured support and leadership development;
  • embed themselves in environments that sustain long-term impact, potentially including transition to open-ended or permanent positions at the host institution (particularly for academic hosts).

Scope

Projects/fellowships should:

  • be led by individual researchers or innovators with outstanding potential;
  • support work across the entire remit of UKRI, including arts, humanities, sciences, engineering and innovation areas;
  • enable ambitious, challenging programmes that significantly advance research or innovation and the fellow’s career trajectory;
  • include career development, protected research/innovation time and commitments from the host organisation to foster independence;
  • be built around a coherent research or innovation agenda that delivers intellectual leadership and potential impact;
  • be hosted by a UK-based organisation eligible for UKRI funding (both academic and eligible non-academic hosts).
  • Fellowships can also embrace innovation activities and, where appropriate, interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral or collaborative elements.

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