Submissions open for Newton International Fellowship Programme

The fellowships will enable researchers to access expertise, gain new perspectives and build long-lasting collaborative relationships. The fellowship provides two years of funding to attract international early career researchers to establish and conduct their research in a UK host organisation.

Aim

• The overarching aim of the Newton International Fellowship programme is to attract and retain emerging talent in the UK and build a globally connected, mobile research and innovation workforce.

Objectives

• The objectives are to:
  • Attract talented International early career researchers to establish and conduct their research in the UK;
  • Support early career researchers to pursue high-quality and innovative lines of research;
  • Provide opportunities to acquire new skills and knowledge through training and career development;
  • Foster long-term relationships through networking opportunities and the Newton International Fellowships alumni programme.

Focus Areas

• Research must be within the Royal Society’s remit of natural sciences, which includes but is not limited to: biological research, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, and physics.

Funding Information

• Applicants are permitted to apply for up to £280,000. This is a maximum value over two years (i.e., the total contribution requested from the Society may not exceed £280,000, excluding visa and relocation costs).
• Duration:
  • Fellowships are expected to commence by March 2026.
  • Awards cannot start before 1 October 2025. A start date of the first of the month is preferred. Fellowships will be for held for two years on a full-time basis.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must have a PhD or be in the final stage of their PhD provided that it will be completed (including viva) before the start date of the fellowship. Confirmation of award of the PhD will be required before any fellowship award is confirmed.
• Applicants should have no more than seven years active full-time postdoctoral experience at the time of application, including teaching experience, time spent in industry on research, honorary positions and/or visiting researcher positions. Career breaks must be clearly detailed and explained in the application.
• Applicants should be working outside the UK and should not hold UK citizenship at the time of application.
• Applicants who are not currently employed are still eligible.
• Applications from individuals who have not studied or worked in the UK previously are encouraged as the scheme aims to establish new links between the Applicant and the UK.
• Individuals who have lived, worked or undertaken research in the UK in the 12 months prior to the application deadline are not eligible to apply, with the exception of short-term visits of less than three months in total and Applicants who are refugees in the UK according to the Geneva Convention.
• Applicants who completed their PhD at a UK organisation must have been working and based outside the UK for at least one year at the deadline for the application.
• Applicants proposing to return to their UK-based PhD organisation and/or PhD supervisor or to their postdoctoral supervisor will normally be considered to be ineligible and so Applicants must have exceptional reasons for proposing to do so. A justification for returning will be required in the application form, typically the Panel will require appropriate scientific justification for the return.
• Proposed Fellowships must be carried out in the UK at the UK host organisation for the duration of the Fellowship.
• Applicants must be competent in oral and written English. The Applicant must confirm their competency on the application form and the UK Sponsor needs to include the Applicant’s competency in their supporting statement.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Individuals already living, working, or undertaking research in the UK are not eligible to apply.
• Individuals working outside the UK but employed by a UK organisation are also not eligible to apply.
• Individuals who have previously been in receipt of a Newton International Fellowship are not permitted to apply again.

For more information, visit The Royal Society.