Internal Expression of Interest for Round 4 of the UKRI Future Leader Fellowships is now open.

https://www.ukri.org/funding/funding-opportunities/future-leaders-fellowships/

This cross-UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) scheme will support early career researchers and innovators with outstanding potential in universities, UK registered businesses, and other research and user environments including research councils’ institutes and laboratories.

The Future Leader Fellowship (FLF) scheme welcomes applications from both UK and international applicants and individuals should use the person specification to assess and justify their suitability. The support of the institution will be a critical component of all fellowships which will enable the fellow to transition to or establish their research/innovation independence in any area supported by UKRI.

The objectives of the scheme are:

• to develop, retain, attract and sustain research and innovation talent in the UK
• to foster new research and innovation career paths including those at the academic/business and interdisciplinary boundaries, and facilitate movement of people between sectors
• to provide sustained funding and resources for the best early career researchers and innovators
• to provide long-term, flexible funding to tackle difficult and novel challenges, and support adventurous, ambitious programmes.

These Fellowships support applicants from diverse career paths, including those returning from a career break or following time in other roles. Applications are encouraged from those wishing to work part-time in order to combine the fellowship with personal responsibilities.

The support offered will be long-term and flexible and will provide comprehensive package, including the fellow’s salary and justified research, staff and training costs, with seven years of support available on a 4+3 model, with a review in year four.

As per previous rounds, an internal selection process for nominations will be conducted.

The internal deadline is midday, 8^th July 2019.

Applicants must have the support of their School before applying. Please contact your Institute Director to discuss your application as soon as possible.

Candidates should submit the following:

1. A title of the proposed fellowship.
2. Identification of which Research Council remits the proposed fellowship aligns to.
3. The UKRI FLF CV template.
4. A list of relevant peer-reviewed research publications.
5. A statement on your primary area of research or innovation (up to 200 characters).
6. A statement on the research focus of the fellowship proposal (up to 2000 characters).
7. A detailed description of the 7-year programme of research (up to 4000 characters total) This should consist of a detailed description of the 4 year programme (3000 characters) and a description of activities in years 5-7 (1000 characters).
8. A description as to why the FLF is suitable for you, how will this fellowship change your career and where you see yourself at the end (up to 1000 characters).
9. Describe how you have previously demonstrated leadership skills and what steps you will take to become a Future Leader (up to 1000 characters).
10. An outline of your independent funding obtained to develop your ‘transition to independence’ and, if holding a tenured Faculty position, what full-time equivalent research time you have had in that post as well as what funding obtained to develop independence. Please note: if successful, Fellows’ full working time will be committed to these Fellowships. Fellows would not be expected to be spending more than in the region of six hours a week (pro-rated for part-time Fellows) on these other commitments (or undertaking up to two sessions a week in the case of Clinical Fellows) during the first two years of the Fellowship.
11. For administrative purposes only and to ensure you receive the appropriate support for the development of your fellowship proposal could you please answer the following questions:

• Does Newcastle University own the preliminary research results, data, process or technology (Background IP) that you wish to use as a basis for the research programme in the fellowship? [Yes/No]
• Does any element of the research programme involve NHS staff, NHS patients or NHS premises? [Yes/No]

Applications should be submitted to Dr Clare McCann clare.mccann@newcastle.ac.uk