The Royal Society Wolfson Fellowship for Senior Career Researchers

About the program:

The Royal Society Wolfson Fellowship provides long-term flexible funding for senior career researchers recruited or retained to a UK university or research institution in fields identified as a strategic priority for the host department or organisation.

The scheme covers all areas of the life and physical sciences, including engineering, but excluding clinical medicine.

The scheme is jointly funded by the Wolfson Foundation and the Royal Society. 

Eligibility:

Applicants can be of any nationality.

To be eligible to apply you must:

• either currently hold a permanent post (funded by the host institution and can include partial funding of salary from an external grant) or have received a firm offer to take effect from the start of the appointment. 
• conduct research within the Royal Society’s remit of natural sciences, which includes but is not limited to biological research, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and physics. The Royal Society does not cover clinical medicine (such as patient orientated research and clinical trials), social sciences or humanities, other than when working in partnership with organisations.

Candidates from under-represented groups are particularly encouraged to apply.

What is the scheme’s value and tenure?

This scheme provides up to five years of funding.

Overseas recruitment applications: Up to £250,000 can be requested.  Funding can be used flexibly by the Research Fellow and as part of their start-up package to support their research programme and team and can cover:

• salary – The institution may include a salary enhancement for the researcher. This will be limited to a maximum of 20% of the total salary.
• research expenses – Flexible research expenses including consumables, travel, small pieces of equipment of up to £10K, access costs, undergraduate students and a contribution to technical support. 
• 4 year PhD studentship – The cost of PhD studentship may only be included if the host organisation will commit to underwriting the remaining cost of the studentship and appropriate alternative supervision for the student in the event that the RS Wolfson Research Fellow leaves the institution.
• other – The funding is intended to be flexible so other appropriate and justified research costs are also eligible.

Applications for researchers already in the host organisation: Up to £150,000 can be requested. Funding can be used flexibly by the Research Fellow to support their research programme and team. This can cover: 

• salary – The institution may include a salary enhancement for the researcher. This will be limited to a maximum of 20% of the total salary.  This must be an enhancement and may not be used to offset existing costs to the organisation or to cover a pre-agreed pay increase or annual pay increase.  
• research expenses – Flexible research expenses including consumables, travel, equipment, access costs, undergraduate students and a contribution to technical support.
• 4 year PhD studentship – The cost of PhD studentship may only be included if the host organisation will commit to underwriting the remaining cost of the studentship and appropriate alternative supervision for the student in the event that the strategic research appointment holder leaves the institution.
• other – The funding is intended to be flexible so other appropriate research costs as required are also eligible.

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