Verified

Early independence: career development fellowship

UK Research and Innovation

Opportunity status:

Open

Funders:

Medical Research Council (MRC)

Funding type:

Fellowship

Publication date:

5 June 2026

Opening date:

23 June 2026 9:00am UK time

Closing date:

15 September 2026 4:00pm UK time

Apply for an early independence fellowship to support your career transition within the new Fellowship Investment Framework, if your research focus is within the MRC remit.

You must:

have a PhD or equivalent
show evidence of career consolidation and past productivity
show clear plans for establishing your own research niche that enables a step-change towards independence

We will fund your salary and project costs (80% of the full economic cost) for up to five years (pro rata for part-time fellowships).

You may choose to apply for joint funding from one of the collaborating organisations.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Alignment with the specific funding opportunity (Highest Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

This is the most important predictor.

Competitive proposals closely match:

The objectives of the funding opportunity
Council-specific priorities (e.g., MRC, EPSRC, ESRC)
Eligibility requirements
Scope and remit
Assessment criteria

A scientifically excellent proposal that does not fit the published scope is unlikely to be funded.

2. Research excellence and importance (Highest Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

UKRI evaluates whether the research:

Addresses an important problem
Advances knowledge significantly
Is intellectually ambitious
Has the potential to influence the field

Reviewers assess the originality, significance, and quality of the proposed research.

3. Innovation and originality (Highest Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Competitive proposals typically demonstrate:

Novel concepts
Innovative methodologies
Creative approaches
Transformative ideas
High scientific ambition

UKRI supports both curiosity-driven discovery research and innovative applied research, depending on the funding opportunity.

4. Strong methodology and feasibility (Very High Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Applications should provide:

Well-defined objectives
Robust study design
Appropriate analytical methods
Risk management strategies
Realistic timelines
Clearly justified resources

Reviewers expect a convincing plan for delivering the proposed work.

5. Applicant and team capability (Very High Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

UKRI's assessment framework places strong emphasis on the ability of the applicant and team to deliver the project.

Competitive teams demonstrate:

Relevant expertise
Strong publication record
Leadership experience
Complementary skills
Appropriate collaborations

For early-career schemes, reviewers evaluate potential rather than only past achievements.

6. Positive research environment and institutional support (Very High Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Reviewers consider whether the research environment provides:

Appropriate infrastructure
Institutional commitment
Access to facilities
Mentoring (where applicable)
Technical support
Collaborative opportunities

The host organization should clearly demonstrate its ability to support successful project delivery.

7. Potential impact and pathways to impact (Very High Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Although UKRI has moved away from the separate "Pathways to Impact" document, proposals are still expected to explain how the research could generate benefits.

Competitive applications describe potential impacts such as:

Improvements to health
Economic growth
Environmental sustainability
Public policy
Industry innovation
Societal benefit
Cultural impact

The expected impact should be appropriate to the research stage and funding opportunity.

8. Interdisciplinary collaboration and partnerships (High Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆)

UKRI increasingly encourages interdisciplinary research.

Competitive projects often involve:

Multiple research disciplines
Industry partners
NHS organizations
Government agencies
International collaborators
Public and third-sector organizations

Cross-sector collaboration is especially important for large strategic and challenge-led programs.

9. Responsible research and innovation (RRI), equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), and open research (High Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆)

UKRI expects applicants to consider:

Responsible research and innovation
Equality, diversity, and inclusion
Ethical issues
Environmental sustainability
Open research practices
Data sharing and management

These considerations strengthen the overall quality and credibility of the proposal.

10. Realistic resources and value for money (High Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆)

Reviewers assess whether:

The requested budget is appropriate
Resources are well justified
Staffing is realistic
Equipment requests are necessary
The project offers good value for public funding

Strong justification of resources is an important component of UKRI review.

Specialties

Biomedical Engineering

Eligibility Requirements

This funding opportunity is open to organisations with standard eligibility. Check if your organisation is eligible.

Applications are welcomed from applicants of all nationalities, including those not currently located in the UK, however, this is subject to the fellowship being based at an eligible UK research organisation.

Who is eligible to apply

To be eligible to apply for an early independence career development fellowship you must:

have completed a PhD or equivalent
show evidence of skills, experience, career development and productivity across past appointments
have your own research plans that do not significantly overlap with those of your current group leaders or proposed sponsors, to establish your own research niche and team
have a research focus that is within MRC remit to improve human health and have the support of an eligible UK organisation

We support individuals driving intellectual, methodological and technical leadership, valuing these career paths equally. There are no eligibility rules based on age or years of postdoctoral experience.

You must have completed a PhD or equivalent before the fellowship award can start. If you have not yet completed your PhD, you should contact fellows@mrc.ukri.org to arrange to speak to the relevant programme manager before submitting an application.

Demand management

You can only have one fellowship application of the same type under consideration by UK research and Innovation (UKRI) (which encompasses all fellowship schemes led by any of the research councils or Innovate UK and new investigator awards). If you submit another application while one is being assessed, the new application will be rejected. You should wait until you receive a decision on your current application before submitting another.

Who is not eligible to apply

You are not eligible to apply if:

you have applied for an MRC fellowship within the last year or twice before
you have applied for another UKRI fellowship of the same type or an MRC new investigator award and your application is being assessed
you have part of the fellowship project as a grant application with any organisation and your application is being assessed
you are the project lead on a UKRI grant application and it is being assessed
you have been awarded a comparable fellowship supporting early independence or a new investigator award from any organisation
you have secured grants as a project lead, that include support for and leading of research staff such as postdoctoral research associates as this would indicate you have already made the step-change to independence
you are clinically active (the early independence: clinician scientist fellowship funding opportunity is the equivalent scheme dedicated for registered healthcare professionals)
you will not be employed by an eligible UK organisation for your fellowship

You cannot hold a salaried position and a fellowship at the same time. If you have already achieved independence by securing a permanent position, your application will not be competitive.

In exceptional circumstances, if you hold a salaried position and can demonstrate a clear step change in career route (for example, enabling a focus on research when currently holding a teaching role), then you may apply. However, if awarded a fellowship, you must either give up your current role or change it to a proleptic appointment for the duration of the fellowship.

If you want to retain an existing position and combine this with research funding, we recommend you look at one of MRC’s grant funding opportunities instead.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We are committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all funding applicants. We encourage applications from a diverse range of researchers.

We support people to work in a way that suits their personal circumstances. This includes:

career breaks
support for people with caring responsibilities
flexible working
alternative working patterns
job shares (contact us for further guidance)

UKRI can offer disability and accessibility support for UKRI applicants and grant holders during the application and assessment process.

We are supportive of applicants wishing to combine their research training with caring responsibilities and in that context, our fellowship awards may be held on a part-time basis or within flexible working arrangements.

Further fellowship guidance

Further information related to all aspects of the fellowship application process, can be found in the MRC guidance for fellowship applicants.

If you’re unsure whether you are eligible to apply, email fellows@mrc.ukri.org before beginning your application.

Eligible Countries:

United Kingdom

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: UK Research and Innovation

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon SN2 1FL

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