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Faraday Discovery Fellowships – Stage 1

The Royal Society

The Faraday Discovery Fellowships are supported through a £250m fund from the Department of Science Innovation and Technology (DSIT). They are large, investigator-led grants awarded to a single Principal Investigator (PI) to enable them to establish an outstanding team of researchers to address challenging research questions.

The programme will provide the most talented mid-career researchers with the time and freedom to focus on their research, providing long-term, stable funding to allow them to tackle difficult and intractable problems.

The Faraday Discovery Fellowships does not operate thematic priorities, as with all Royal Society funding, we will consider applications from all areas of science (STEM) that are covered by the Royal Society remit. This may include, although is not limited to, the following examples:

Frontiers of Science – examples might include research into quantum, materials, earth observation, engineering biology and understanding the microbial world.
Science for Resilience and Prosperity - examples might include research into waste, future telecoms, scarce resources, protecting planetary life support systems, life in extreme environmental conditions, science and engineering of cutting-edge technologies, batteries, AI and Net Zero.

The above are examples only. Applications that do not fit under the headings of Frontiers of Science and Science for Resilience and Prosperity are welcome. The Society will assess applications in all areas of STEM purely on the basis of the track record of the candidate and the quality and vision of the proposed research.

The aims of the Faraday Discovery Fellowships are to:

Support the most talented mid-career research leaders to be based in the UK – both attracting outstanding mid-career researchers from overseas and retaining outstanding researchers in the UK, as well as their groups/teams.
Fund high-quality original research – providing long-term funding to enable talented mid-career researchers to focus on their research vision and address the most challenging research questions (including supporting translation or commercialisation where those are part of their long-term vision for their research).
Develop world leading research groups/teams in the UK – providing long-term, stable levels of support to enable the UK-based award holder to establish world-leading groups/teams and pursue their research.
Train the next generation – Providing the next generation of research leaders with a programme of mentoring, training and networking. A career development package including training and events will also be made available to PDRAs in their research group funded on the grant. We will monitor others in the research group including (early career researchers, PDRAs, PhD students and technicians) to evaluate the impact of the funding on their careers.

The Royal Society recognises that diversity is essential for delivering excellence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The Society wants to encourage applications from the widest range of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences to maximise innovation and creativity in science for the benefit of humanity. We regularly review and revise policies and processes to embed equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) principles in all aspects of the grant making process and ensure all talented applicants have an equitable chance to succeed as per the assessment criteria.

See below for details of adjustments we can provide for disabled applicants.

Indicative timings for the next four rounds are listed below. Please note that these are subject to change and we will update with specific dates in due course.

Round	Stage 1 Opening	Stage 2 Opening	Awards start
2026 (Round 2)	August 2025	November 2025	October 2026
2027 (Round 3)	August 2026	November 2026	October 2027
2028 (Round 4)	August 2027	November 2027	October 2028
2029 (Round 5)	August 2028	November 2028	October 2029

There is also an Accelerated International Route. This fast-track route offers up to £4m over a five-year period to mid-career researchers looking to relocate to the UK from overseas.

Find out about the 2025 Royal Society Faraday Discovery Fellows.

What does the scheme offer

Applicants can apply for up to a maximum value of £8 million over 10 years, comprised of up to £6 million of core funding over 10 years with an additional £2 million available subject to further, specific justification. The additional £2 million in funding is to recognise that some researchers may require the full £8 million to achieve the scientific aims of their programme or that some fields are more expensive or have additional equipment needs. Full funding details including details of eligible costs can be found in the scheme notes in the sidebar and in the Royal Society Grant Funding Guidance.

We provide flexibility to accommodate personal circumstances including part-time working, sabbaticals and secondments. There is provision for maternity, paternity, shared parental, adoptive or extended sick leave, as well as financial support for childcare costs that arise from attending conferences and research visits.

Royal Society Research Fellows also have the opportunity to access a range of career development and engagement opportunities.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Investigator Excellence (Most Important Factor)

Royal Society funding is people-focused, not project-heavy.

Strong predictors include:

A high-quality publication record relative to career stage

Evidence of original contributions (not incremental work)

Intellectual independence from PhD/postdoc supervisors

Clear trajectory toward international scientific leadership

🔑 For fellowships (URF/Dorothy Hodgkin): the person matters more than the project.

2. Original, Curiosity-Driven Science

The Royal Society prioritizes:

Fundamental research questions

High-risk, high-reward ideas

Long-term scientific value (not short-term application)

Projects that are:
❌ overly applied
❌ narrowly translational
❌ framed mainly around impact metrics

…are typically less competitive.

3. Career-Stage Fit to the Scheme

Each Royal Society scheme targets a very specific career window.

Examples:

URF → early-career researchers with exceptional promise and independence

Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship → excellent researchers needing flexible working

Research Grants → established investigators with strong track records

International Exchanges → collaborative, bilateral research

🎯 Mismatch between applicant stage and scheme is a common reason for rejection.

4. Clear Scientific Vision (Not Over-Detailed Methods)

Successful proposals emphasize:

Big scientific questions

Why the problem matters fundamentally

Why you are uniquely placed to solve it

Royal Society reviewers prefer:
✔ conceptual clarity
✔ intellectual ambition
✔ long-term vision

…over exhaustive experimental detail.

5. Independence and Leadership Potential

Especially for fellowships, reviewers look for:

Clear distinction from previous supervisors

Evidence of initiating ideas, collaborations, or techniques

Mentoring, supervision, or leadership activities (as appropriate)

🔑 Future Fellow of the Royal Society potential is an implicit (but real) consideration.

6. Host Institution Strength & Commitment

For fellowships:

The host department must provide a strong research environment

Clear institutional support (space, facilities, integration)

No expectation of teaching overload during fellowship

Weak or generic host support letters reduce competitiveness.

7. International Standing or Potential

The Royal Society is globally focused.

Predictors include:

International collaborators

Invitations, talks, or visiting positions

Publications with global visibility

Strong case for international leadership (for UK-based schemes)

8. Discipline-Agnostic Excellence

Unlike many funders, The Royal Society:

Does not prioritise thematic calls

Does not require societal impact narratives

Evaluates purely on scientific excellence

This favors:
✔ theoretical work
✔ blue-sky research
✔ cross-disciplinary science

Specialties

Technology Development

Eligibility Requirements

This scheme is for you if:

You are a mid-career researcher (see definition below)
Your primary area of research is within the Royal Society’s remit of natural sciences, which includes but is not limited to biological research and biomedical sciences, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and physics. For a full list, please see the breakdown of subject groups and areas supported by the Royal Society.

Definition of mid-career

We would expect applicants to this scheme to have 10-20 years research experience post-PhD or equivalent research experience (exceptional candidates with fewer years’ experience will be considered). Candidates who have had changes in discipline or research direction, or time working on industrial research, will be welcomed. As standard, career breaks and non-linear career paths will be taken into consideration.
Candidates will be required to meet the following criteria:
- Be a recognised research leader within their field, with experience of managing significant research grants as the Principal Investigator. Candidates should hold a permanent academic post or be in the latter stages of a recognised long-term research fellowship (such as a Royal Society University Research Fellowship or an equivalent externally- or university-funded fellowship) or have equivalent research experience. We would expect candidates to have experience of managing a research group, which should include training and supervising PhD students and junior staff, or equivalent examples of relevant leadership activities.
- Demonstrate significant and original research contributions - The Principal Investigator should have an exceptional track record of outputs commensurate with their research experience and be able to demonstrate significant research contributions in the last 10 years.
- Be well-established internationally. The programme is intended to support mid-career researchers in STEM who are seeking to consolidate their independence and progressing to become international research leaders in their field. Candidates should have well-established international networks and plans to consolidate their independence.
- Demonstrate significant contributions to research, research impact and research culture – for example public engagement, schools’ engagement, knowledge exchange, industry collaboration, team leadership, commercialisation or broader business activity, peer review and committee membership.

Applicants can be of any nationality and those requiring a visa are eligible to apply for a Global Talent Visa under the fast-track process of endorsement.

Read the scheme notes for further information on eligibility and remit. Please ensure that you meet all eligibility requirements before applying.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: The Royal Society

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 6-9 Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AG

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View Funding Opportunity

Grant, Fellowship

Multiple Deadlines:

Round	Stage 1 Opening	Stage 2 Opening	Awards start
2026 (Round 2)	August 2025	November 2025	October 2026
2027 (Round 3)	August 2026	November 2026	October 2027
2028 (Round 4)	August 2027	November 2027	October 2028
2029 (Round 5)	August 2028	November 2028	October 2029