University Research Fellowships
The University Committee for Research & Innovation (UCRI) is again supporting up to five University Research Fellowships which provide £15,000 to successful applicants to cover teaching replacement costs and research expenses.
Fellowships will begin on 1 August 2026. They last one year, or can be taken by part-time staff on a fractional basis over two years.
About the Fellowships
The University Research Fellowships are intended to support researchers in the arts, humanities, and social sciences across the four University research themes.
It is anticipated that applications will primarily come from researchers in the Heritage and Creativity them, the Prosperity and Resilience theme, and the Agri-Food Economics and Social Science (AFESS) Research Division, but may also include relevant research from other areas, for example Built Environment and Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, depending on the nature of the topic/research methods.
Potential applicants from the latter and other areas are advised to consult with their Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor Research if they are uncertain whether their topic is eligible.
Eligibility
Holders of active internal University Fellowships or Research Development Fund awards cannot apply until their current award is successfully completed. Projects in partnership with Royal Berkshire Foundation Trust will also not be considered.
Application guidance and eligibility criteria can be found in the online application forms.
How to apply
There are two types of Fellowship to apply for.
Please note that both application routes require supporting statements from the applicant’s Head of School and Research Division Lead to be submitted as part of the application form.
Route A Fellowships (Innovation)
This Fellowship supports the development of mid-career research leaders. Projects should show a demonstrable step-change in terms of significance and ambition.
Successful applicants will be supported to develop research leadership through mentoring and training, where appropriate. Support for this career stage has been prioritised in response to feedback received through the Research Culture Survey (2023).
Candidates should apply directly using the . Deadline 23:59 on Thursday 23 October 2025.
Route B Fellowships
These are open to researchers at all career stages in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.
They support the recipient to complete monographs (or other long-form outputs) intended for submission to REF 2029 as double-weighted outputs.
This funding call responds to feedback received through the Research Culture Survey (2023) and aims to support both career development for individual researchers and division planning for the next REF exercise.
Candidates should apply to their Research Division Lead (RDL) for consideration. RDLs, in discussion with the REF Unit of Assessment leads, will then select ONE application and submit it using the . Deadline 23:59 on Thursday 23 October 2025.
Selection process
Applications for Route A and B Fellowships will be considered by a panel of researchers on 3 December 2025 for ratification by UCRI in early January 2026.