FELLOWSHIPS

Exciting Funding Opportunity: Apply now for the UKRI policy fellowships 2026

Ednah Carrick June 18, 2026

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Closing Date: 10 September 2026

Exciting Funding Opportunity: Apply now for the UKRI policy fellowships 2026

Sector transition: UKRI policy fellowships 2026

Open Funders: UK Research and Innovation, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Medical Research Council (MRC), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Funding type: Fellowship Award
range: £180,000 – £280,000

Apply for this sector transition fellowship to transfer knowledge and skills across academic and policy sectors and increase sector porosity. You will spend 18 months as a UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) core policy fellow, a Natural Hazards and Resilience policy fellow or a What Works Innovation fellow to inform policy to address pressing national and global challenges.

The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be up to:

£180,000 for Core Policy fellowships
£220,000 for What Works Innovation fellowships
£280,000 for Natural Hazards and Resilience fellowships

UKRI will fund 80% of the FEC.

Overview

This fellowship opportunity enables applicants to apply to one of 50 specific fellowship positions with a select group of host partners. Specifications for each of the fellowship positions are offered by host partners.

While eligibility and assessment criteria apply at a funding opportunity level, as detailed within this guidance, you must also ensure that you can meet any additional eligibility and assessment criteria within the specifications for the fellowship position you are applying to, before submitting an application. This may include criteria relevant to security clearance requirements or nationality requirements.

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

Who is eligible to apply

This funding opportunity is open to academics who hold a doctorate or who can evidence equivalent research experience, can demonstrate relevant subject matter or methodological expertise, and are aiming to transfer knowledge and skills across academic and policy sectors to enable new approaches.

The requirement for applicants to demonstrate that they hold a doctorate or equivalent experience is to extend eligibility to individuals who have been in a research focused role for a substantial period but have not obtained a doctorate. Being enrolled in a doctorate programme or close to finalising one is not sufficient on its own to demonstrate equivalence. Applicants who wish to make a case for equivalency will need to demonstrate that they have achieved a postdoctoral level of research expertise and experience while working in a professional research role, whether they are also engaged in a doctorate programme or not.

Policy fellowship positions with a UK or devolved government host are aimed at early to mid-career academics with an interest in learning more about connecting academic research with policymaking. Fellowships with a What Works Network host are open to applicants of all career stages.

UKRI recognises that career stages are not linear and supports people from a diversity of career paths and trajectories; there are no time-bound eligibility criteria, for example years of postdoctoral experience.

For appropriate assessment of these UKRI policy fellowships, you should determine your suitability to the scheme as either an early or mid-career researcher (unless applying for a What Works innovation fellowship which is open to all career stages), using the following guidelines:

an early career researcher is somebody who has yet to establish or transition to independence (where an independent researcher has submitted their own proposal and taken on the role of project lead); there are no eligibility rules based on years since doctorate qualification or whether you currently hold a permanent or open-ended job role
a mid-career researcher is somebody who has established independence, having, for example, taken on the role of project lead, published works of intellectual distinction, or established a significant track record as a ‘champion’ within their field. This would not ordinarily include professors but may include assistant or associate professors, where the applicant can make the justification that they meet the mid-career descriptor

Applicants to these fellowships must:

be based at an eligible UKRI research organisation
hold a doctorate or equivalent research experience
be a researcher in the remits relevant to the specific fellowship position with the host partner applied for or be able to demonstrate how you could generate interdisciplinary insights through combining these disciplines with other recognised academic disciplines.
have subject matter and analytical expertise and skills relevant to the specific fellowship position applied for
meet any additional eligibility and person specification criteria for the specific fellowship position applied for
be able to work effectively at pace to deliver expected outcomes, including working as part of a team on shared goals
have the ability to communicate complex information and analysis
have the ability to demonstrate the use of expertise in a non-academic context
have excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex information into meaningful narrative that is accessible to a non-academic audience
possess excellent stakeholder engagement and collaboration skills
be interested in working in a governmental context
have the ability to design and lead on knowledge exchange activity between research, policy and funder communities

Your employing organisation must provide mentorship support for early career researchers and can provide mentorship for researchers at more senior career stages where this is clearly justified.

Fellows will be required to:

sign a fellowship agreement between the government or What Works Network host (the partner) and the relevant employing research organisation (the employer)
meet the security and nationality checks and other clearance and declaration of interest processes required by the host (see specific fellowship positions for details), ensuring right to work in the UK by the expected start date of the award (1 May 2027). To note, your choice of employing organisation can affect visa sponsorship options and you are directed to your employing organisation for support. Information relating to the Global Talent Visa can be found in the ‘Related content’ section.
observe the provisions of the Civil Service code and the Official Secrets Act 1989 when hosted by a government department or other public body

It is a condition of the funding opportunity that host partners, fellows and their employers will need to have a fellowship agreement in place for the start of the fellowship. This will be provided by the host partners in line with their specific policies and procedures. A model agreement developed by UKRI is provided to potential applicants for information only and can be found in the ‘Additional information’ section.

Attendance and location requirements are set out in the work arrangement section of each of the specific fellowship positions. By applying for the fellowship, you are acknowledging and agreeing to the attendance and location requirements. In addition, fellows will be expected to undertake, and travel for, knowledge exchange activities and will be asked to attend events with the wider UKRI policy fellow cohort. Not all these activities can be planned in advance of starting the fellowship. By applying for the fellowship, you are acknowledging and agreeing to this possibility of additional travel.

Who is not eligible to apply

You are not eligible to apply to this fellowship if you have:

already undertaken or are currently undertaking a UKRI policy fellowship
part of the fellowship project under consideration as a grant application with any organisation