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UKRI Future Leader Fellowships

We welcome expressions of interest from applicants who wish to apply for a UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellowships (FLF) with Cardiff University as their host organisation.

Round 8 of the UKRI  Future Leader Fellowships scheme has been announced and the internal process is described below. Cardiff University has been invited to put forward up to 8 applications to this round.

The UKRI FLF scheme, which invites applications from both UK and international candidates, provides a comprehensive, yet flexible, package of support in any area supported by UKRI, including the Fellow's salary and all justified research, staff, and training costs. Investment of up to £1.5 million (80% fEC) over four years, with the ability to extend to up to seven years, will enable the next generation of researchers and innovators to benefit from outstanding support to develop their careers, and to work on difficult and novel challenges in ambitious programmes of research.

These fellowships are for early career academics and innovators who are transitioning to or establishing independence. Individuals should use the eligibility and person specification guidance in the call document to establish their suitability for the scheme with reference to the objectives of the programme.

These fellowships are supportive of applicants from diverse career paths, including those returning from a career break or following time in other roles. Furthermore, UKRI encourages applications from those wishing to work part-time or in job shares to combine the fellowship with personal responsibilities.

This is a single scheme across the entire UKRI remit, with no ring-fenced budgets for specific areas and no barriers to interdisciplinary or cross-sector research.

Full call details of the scheme can be found on the UKRI website.

The Future Leader Fellowships provide researchers from diverse backgrounds and career paths with the flexibility and time they need to make progress in addressing some of society’s most pressing issues. Here are links to Cardiff University news articles about our fellows from the last three rounds of the scheme: Round 4, Round 5, and Round 6.

Internal application form

Cardiff University’s internal application form for round 8 of the UKRI FLF scheme is now available. Please email risresearchdevelopment@cardiff.ac.uk with the following details as early as possible and before 31 March 2023:

  • your full name
  • your discipline (described in no more than 150 words)
  • expected host School (including a CV and 500-word proposal summary)

UKRI have placed a limit of 8 applications that can be submitted from Cardiff University. As such, an internal process has been put in place to select these 8 applications in a fair and equitable manner. As such, Cardiff University has an internal process for assessing internal applications to this scheme, the first stage of which involves development and a review of the internal applications by your proposed host School. Once we have received the information requested above, we will put you in touch with the School and provide you with the information you need to submit an internal application to the scheme.

College and University assessment panels

All host School-approved EOIs will be assessed at a college-level review panel in early May 2023 which will be chaired by respective College Deans of Research and Innovation. The panel will comprise of other invited academics from across disciplines and career stages. Each College will select 5 EOIs to go forward to the University panel.

The University panel will be chaired by the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Enterprise, and will comprise the College Deans of Research and Innovation for each College.

Following review of the EOIs, the University panel will select the 8 most competitive proposals for submission to UKRI. This is a change in process from previous rounds which has been prompted by the UKRI-imposed limit of 8 applications for Round 8.

Selected candidates will then need to craft their full proposals. Candidates will be asked to submit a draft of their full proposal to their College in mid June 2023 for a progress review prior to submission to UKRI.

Full proposals must be submitted to UKRI, via Je-S, by 09:00, 28 June 2023 (to allow for final institutional approvals). UKRI will subject these proposals to expert peer review, followed by shortlisting of candidates by a multi-disciplinary panel of senior decision makers with a track record across areas and disciplines. Shortlisted candidates will then be invited to interview.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We are committed to supporting, developing, and promoting equality and diversity in all practices and activities, establishing an inclusive culture free from discrimination, and based upon the values of dignity, courtesy, and respect. We proudly acknowledge that variety and difference are intrinsic to the wellbeing and future development of the University. In higher education, several groups are underrepresented in the academic community and applications are therefore particularly welcome from applicants who identify as part of an underrepresented group.

Contact

For general queries, individuals should contact:

Research Development Team