Future Leaders Fellowship Round 12

About the fellowship 

The Future Leaders Fellowship offers funding to support ambitious research and innovation across UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)’s remit. At IRR, we are seeking early career researchers and innovators who are seeking to establish an independent research group with us. We welcome interest across a range of disciplines and approaches aligning with our research strengths in the study of tissue formation, damage and repair.  

The support will enable each fellow to tackle ambitious and challenging research and innovation and develop their own careers. 

Fellows will benefit from:

• a scheme that is committed to supporting excellent researchers and innovators regardless of their background. Fellowships can be held on a part-time basis for personal commitments and/or as part of a job share.
• networking across their cohort of some of the UK’s most talented researchers and innovators from different disciplines and sectors, putting them at the forefront of modern, interdisciplinary research.
• a career boost, including time and investment for training and professional development, providing a route to an open-ended contract. 

Further details on the UKRI website

Preparing your outline stage application

Applicants must obtain the backing of a host Institute or School to be eligible for the University’s internal selection process. To be hosted at IRR, you will need to complete the below steps by the deadline of 5pm, Monday 30 November 2026. 

Step 1: Research out to our Centre Director(s)

The Directors of our three Centres can advise on fit to the Future Leaders Fellows scheme and to IRR. Get in touch with the Director(s) of the Centre that align closely with your research to discuss your interest, vision for the fellowship, and to explore strategic alignment.

Step 2: Prepare and submit your materials

Prepare the below outline application materials and submit these to IRR.Research@ed.ac.uk by 30 November 2026. 

• A 2-page outline summarising:
  • What are you hoping to achieve with and how will you deliver your proposed work? (Guidance section: vision & approach), and
  • Why is this fellowship the right way to develop your career and how will you use it to benefit others? (Guidance section: career development)
• A narrative CV in Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI) format (1,150 words) including a link to your ORCiD profile. The narrative CV should demonstrate why you are the right individual to successfully deliver the proposed work. (Guidance section: Applicant capability to deliver)

For advice on what to include in each section, access the Future Leaders Fellowships: Round 11 guidance, expand the 'how to apply' section, and search for the section names (as indicated by "guidance section" above).

Application timeline

For enquiries and further support with the process, email IRR.Research@ed.ac.uk.