Submit Entries for RSE Personal Research Fellowships (United Kingdom)

Deadline: 21-Oct-2026

The RSE Personal Research Fellowships provide funding for early and mid-career academics based in Scotland to undertake an independent research project for up to 12 months. The fellowship enables researchers to focus primarily on research by providing salary support for temporary replacement of teaching or administrative responsibilities. For the Autumn 2026 call, a joint-funded ESS-RSE Personal Research Fellowship is also available under the theme “Scotland’s Biodiversity Pathways.” This strand supports research that contributes to Scotland’s statutory biodiversity and nature restoration targets through robust evidence, transferable methods or tools, and engagement with relevant stakeholders. What Are the RSE Personal Research Fellowships? The RSE Personal Research Fellowships are designed to give eligible academics protected time to concentrate on an independent research project of their choice.

The scheme aims to:

- Advance knowledge through independent research. - Provide dedicated time for research. - Support early and mid-career academic development. - Reduce the burden of teaching and administrative responsibilities. - Encourage research with academic, policy, or practical relevance. - Strengthen researchers’ long-term career development. The fellowship can support research in any academic discipline, provided the project is hosted by an eligible Scottish institution. How Much Funding Is Available?

The fellowship provides:

- Salary support: Up to £52,000.

- Additional research costs: Up to £5,000 per year.

- Maximum fellowship duration: 12 months.

The salary element is intended to support a temporary replacement for the fellow’s teaching or administrative duties, allowing them to dedicate their fellowship period to research. Additional research costs can help support eligible expenses associated with carrying out the proposed research project. Scotland’s Biodiversity Pathways Fellowship 2026 The Autumn 2026 call includes a joint-funded ESS-RSE Personal Research Fellowship focused on Scotland’s Biodiversity Pathways. This thematic opportunity encourages research that contributes to understanding and advancing Scotland’s statutory biodiversity and nature restoration targets.

Projects should demonstrate:

- Strong empirical evidence. - A clear contribution to biodiversity or nature restoration. - Methods or tools that can be transferred or applied more broadly. - Engagement with relevant stakeholders. - Potential policy relevance. - Practical relevance to biodiversity and nature restoration. Researchers from different disciplines can potentially contribute to this theme where their work addresses relevant biodiversity and nature restoration challenges. What Research Can Be Supported? The general RSE Personal Research Fellowship allows researchers to propose an independent project in their chosen academic discipline.

Potential projects may involve:

- Fundamental or applied research. - Interdisciplinary research. - Research addressing emerging societal challenges. - Development of new research methods. - Evidence generation. - Policy-relevant research. - Development of transferable research tools. - Research contributing to professional or academic knowledge. For the biodiversity-focused fellowship, proposals should demonstrate a clear relationship with Scotland’s biodiversity and nature restoration objectives. Who Is Eligible? Applicants must be academic staff based at eligible institutions in Scotland.

Applicants should:

- Hold an open-ended or continuing academic contract. - Be employed by a higher education, further education, research, or cultural institution. - Be based at an institution whose main offices and facilities are in Scotland. - Undertake the proposed research through an eligible Scottish host institution. The fellowship is intended specifically for early and mid-career academics. Early-Career Researcher Eligibility Early-career applicants should generally be within: - Seven years of their PhD, and - Seven years of their first academic appointment. This career-stage provision is intended to help researchers establish and develop independent research careers. Mid-Career Researcher Eligibility Mid-career applicants should generally be within: - Fifteen years of completing their doctorate. The scheme provides mid-career academics with an opportunity to obtain protected research time and further develop their research profile. Where Must the Research Be Hosted? The research must be hosted by an eligible Scottish institution. Eligible institutional categories include: - Higher education institutions. - Further education institutions. - Research institutions. - Cultural institutions. The host institution must have its main offices and facilities in Scotland. Why Is Protected Research Time Important? Academics often balance research with teaching, administration, student support, management, and other institutional responsibilities. The fellowship addresses this challenge by providing salary support that enables the fellow’s teaching or administrative duties to be temporarily covered. This creates dedicated time for the researcher to: - Conduct research. - Analyse evidence. - Develop research outputs. - Build collaborations. - Develop new methods. - Engage stakeholders. - Strengthen their academic profile. What Makes a Strong Fellowship Proposal? A competitive application should clearly explain the research problem, methodology, expected contribution, and feasibility of completing the project within the fellowship period.

Applicants should demonstrate:

- A clearly defined research question. - Strong academic justification. - Appropriate research methodology. - A realistic 12-month work plan. - Clear expected outcomes. - Potential contribution to knowledge. - Appropriate use of research funding. - Strong career-development benefits. For biodiversity-focused applications, proposals should additionally demonstrate how the research can contribute to Scotland’