Category: Funding, Studentships & Awards

Grant opportunity for women and non-binary researchers in AI career development (deadline Mon 4 January 2027)

We are pleased to disseminate an opportunity for I-X Women in AI network Early Career Development grants (up to £1000) specifically for women and non-binary individuals at Master’s, PhD, or postdoctoral level at Imperial College London who are interested in learning about AI or are currently working in the field.

These grants are intended to support conference attendance, research visits, and other professional development opportunities. This initiative is part of our commitment to providing additional support for women in AI.

The application process consists of two stages. For the pre-selection stage, applicants must complete the online form, providing all the information required to justify the requested budget and explain the purpose and expected impact of the proposed activity.

Shortlisted applicants will then be invited to a 15-minute online interview (expected to take place in last week of January), consisting of a 5-minute presentation followed by 10 minutes of questions from the panel.

The deadline for this round is 4th January 2027. For enquiries regarding the grant, please contact s.veneziale21@imperial.ac.uk or r.birolo@imperial.ac.uk. For more information and the application form please visit our webpage I-X Women in AI Network.

International Science Partnerships Fund: International Collaboration Awards – Deadline Thurs 3 December 2026

This call is open to newly independent UK-based researchers who are building their own research group and is funded by The Royal Society: International Science Partnerships Fund – International Collaboration Awards. The currently deadline is on 3rd December 2026 with a budget of up to £300,000 over three years.

This call supports collaborations with international partners in Brazil and South Africa on ODA-eligible projects. Given its ODA focus, it falls within Imperial’s Global Development Lab’s (GDL) remit, as part of our objective to support the building of equitable partnerships and strengthen Imperial’s research impact in a global development context.
The Global Development Lab is available to assist with applications. Please get in touch directly with Dr Giuliana Mastropietro, Strategic Research Development Manager at GDL, for support.

ČVUT Starting Grant 2027 – Deadline 30 November

Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU) have recently opened the CTU Starting Grant 2027, offering up to €480,000 over three years for outstanding early-career researchers ready to establish their own independent research group in Prague. No prior agreement with a CTU host department is needed to apply.

Application deadline: 30 November 2026

Collaboration Kickstarter Seed Fund (apply by 11 Dec)

The Collaboration Kickstarter seed fund is back. Applications for the 2027 round are open now, and the Public and Community Engagement Team is inviting researchers to get involved in one of Imperial’s most distinctive community research funding programmes.

What is the Collaboration Kickstarter?

The Collaboration Kickstarter supports Imperial researchers and Northwest London community partners to work as equal co-researchers, not simply as experts and participants.

Awards of up to £10,000 are available for participatory research projects where communities have a meaningful say in:

  • The research questions being asked
  • The methods used to answer them
  • How findings are shared and who benefits

Who can apply?

The fund is open to joint applications from Imperial researchers (including PhD students) and community groups or organisations based in Northwest London boroughs.

Researchers from any discipline are encouraged to apply.

How to apply

Complete the application form and submit it to societal_engagement@imperial.ac.uk by 11 December 2026.

We strongly encourage applicants to get in touch before applying.

Find out more: Collaboration Kickstarter | Be inspired | Imperial College London

 

Sustainable Travel Fund for Postgraduates 2026-27

Travelling for research, conferences or academic purposes this year? Apply for the PG Sustainable Travel Fund and we’ll cover the difference in cost of your train journey compared to a flight!

For more details check out the guidance document before applying via the form. Applications are assessed on a rolling basis, with £5,000 of funding available until June 2027 – early application recommended!

Royal Society Funding Opportunities – Autumn 2026

Royal Society funding opportunities

The Faraday Discovery Fellowships (mid-career research leaders) – Stage 1 are prestigious long-term awards that will support the most talented mid-career research leaders to undertake high-quality, original research. The programme is aimed at outstanding mid-career STEM researchers and will provide grants of up to £8m over a ten-year period to support the development of world-leading research groups in the UK. Closing 22 September 2026.

International Exchanges are for scientists based in the UK who want to stimulate new research collaborations with leading scientists overseas through either a one-off visit or bilateral travel. Closing 24 September 2026.

Short Industry Fellowships are part of the Royal Society’s Industry programme, enabling scientists employed in industry or academia and/or their postdoctoral researcher to have shorter, more dynamic engagements between academia and industry, working on a mutually beneficial and collaborative project. Closing 7 October 2026.

The Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship scheme offers a recognised first step into an independent research career for outstanding early career scientists who require a flexible working pattern due to personal circumstances, such as caring responsibilities and/or health-related conditions. Closing 29 October 2026.

Opening soon 

The Career Development Fellowship scheme provides the most talented early career scientists from underrepresented groups in STEM with research funding and high-quality training opportunities to build a strong base for a successful research career. Join the applicant webinar on 6 October, details available on the webpage. Opening 22 September 2026.

Grantham PhD studentship (start date in 2026)

The Grantham Institute currently has currently a PhD studentship available, supervised by Dr Xiangkun (Elvis) Cao, Assistant Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Grantham Institute.

Further details on the project: Integrated energy, carbon and water management for sustainable data centres across diverse environments (pdf).

Find out more & apply

 

Researchers in Residence Sprint Programme Funding

The Innovation Launchpad Network+ (ILN+), has secured an additional £500,000 from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to launch the Researchers in Residence (RiR) Sprint programme.

Running between October 2026 and February 2027, the RiR Sprint will build on the success of the Network’s flagship Researchers in Residence scheme by providing a new fast paced model of collaboration between universities and the Innovate UK Catapult Network.

The call for the Researchers in Residence Sprint programme is open now, with projects commencing in October 2026 and ending in February 2027. Applications are invited for projects of between £25,000-£50,000 of university researcher costs which will take fundamental work from the University lab and scale it towards application in the real world.

Everything you need to know, including a three-step guide to application, is here.

Royal Society Fellowships 2026 Full List

Schemes opening in 2026

Scheme Open date Close date Decision
Royal Society Wolfson Fellowship 7 January 2026 4 March 2026 July 2026
Royal Society Wolfson Visiting Fellowship 7 January 2026 4 March 2026 July 2026
International Exchanges Global Round 1 15 January 2026 18 March 2026 June 2026
JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship 15 January 2026 18 March 2026 July 2026
Newton International Fellowships 15 January 2026 11 March 2026 August 2026
Research Grants 29 January 2026 26 March 2026 July 2026
Industry Fellowships 4 February 2026 1 April 2026 July 2026
Short Industry Fellowships 2 April 2026 28 May 2026 July 2026
Kan Tong Po Visiting Fellowships 9 April 2026 4 June 2026 October 2026
Royal Society Wolfson Fellowship 6 May 2026 1 July 2026 November 2026
Royal Society Wolfson Visiting Fellowship 6 May 2026 1 July 2026 November 2026
University Research Fellowship 14 July 2026 9 September 2026 May 2027
Industry Fellowships 22 July 2026 16 September 2026 March 2027
Short Industry Fellowships 12 August 2026 7 October 2026 December 2026
Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship 1 September 2026 28 October 2026 July 2027
Faraday Discovery Fellowships – Stage 1 August 2026 September 2026 November 2026
Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowships September 2026 November 2026 April 2027
Career Development Fellowships 22 September 2026 18 November 2026 June 2027
Faraday Discovery Fellowships – Stage 2 December 2026 February 2027 July 2027

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