Early Career Researcher Noticeboard

UKRI Policy Fellowships 2026

Applications are now invited to the UKRI Policy Fellowships scheme, which will offer 50 fellowships that span the breadth of the UKRI remit. Fellowship opportunities will be based with a host in 1 of 27 different UK government departments, devolved governments and What Works Centres.

The UKRI Policy Fellowships are designed to improve the exchange of specialist knowledge between academic institutions and policy, facilitating deeper, more enduring connections between researchers and policy makers. These exciting opportunities will allow fellows to undertake cutting edge research and inform decision-making on the most pressing policy problems of our time. The fellowships aim to support career development and enhance fellows understanding of applying research in government contexts. All fellows will become part of a cohort of academic researchers and receive training, mentoring and networking opportunities with likeminded individuals.

The fellowship cohort will be organised around the key policy priority areas including, where applicable, the UK Modern Industrial Strategy sectors (IS-8) and government missions.

Three types of fellowship are offered:

Core Policy Fellows

Core policy fellows are open to early and mid-career researchers and will be based within UK or devolved government, or an arm’s length body focusing on key public policy priority areas. For Whitehall departments and arm’s length body hosts, fellowships will align with one of the IS-8 sectors supporting objectives to drive productivity, innovation and long‑term economic growth, or one of the government’s core missions.

Modern Industrial Strategy (IS-8) sectors:

• advanced manufacturing
• clean energy Industries
• creative industries
• defence
• digital and technologies
• financial services
• life sciences
• professional and business Services

Government missions:

• economic growth
• NHS fit for the future
• safer streets
• break down barriers to opportunity
• clean energy

Gambling policy fellowships are also offered within the core policy fellowships, focusing on delivery of the government’s statutory levy on gambling operators. The fellowships will enable early and mid-career researchers to work closely with levy commissioners on key public policy areas for the prevention and treatment of gambling related harms.

Natural Hazards and Resilience Policy Fellows

Natural Hazards and Resilience policy fellowships are open to early and mid-career researchers and will be based within UK or devolved government, or an arm’s length body. The Natural Hazards and Resilience policy fellowships will enable early and mid-career researchers to work closely with policy makers to focus on natural hazards and pandemic preparedness to help solve critical national and global challenges and work to guarantee the UK’s future resilience to situations that could cause or threaten serious harm to human welfare or the environment. This would include a spectrum of potential natural hazards with a clear focus on human impact such as:

• health risks (including infectious disease)
• flooding
• loss of essential services like power, food, water, and telecoms

These fellowships are funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport as part of the COVID-19 Commemoration programme.

What Works Innovation Fellowships

What Works Innovation fellowships are open to researchers at all career stages and fellows will be based within the What Works Network to increase the supply of and demand for evidence to address priorities in the hosts’ policy areas of:

• homelessness
• policing
• place

Key Dates

Further Details

All fellowship opportunities are 18 months in duration and open to applications from researchers based at an organisation eligible for UKRI funding. Full details and links to apply can be found at this link UKRI Funding Finder.

UKRI will be holding a webinar for this call on 25 June and you can register here.

Read UKRI Policy Fellowships 2026 in full

Overview

The IRF scheme is designed for outstanding early career researchers looking for an opportunity to focus on research and establish scientific independence, making the leap from a post-doctoral researcher to permanent lecturer. IRFs receive a four-year fellowship which includes:

• A competitive salary
• A contribution toward research and travel costs (up to £45,000)
• Personal mentoring support from a senior Imperial member of academic staff (sponsor)
• Focused career support, training courses and development opportunities from Imperial’s Early Career Researcher Institute
• The chance to take full responsibility for setting and directing their own research agenda and career trajectory, with no obligatory teaching, and with the possibility of spending up to twelve months visiting other research institutions and/or in industry.

Key features for applicants

• Candidates are expected to be a maximum of PhD + 5 years (counted from PhD award date to proposed fellowship start date)
• Proposals will be considered in all research areas active within participating departments at Imperial
• Applicants can be UK nationals or international candidates and internal or external to Imperial

Closing date: Thursday 23 July 2026 (internal departmental deadlines will vary)

Full details are available at: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/research-and-innovation/research-office/funder-information/research-fellowships/irf/

Read Imperial Research Fellowship Scheme Applications Open (Deadline 23 July) in full