Deadline: 28-Oct-2025
The Royal Society is pleased to announce its Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship Programme to support outstanding early career scientists who require a flexible working pattern due to personal circumstances, such as caring responsibilities and/or health-related conditions.
The Royal Society recognises that diversity is essential for delivering excellence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The Society wants to encourage applications from the widest range of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences to maximise innovation and creativity in science for the benefit of humanity. They regularly review and revise policies and processes to embed equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) principles in all aspects of the grant making process and ensure all talented applicants have an equitable chance to succeed as per the assessment criteria.
The Royal Society announced up to £30m in funding over the next two years to attract global talent to the UK. An allocation of £10m will be used to attract early career researchers from overseas, including through the University Research Fellowships and Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowships. Additional awards are expected through the scheme’s standard rounds, and interested candidates are encouraged to apply through the advertised calls on the Society’s website. A new feature in the Research Proposal section of the form allows applicants to indicate whether their proposal is primarily in Biological Sciences or Physical Sciences.
Applicants can apply for up to a maximum of £1.87 million over eight years. The funds can cover contribution to the award holder’s salary, indirect and estate costs, equipment costs and research expenses including consumables and travel, contribution towards research assistance salary and associated indirect and estate costs, support for a new four-year PhD studentship, as well as relocation and visa costs for applicants and their dependants. The total grant cap may be exceeded to cover relocation and visa costs if well justified.
Eligibility is aimed at those in the early stages of their research career with up to six years of research experience since their PhD by the closing date of the round. Applicants should not hold a permanent post or have previously held an equivalent fellowship that provides an opportunity to establish an independent research group. Candidates must also have, or expect to have by the fellowship start date, a need for flexible support due to personal circumstances, such as parental or caring responsibilities, or clinically diagnosed health conditions requiring a flexible working pattern. Research must fall within the Royal Society’s remit of natural sciences, covering disciplines such as biological research and biomedical sciences, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, and physics. Applicants of any nationality are eligible, and those requiring a visa can apply under the Global Talent Visa fast-track process.
Applications are assessed by Selection Committees, chaired by a Fellow of the Royal Society and composed of scientists with relevant expertise. Each application is reviewed by at least two panel members, and a shortlist is then created with oversight from the chair. Depending on the scheme, shortlisted applications may be recommended directly for funding or sent for independent peer review. Applications are primarily assessed on the scientific merit of both the applicant and the research proposed, with EDI principles embedded throughout the process.
The Royal Society also offers tailored support for disabled applicants to ensure full participation in the selection process. Adjustments may include deadline extensions, additional support to complete application forms, access to different formats of documents, technical assistance for accessibility software during interviews, or covering additional costs incurred due to disability. All requests are treated confidentially and only shared with panel members when relevant and with the applicant’s permission.
For more information, visit The Royal Society.