Ernest Rutherford Fellowship Grant

The Ernest Rutherford Fellowship supports early career researchers in establishing independent research programs, encouraging both UK and overseas talent. Funded by the Science & Technology Facilities Council, this fellowship is open to those without tenured positions, lasting up to five years. It covers salary and minor project costs, aiming to foster scientific leadership in areas like astronomy and particle physics. Applications must align with STFC objectives and be hosted by eligible UK research organizations.

The Ernest Rutherford Fellowships will enable early career researchers with clear leadership potential to establish a strong, independent research programme. They will encourage talented researchers in UK universities to remain in the country and at the same time attract outstanding overseas researchers to the UK.
Ernest Rutherford Fellowships are intended for early career researchers who do not have an academic position.
Applicants who have applied for the - UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowships can also apply for an Ernest Rutherford Fellowship but cannot hold two fellowships which fund their working time simultaneously.
Scope
STFC is offering up to 10 Ernest Rutherford Fellowships to outstanding researchers at an early stage of their career. The aim is to support future scientific leaders to establish a strong, independent research programme.
The project must afford scope for original work and align to STFC strategic objectives and core business activities:

• accelerator physics astronomycosmologynuclear physicssolar and planetary scienceparticle astrophysicsparticle physics
• Duration

The earliest a Fellowship may start is 1 June 2024. The offer of a Fellowship will not be held open for more than six months from the announced start date of the award. All Fellowships must be taken up by 31 March 2025.
What we will fundErnest Rutherford Fellowships provide funds to cover your salary, the costs of personal travel and some minor equipment costs. These will have been awarded under the Directly Incurred Costs heading. Fellows who have returned from a career break may also use funds applied for retraining and updating their skills where this has been justified in the context of the proposed research project.

Eligibility

Apply for funding to run an independent research project. The project must be within the remit of the STFC core science programme.You must: be an early career researcherSTFC no longer defines eligibility for Ernest Rutherford fellowships in terms of a minimum number of years of experience. Instead, you should read the competency profile in Additional Information to determine if you have the skills, knowledge and experience to apply for an Ernest Rutherford Fellowship.You must not hold a tenured academic post or academic position at lecturer level.Your application must be hosted and supported by an eligible UK research organisation with a STFC ERF quota.You must hold a PhD or have relevant experience and clear leadership potential.We will fund your proposal at 80% of its full economic cost. Your host research organisation must agree to fund the rest.The fellowship will last up to five years.

Ineligibility

You are not eligible if you currently hold an academic position at lecturer level or the equivalent in institutions other than universities. If you secure an academic position at lecturer level prior to the offer of a fellowship, you will be ineligible to hold the fellowship.What we will not fundPublication costs