The next round of the Royal Society Industry Fellowships is now open and will close on Wednesday 1 April 2026. This scheme enables the movement of talented scientists and engineers between Academia and Industry. These secondments support researchers’ development, foster knowledge exchange, stimulate longer-term collaborations, and establish personal, scientific and corporate links between researchers in different sectors.
The Industry Fellowship is part of the Royal Society’s wider Science and Industry Programme, which strives to promote the value and importance of science by connecting academia, industry and government.
The Industry Fellowship scheme is open to academic and industrial researchers from early to senior career stages based in the UK.
The aims of the scheme are to:
- Support the mobility of excellent academic or industrial researchers between the two sectors in the UK, across the natural sciences
- Enable the Industry Fellow to develop and establish collaborative links between the academic and industrial organisations, which may lead to longer term collaborations
- Support the career development of the Industry Fellow, and their team, through the cross-sector collaborative research experience afforded by the fellowship
- Enhance knowledge exchange in science and technology between industry and academia.
Awards can be for any period up to two years full-time or a maximum of four years pro rata (i.e. an award could be held at 50% part-time for four years), enabling fellows to maintain links with their employing institution more easily. Flexibility is provided to accommodate personal circumstances including part-time working, sabbaticals and secondments. There is provision for maternity, paternity, shared parental, adoptive or extended sick leave, as well as financial support for childcare costs that arise from attending conferences and research visits.
Applicants may apply for up to a maximum award value of £168,000 over the award period. Funds can cover:
- The applicant’s basic salary while on secondment. The employing organisation will continue to pay national insurance and pension contributions.
- Research expenses which may be claimed up to the value of £4,000 per year, and may be used to support summer studentships.
Full funding details can be found in the scheme notes.
Who can apply?
This scheme is for you if:
- You have a PhD or are of equivalent standing in your profession
- You hold a permanent post or have an ‘open-ended contract’ in either a university, not-for-profit research organisation or industry in the UK
- You are at a stage in your career when you would particularly benefit from establishing or strengthening personal or corporate links between academia and industry, as a foundation for long-term collaboration and development
- Your research is within the Royal Society’s remit of natural sciences, which includes but is not limited to biological research and biomedical sciences, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and physics. For a full list, please see the breakdown of subject groups and areas supported by the Royal Society.
Applicants can be of any nationality and those requiring a visa are eligible to apply for a Global Talent Visa under the fast-track process of endorsement.
For shorter term collaborative projects between industry and academia, see the Short Industry Fellowship (next round will open on 2 April 2026 and close on 28 May 2026). This scheme is also part of the Royal Society’s Industry programme, and enables 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 for 3-6 months FTE.