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The Academic Fellowship Scheme

The Academic Fellowship scheme

In its strategy for science, engineering and technology, 'Investing in Innovation', the Government committed to provide funds to create 1,000 new academic fellowships (200 a year, each lasting five years) to provide more stable and attractive routes into academia. This was in response to a recommendation from Sir Gareth Roberts Review (2002) of the supply of people with science, technology, engineering and mathematical skills ('SET for success').

The aims of the academic fellowship scheme are:

• To aid the development of a clearer career path for individuals post PhD (who become Contract Research Staff (CRS)) into academia
• To facilitate the progress of these research staff
• To build the expertise and reputations of research staff
• To provide career-related training
• To ensure individuals are prepared for academic careers
• To be accessible to underrepresented groups (women and ethnic minorities)
• To encourage outreach work into schools, to enthuse future generations
• To provide a permanent position at the end of the award

Research Councils UK (RCUK) administers the scheme on behalf of the Research Councils. 

The scheme was launched on the 11 March 2004 following a consultation.  HEIs (Higher Education Institutions) were invited to nominate their priority areas for academic fellowships for the first two rounds of the scheme, for which:

• Applications were received from 93 UK Higher Education Institutions covering 994 Academic Fellowships cutting across the remits of all the six grant-awarding research councils and AHRB. 
• The overall success rate was 40% with 398 awards to be made to 73 Institutions; 251 awards will start in the 2004 academic year and 147 in the following year. 

The awards reflect a good mix of disciplines (although engineering had the lowest success rate at 36%) and show a good regional spread.

RCUK have invited HEIs to apply for academic fellowships for the academic years 2006/07 and 2007/08.