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The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellowships programme is designed to develop the next generation of research and innovation leaders by providing long-term funding, leadership development, and organisational support.
The fellowship enables talented individuals to establish independent careers while delivering ambitious programmes of research and innovation that address strategic UK priorities. Alongside funding, Fellows receive tailored career development opportunities, mentoring, and the flexibility to build internationally recognised expertise within their field.
Unlike traditional research grants, the Future Leaders Fellowships place equal emphasis on the quality of the proposed innovation and the long-term development of the individual leading it.
Key Dates and Funding
Competition Opens: 22 June 2026
Competition Closes: 4 November 2026 at 11:00am (UK time)
Funding Available:
£100,000 to £3 million grant funding per fellowship
Up to £110 million available across Round 11
Initial funding for four years, with the possibility of a three-year extension
Projects must start no earlier than October 2027
Programme Objectives
The Future Leaders Fellowships programme aims to:
Develop future leaders in research and innovation.
Support talented individuals to establish independent careers.
Build leadership, management, and strategic capability.
Deliver ambitious, high-quality innovation aligned with UK priorities.
Generate lasting economic, societal, and technological impact.
Applicants must demonstrate how both their innovation programme and personal leadership journey will benefit from the fellowship.
Scope of the Fellowship
Projects must present an ambitious programme of research or innovation that goes beyond business-as-usual activities and demonstrates clear novelty.
Applicants are expected to include:
A compelling innovation or research vision.
A structured leadership development plan.
Strong support from the host organisation, including protected time, mentoring, and access to facilities.
A clear pathway for commercialisation, knowledge transfer, or wider societal benefit. The programme supports projects across all research disciplines, including:
Science and engineering
Healthcare and life sciences
Digital and AI technologies
Advanced manufacturing
Creative industries
Social sciences
Arts and humanities
Interdisciplinary research
The UK's five critical technologies
Who Can Apply
Future Leaders Fellowships are open to talented researchers and innovators who demonstrate the potential to become independent leaders.
Eligible host organisations include:
UK-registered businesses
Catapult Centres
Charities
Public sector organisations
Not-for-profit organisations
Agri-tech Centres
Eligible research organisations
Applicants do not need to hold a PhD if they can demonstrate equivalent research or innovation experience. International researchers and innovators are also eligible, provided they are supported by an eligible UK host organisation.
Why This Programme Matters
Developing future innovation leaders is essential to maintaining the UK's global competitiveness in research, technology, and industrial innovation. The Future Leaders Fellowships programme provides ambitious individuals with the time, resources, and institutional support needed to pursue transformative ideas while developing the leadership skills required to drive future scientific and commercial success.
By investing simultaneously in people and innovation, the programme strengthens the UK's long- term research capability and helps translate cutting-edge ideas into economic growth and societal benefit.
How Inventya Can Help
Future Leaders Fellowships are among UK's most prestigious and competitive funding programmes. Success depends not only on presenting an exceptional innovation programme, but also on demonstrating outstanding leadership potential, a compelling career development plan, and a clear pathway to long-term impact.
At Inventya, we work with researchers, innovators, businesses, Catapult Centres, and public sector organisations to develop high-quality fellowship applications that combine technical excellence with a compelling leadership narrative.
Our support includes:
Strategic Fellowship Development – Helping shape a strong research or innovation vision that aligns with UKRI priorities while clearly demonstrating your leadership potential.
Proposal Writing and Review – Developing persuasive applications that effectively communicate the significance, ambition, novelty, and impact of your proposed programme.
Leadership and Career Development Planning – Strengthening fellowship narratives by
articulating how the programme will accelerate your progression as an independent research or innovation leader.
Host Organisation Support – Assisting host organisations in defining mentoring arrangements, institutional commitments, protected research time, and career development opportunities.
Impact, Commercialisation and Knowledge Exchange – Developing robust plans for commercial exploitation, stakeholder engagement, policy influence, and societal impact.
Project Planning and Risk Management – Supporting the preparation of work packages, project plans, budgets, risk registers, and management frameworks that meet UKRI expectations.
Interview Preparation – Providing tailored coaching for presentations and panel interviews to ensure applicants communicate their vision with confidence and clarity.
With extensive experience supporting highly competitive UKRI, Innovate UK, NIHR, Horizon Europe, and international funding applications, Inventya helps innovators develop compelling fellowship
proposals that maximise both funding success and long-term career impact.
