UKRI Future Leader Fellowships (Round 7)

UKRI Future Leader Fellowships (Round 7)

Newcastle University Internal ‘Expression of Interest’ Competition Information

Newcastle University’s Internal Expression of Interest Competition for Round 7 of the UKRI Future Leader Fellowships is now open.

https://www.ukri.org/funding/funding-opportunities/future-leaders-fellowships/

The scheme is open to early career researchers and innovators from across business, universities, and other organisations, and welcomes applicants from around the world. Awards are for an ambitious programme of research and to support career development for up to four years, with the ability to extend for a further three years, to focus and continue your development. There is no lower or upper limit on the funding that can be requested. UKRI wants to fund the best fellows no matter what their background. The Future Leaders Fellowships scheme has been developed with unprecedented levels of flexibility to support applicants from a wide range of experiences, disciplines and sectors. Along with the web-link above, please see our briefing note, attached, for some guidance.

UKRI believes “fostering inclusion is essential for a high-performing research and innovation (R&I) system. As the UK’s largest public funder of research and innovation we have a responsibility to ensure the health of the system as a whole, now and in the future. We need a diversity of people and ideas to achieve this”. In line with this, and with Newcastle University’s own values, no applicant will be disadvantaged or receive less favourable treatment because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation in our internal competition.

An information session, including Q&A with experienced FLF panellist Professor Fiona Matthews and successful applicant Dr Katarzyna Mickiewicz, will be held on Thursday 28^th July 2022, 10:15-11:45 on Zoom (https://newcastleuniversity.zoom.us/j/87180368583, passcode 889516). To sign-up, please complete the booking form at: UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships Information Session (ncl.ac.uk).  Anyone interested in being considered as a Newcastle University applicant is encouraged to attend.  All are welcome.

Newcastle University is limited by the funder to making up to six proposals in this competition.  We will therefore be holding an internal selection and support process.  This is for candidates currently at Newcastle and those who are not but wish to apply to hold their future leader fellowship here.

The timeline that we need to follow for our internal selection and support is given below.  We apologise for the timing of the internal selection falling over the summer period.  This is due to the timing of the funder call and our need to give our chosen applicants as long as possible to work on their proposals.

What is happening?	When?
Information meeting for interested applicants	Thursday 28th July 10:15-11:45
Host Academic Unit approval must be given (please see below)	Thursday 8th September, 16:00 UK time
Internal submission deadline for expressions of interest from interested applicants (details of what is needed are below)	Thursday 8th September, 16:00 UK time
Internal selection panel meeting	Week of 19th September
Communication of panel decisions to interested applicants	End of week of 19th September
Discussions with Research Funding Development Team to ensure support for selected applicants	Late September
UKRI outline proposal deadline for Newcastle University’s selected applicants	18th October 2022, 16:00 UK time
UKRI full proposal deadline for Newcastle University’s selected applicants	6th December 2022, 16:00 UK time

Applicants must have the support of their host unit before applying. By submitting your proposal to this internal selection you are confirming that this is the case.  Please contact the relevant Director of Research to discuss your application as soon as possible.

Candidates should submit the following by Thursday 8^th September, 16:00 UK time:

1. A title of the proposed fellowship.
2. Identification of which Research Council remits the proposed fellowship aligns to.
3. The UKRI FLF CV & Outputs Template (https://www.ukri.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/UKRI-140622-Funding-Opp-FutureLeadersFellowshipsRound7-CVListOutputsTemplate.docx).
4. A statement on your primary area of research or innovation (up to 200 characters).
5. A statement on the research focus of the fellowship proposal (up to 2000 characters).
6. A detailed description of the 7-year programme of research (up to 4000 characters total). This should consist of a detailed description of the 4 year programme (3000 characters) and a description of activities envisaged in years 5-7 (1000 characters).
7. A description as to why the FLF is suitable for you, how will this fellowship change and develop your career and where you see yourself at the end (up to 1000 characters).
8. Describe how you have previously demonstrated leadership skills, what steps you will take to become a Future Leader and what support you will arrange for this (up to 1000 characters).
9. An outline of any independent funding obtained to develop your ‘transition to independence’ and, if holding a tenured Faculty position, what full-time equivalent research time you have had in that post as well as any funding obtained to develop independence.

Please note: if successful, academic Fellows’ full working time will be committed to the Fellowships. Academic Fellows would not be expected to be spending more than around six hours a week (pro-rated for part-time Fellows) on other commitments (or up to two sessions a week for Clinical Fellows) during the first two years of the Fellowship.

10. For administrative purposes only and to ensure you receive the appropriate support for the development of your fellowship proposal could you please answer the following questions:

• Does Newcastle University own the preliminary research results, data, process or technology (Background IP) that you wish to use as a basis for the research programme in the fellowship? [Yes/No]
• Does any element of the research programme involve NHS staff, NHS patients or NHS premises? [Yes/No]

Given the timings and timeframes we are all working with, we have tried to keep the information required to a minimum, whilst also giving our academic panel sufficient information to make an informed decision.

Your submission will be considered by an academic panel Chaired by our Pro Vice Chancellor for Research Strategy and Resources, and including our Deans of Research and Innovation for each Faculty, our Dean of Research Strategy and Culture and our NUAcT fellowship programme lead.  Your submission will be considered against the same assessment criteria as will be used by UKRI (Future Leaders Fellowships: round 7 – UKRI).

Applications should be submitted to Jo Gascoigne-Owens (Johanna.gascoigne-owens@ncl.ac.uk) by Thursday 8^th September, 16:00 UK time.  Please also contact Jo if you have any questions about the scheme.