/ Grants at the Royal Society

Benefits for Royal Society Research Fellows

We are dedicated to supporting our Research Fellows during their fellowships with funding, training, mentoring, schemes to engage with key areas such as policy and public engagement, as well as many opportunities for networking. Benefits for Royal Society Research Fellows can include:

Networking

Networking opportunities are offered throughout your fellowship enabling you to build your network both close and afar:

  • Induction days
  • Annual scientific conferences
  • Committee and working groups
  • Regional network meetings

Training and career development

Royal Society Research Fellows have access to our career development programme that is designed to help them thrive as an independent research leader. The Innovation and the Business of Science programme provides the skills to be a scientific entrepreneur, insight into science and its place in the economic landscape and how to be an effective leader. The Writing and Media Skills modules develops skills to write about your research for wider audience and developing how you communicate.

Find out more about our career development opportunities and eligibility

Mentoring

The Royal Society mentoring programme pairs early year Dorothy Hodgkin, University Research, Newton International, Career Development and Sir Henry Dale Research Fellows with an experienced researcher to help navigate the challenges of your first steps into independence. 

SUSTAIN is a programme that enables female researchers to thrive in their independent research careers. It provides an innovative programme of training and support to develop participants’ leadership and career potential. The programme is run by the Academy of Medical Sciences with support from the Royal Society, the Medical Research Council and the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Policy and Public Affairs

We offer schemes and training to deepen your understanding of the UK’s rapidly changing policy landscape and how science research can shape Government policy. Our pairing scheme pairs with UK parliamentarians and civil servants and our policy associate scheme enables our Research Fellows to engage directly with key decision makers.  

Public Engagement

There are regular opportunities for Research Fellows to take part in public engagement. Whether it's at our monthly Café Scientifique events, at regional festivals, through Partnership Grants, judging our book prizes or demonstrating at the Science Museum Lates, there are always ways to get involved.

  • The Meet the Scientists programme is designed to provide Research Fellows with support and new opportunities in public engagement, allowing them take part in and create research-led, effective engagement that is of benefit to them, their research and the public
  • Public Engagement Fund provides between £500 and £10,000 for Royal Society Research Fellows to create and lead public engagement project
  • Royal Society Research Fellows exhibiting at the Summer Science Exhibition can claim some reimbursement of associated travel, subsistence and accommodation costs: lead exhibitors may claim up to £2000 and supporting researchers on exhibits may claim up to £1000

To find out more about these opportunities please contact the Public Engagement team.

Research Fellows have the opportunity to participate in Destination STEMM a mentoring programme for Year 12 Black students living or studying in Greater London. The Society is working in partnership with the Windsor Fellowship to identify and address barriers in the progression of Black students to participation and success in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Find out more about the Society's commitment to increasing diversity in STEM.

Schools Engagement

Research Fellows can support their local schools or colleges in applying for a Partnership Grant. The Partnership Grants scheme funds schools and colleges up to £3,000 to work in partnership with STEM professionals from academia or industry to run an investigative STEM project. More details about the STEM professionals role can be found in our website guidance.

Research Fellows newsletter 

Royal Society Research Fellows receive our award holder newsletter that shares information about upcoming grant deadlines, events and courses.

Career Pathway Tracker

The Royal Society is committed to tracking the career pathways and scientific achievements of its Research Fellows and alumni. One way we do this is through our Career Pathway Tracker launched in 2018 to mark the 35th anniversary of the University Research Fellowship and over 20 years since the launch of the Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship.

Read more about the Career Pathway Tracker