Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship: University selection process

RAEng opening date (stage 1): w/c 4 May 2026
RAEng closing date (stage 1): 25 June 2026

Closing date for internal selection process: 28 April 2026

Expected maximum award: Each application is capped at a maximum contribution from the Academy of £800,000 over a five-year period at 80% of full economic costs (this is an increase on the previous award value of £625,000).

Objectives:

The Royal Academy of Engineering offers Research Fellowships each year to outstanding early-career researchers to support them to become future research leaders in engineering. The scheme offers five years of funding and professional development, including mentoring, teaching relief, networking, and further funding opportunities. The goal is to foster global connections and provide the necessary resources to help fellows develop independent research careers. The scheme's objectives are to:

• support the best early-career researchers in establishing their independence and international reputation
• provide long-term support enabling the pursuit of an ambitious programme of engineering research and impact
• develop ambassadors for the Academy and advocates for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines.

Changes to the application process:

This year, the RA Eng are moving to a 2-stage application process with an expression of interest submitted at stage 1. Each eligible expression of interest application will be assessed by two Academy Fellows who are part of the RAEng Research Fellowships Steering Group in a general reviewer capacity. The application therefore should be written to help non-expert reviewers understand the research content. 

There is still a cap of four on the number of applications the university can submit so we will run an internal selection process before the stage 1 deadline. At least two of the four applicants must self-identify as being from an underrepresented group in engineering: women, black people (including mixed black background(s)) and disabled people.

Internal application process:

1. Download and complete the pre-application checklist below to review your suitability for the scheme. This should not be submitted but should help you to make an informed decision about whether to apply. You could use this checklist in any discussions about whether to apply with your host mentor. If you are still unsure whether your profile/idea is a good match for this fellowship scheme, please email Kim Redgrave, Research Growth Manager for Engineering.

RAEng Pre-application Checklist

2. Identify and confirm support from an academic mentor in the School you wish to be hosted in at the University before submitting your EOI. The mentor should be able to help you develop your application and provide appropriate expertise and career guidance throughout the fellowship. The mentor should not have been your PhD supervisor or PI as this will raise questions about your independence. You can have more than one mentor.
3. Download and complete the EOI form. Submit together with a 1-page CV, 1-page publication list (max 10 publications) and any letters of support from collaborators to rsresearchgrowth@sheffield.ac.uk by Tuesday 28th April 2026, 4pm.
4. Internal assessment timeline: 

If application numbers are very high, we may need to use partial randomisation in the selection process. This will be communicated to applicants if required. 

Your application will be assessed against the following criteria: Quality of the applicant and potential to become a future leader in Engineering; quality of the research vision (novelty, timeliness, ambition, feasibility); extent of the beneficiaries and social/economic impact.

Additional information to consider before applying:

• Your research must fit in the Royal Academy of Engineering remit.
• There will be no financial contribution from the School, Faculty or University (i.e. studentships, equipment etc.). 
• If your project needs additional funding then you will need to ensure you have strong industry partners who can provide cash or in-kind contributions. These partners should be engaged early in the development of your application.
• Awarded Research Fellows are encouraged by RA Eng to apply for further funding. However, any additional funding must not result in a reduction in the Research Fellow’s time working on the Research Fellowship and cause a delay in the completion of the  Research Fellowship. (Please note that the project should be feasible without these additional sources of funding). 
• Schools would like to encourage applications that align with their key strategic areas so please also consider this when applying. If you are unsure whether your research is part of a strategic area, please have a conversation with your mentor. 
• RA Eng Research Fellowship funder success rate: 10% - 12-13 awarded out of approx 130 applications per year. At Sheffield, there have been 5 awards in the past 5 years. There are usually approximately 20 applications to the internal university process.

Eligibility: 

• Research Fellowships are aimed at early-career researchers. Applicants must have a PhD, which was awarded (or the PhD has been unconditionally approved) no more than four years before the stage 1 submission deadline. 
• Unlike previous rounds, for this round only (2026/27) a margin of up to six months more than the four-year limit is acceptable and does not require justification or explanation of extenuating circumstances for those six months.  This four years and six months period includes applicants’ work experience in academia or/and in industry in the UK or/and worldwide.  Therefore, the final cut-off date is the 25th of December 2021.  If the applicant PhD award date was earlier than the cut-off date, they should be required to specify justification of extenuating circumstances.  
• There are no nationality and age restrictions for applicants. 
• Applicants who have applied to this scheme before and were unsuccessful are eligible to reapply. These applications will be considered as new applications.
• Fellowships may be held part-time (50%–100% FTE).
• Any additional employment must be declared and must fall outside the host organisation e.g. industry, policy etc.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

The University of Sheffield supports flexible working and recognises that career paths are not linear. Applicants are encouraged to highlight contextual factors such as career breaks, caring responsibilities, or health-related circumstances in their EOI submission email,  confidentially if required, with the Research Growth team. 

The university particularly welcomes EOIs from individuals from underrepresented groups in engineering. If you have difficulty securing a mentor or require specific support or accommodations during the application process, please contact the Research Growth Manager for Engineering, Kim Redgrave (kim.redgrave@sheffield.ac.uk). Selected candidates from underrepresented groups who are invited to full stage application by RA Eng will also be put forward for the RA Eng Access Mentoring scheme.