UKRI has now launched its new Fellowship Investment Framework, which represents the next phase in the transition to collective talent funding. This framework will streamline and harmonize fellowship schemes across UKRI, making the process more efficient for applicants, research organizations, and UKRI itself.

Fellowships continue to be a cornerstone of NERC’s talent strategy, with the IRF scheme remaining our primary support mechanism for early career researchers in environmental sciences.

Independent Research Fellowship Overview:

• Purpose: Support talented early career researchers to develop their independence and establish themselves as leaders in environmental science.
• Scope: Open to researchers across the full NERC remit
• Multidisciplinary research: We welcome applications that span multiple research council areas, provided the primary focus falls within the NERC remit
• Who can apply: Early career researchers with a PhD (or have significant relevant research experience combined with clear evidence of leadership potential) who want to conduct their own environmental research within an eligible host organisation. Further details on eligibility will be provided within the individual call text.
• Duration: Five-year fellowships. IRFs are full time, part-time (pro rata) may be possible to accommodate caring responsibilities.

Application dates for IRF:

The next IRF call, Early Independence: Independent Research Fellowship 2026, will open on 25 February 2026 and close on 16 June 2026.

If your IRF 2026 application requires Antarctic or sub-Antarctic logistic support from NERC’s British Antarctic Survey, you must complete a Pre-Award Operational Support Planning Questionnaire (OSPQ) to detail your support requirements. Please email the Antarctic Access Office (email: afibas@bas.ac.uk) to request access to the OSPQ Portal, stating your:

• name
• institution
• project title

The deadline for the completed Pre-Award OSPQs to be submitted is 16 March 2026.

If you intend to use NERC marine facilities, NERC marine facilities: availability 2025 to 2030 – UKRI,  you should contact marineplanning@nerc.ukri.org to discuss your requirements as soon as possible and by Friday 15 May 2026.

Assessment process:

Applications will continue to be assessed by expert panel members against criteria specified in the Announcement of Opportunity. However, in response to unprecedented demand in our 2024 IRF Fellowships opportunity with ~250 applications submitted, we have introduced a triage stage to reduce the number taken through the process and to interview.

1. Triage Stage: Expert panel members submit scores for applications prior to the panel meeting. Working with the chairs, NERC will determine a cut-off point using panel member scores to create a shortlist of applications proceeding to the next stage.
2. Panel Meeting: Shortlisted applications discussed at expert panel meeting.
3. Interviews: Expert interview panel conducts interviews in March-April 2027

If submission volumes become unmanageable, NERC may be required to adjust the assessment process, delays in assessment may occur, and the likelihood of securing funding may decrease. We urge all applicants and submitting organisations to consider this carefully when preparing proposals.

More about Independent research fellowships

Find eligibility criteria, how to apply and details of closed, open and upcoming opportunities on the NERC fellowships funding pages and the UKRI NERC fellowship webpage.

For queries, please contact fellowships@nerc.ukri.org.