The Government Office for Science offers UK Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Research Fellowships to outstanding early career science or engineering researchers. These Fellowships are designed to promote unclassified basic research in areas of interest to the intelligence, security and defence communities. The Centre for Protection of National Infrastructure, Department for Transport, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Home Office, and the National Cyber Security Centre are among the organisations represented in this scheme.
Fellowship Description
One round of applications for the fellowship is held annually for the UK Intelligence Community for the Postdoctoral Research Fellowships. Members of the Intelligence Community identify research topics and the Research Fellows work locally with University Research Advisors to develop and submit research proposals that align with the topics.
The research is conducted by the Research Fellows while working in partnership with the University Research Advisor, and collaborating with an advisor from the Intelligence Community (IC Advisor). The Fellowships are aimed at early-career researchers from all branches of science and engineering who have up to five years postdoctoral experience. Each application for the Fellowships is capped at a maximum grant of £200,000 over a two-year period.
Level and Area of Studies
Postdoctoral in Science and Engineering fields.
Eligibility criteria
- UK Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Research Fellowships must be held at a UK higher education institution/university in a department that can show it is capable of fully supporting the research project and researcher.
- It is the responsibility of the applicant to contact the host institution and gain the formal approval from the relevant head of department or school before submitting an application.
- The proposed research project must address one of the research topics outlined in the applicant guidance notes.
- The Fellowships are aimed at early-career researchers. Applicants must have a PhD, which was awarded no more than five years before the submission deadline. This time period includes applicants’ work experience in academia or/and in industry. A margin of up to three months more than the five-year limit is acceptable.
- PhD students are eligible to apply, but must have been awarded their PhD (or the PhD has been unconditionally approved).
- The applicant must not hold a permanent academic position before the start of the UK IC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship. Probationary or fixed-term lecturers are eligible to apply if the probationary or fixed-term status remains till the start of Research Fellowship.
- Fellows will be employed by the host institution and are required to devote all their working time to the Research Fellowship.
- There are no nationality and age restrictions for applicants.
- Applicants who have applied to this scheme before and were unsuccessful are eligible to reapply.
- No security vetting is required as part of this scheme, but by applying to this scheme the applicant is agreeing to be vetted if it becomes necessary during the Research Fellowship.
See Also: Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowships
Application Procedures
Please read the Applicant Guidance Notes for UK Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Research Fellowships for full details before completing applications online in the Academy’s Grants Management System.
Applicants must first register with the system and create a profile before filling the Application Form.
