The Royal Society Wolfson Fellowships enable UK Universities and not-for-profit Research Institutions to attract and recruit internationally leading researchers (and their teams) to their organizations. The objectives of the Royal Society Wolfson Visiting Fellowships are to:

enable UK universities and research institutions to attract outstanding international researchers in key strategic areas to the UK from overseas

enable the Visiting Fellow and the host UK organisation to develop ongoing collaborative research links, share ideas, and practice

ELIGIBILITY:

This scheme is for you if: 

You are an established scientific research leader or a talented international researcher at the peak of your career with proven track record for high-quality, independent scientific research and experience of working collaboratively

You are currently based overseas and have received a firm offer from a UK university or research institution to take effect from the start of the appointment. Nominations will not be accepted for researchers wishing to move between UK institutions

Your research is within the Royal Society’s remit of natural sciences, which includes but is not limited to biological research and biomedical sciences, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, and physics. For a full list, please see the breakdown of subject groups and areas supported by the Royal Society. 

Applicants can be of any nationality, and those requiring a visa are eligible to apply for a Global Talent Visa under the fast-track process of endorsement.

Read the scheme notes for further information on eligibility. Please ensure that you meet all eligibility requirements before applying. 

The Royal Society welcomes applications from disabled applicants and provides support and adjustments to ensure that they can participate fully in the selection process. If you require support or an adjustment when accessing the application form, attending interviews, or for any other part of the application process, please contact the Grants Team on seniorfellowships@royalsociety.org or call +44 20 7451 2666. All requests for adjustments are made in confidentiality. Any request for an adjustment will not normally be shared with panel members unless it becomes relevant to the assessment process itself. If we need to share your request with anyone (for example if panel members are required to implement any adjustments during interviews), we will ask for your permission first.

Adjustments can include but are not limited to:

Extension of the deadline

Additional support to complete the application form

Receiving the application form in a different format, such as on a Word document

Support during interviews as required, including technical support for candidates requiring accessibility software or services

Additional costs that candidates may incur on account of their particular disability to attend an interview

BENEFIT:

These awards can be held for up to 12 months full-time (with a minimum stay of three months) or flexibly over two years. Candidates can request up to £125,000.

Funds can cover:

Bursary for Visiting Fellows—up to £80,000 per annum full-time, although this could be supplemented at the discretion of the host organisation

Research expenses – Including consumables, travel, small pieces of equipment of up to £10,000, and other appropriate and justified costs (including visa costs and fieldwork).

Relocation and visa costs for Royal Society Wolfson Visiting Fellows and their dependents (partner and children). The total grant cap may be exceeded to cover relocation/visa costs if this is well justified in the application

If the candidate’s salary is already covered by their overseas host organization, then the Visiting Fellowship funding should not be used to supplement existing salary, as any overheads associated with the Visiting Fellowship should be covered by the UK host organization as part of its commitment to the appointment.

We provide flexibility to accommodate personal circumstances, including part-time working, sabbaticals, and secondments. There is provision for maternity, paternity, shared parental, adoptive, or extended sick leave, as well as financial support for childcare costs that arise from attending conferences and research visits.

Full funding details can be found in the scheme notes.