UK Research and Innovation (EPSRC)

Mathematical Sciences Early Independence Fellowship

An EPSRC personal fellowship for early-career mathematical scientists with a PhD and postdoctoral experience who are ready to establish their own research niche, start building a team and make the step to research independence. Most of the research novelty must lie in EPSRC's mathematical sciences remit. The fellow must be hosted by a UK research organisation eligible for EPSRC funding; applicants of any nationality are welcome. Fellowships can cost up to £1.25 million full economic cost, of which EPSRC pays 80%, for up to five years (part-time possible), with an optional 'plus' element for improving research culture. It is always open, with applications batched for assessment after 30 April and 30 September each year.

Apply on the funder’s site

You could get: £1 – £1,250,000; no fixed round
Deadline: Rolling; apply any time
Effort: Heavy; budgets, references, often several stages

Who can apply

An individual early-career researcher, hosted by a UK research organisation eligible for EPSRC funding (standard UKRI eligibility), which submits the application
You must have completed a PhD with additional postdoctoral experience or equivalent, show early evidence of capability to be a leading and active researcher, and show relevant skills, career development and productivity across past appointments
There are no rules on years since PhD or on whether you hold a permanent post; applicants of all nationalities are welcome, including those not currently in the UK, and non-standard career paths and returners after a career break are encouraged
You are not eligible if you are an established academic with sustained career independence; have directed a group's research vision and supervised postdoctoral staff for more than 12 months; have another application for a UKRI fellowship of this type or an EPSRC new investigator award under assessment; have part of the project under assessment as a grant elsewhere; have been awarded a comparable early-independence fellowship or new investigator award from any organisation; or have secured grants as project lead that fund research staff such as postdocs (Mathematical Sciences Small Grants excepted)
You cannot apply at the same time for this and a new investigator award
Only one fellow can be named, and project co-leads are generally not allowed unless they bring essential expertise the fellow lacks
A Norway-based project co-lead (international) is not allowed; international collaborators are project partners
The host must commit to supporting the fellow and use an inclusive approach to selecting candidates

What it funds

A fellowship of up to five years for the fellow to lead their own research plans, establish their own research niche, start to build their own research team and make the first step-change to independence, covering:

Staff costs for the fellow and a small number of research staff, as well as technical staff time as justified by the project
Visa fees and international health surcharge costs for fellows
Equipment (between £25,000 and £400,000 per item)
Other items required to carry out the project
Costs related to impact
Travel and subsistence
Training activities
An optional 'plus' component, spending 20% to 50% of fellowship time championing positive change in the research community, for example equality, diversity and inclusion, responsible research and innovation, public engagement, or policy, regulatory, economic or social aspects of the research

most fellows hold the award full time; part-time fellows can hold it at a minimum of 50% FTE with the duration extended proportionally up to 10 years. Interdisciplinary projects are in scope only for developing novel mathematical and statistical tools for applications. Keep quotes for equipment over £138,000, which may be requested after the panel. Around four fellowships a year are expected.

What it will not fund

Costs for PhD studentships
Publication costs
Funding to use as a 'bridge' between grants
Costs for mentors
Costs for senior staff included under any role
Applications where most of the research is within the remit of other EPSRC themes or other research councils (these are rejected)
Application of mature or well-established methodologies to applications
Uninvited resubmissions of projects submitted to UKRI or any other funder

How to apply

Check your research fits EPSRC's mathematical sciences remit (submit an EPSRC remit query form if it may cross council or theme boundaries) and agree support with your host organisation and its research office
Ask the head of department of your host organisation for the supporting statement for the 'Host organisation support' section
Start an application on the UKRI Funding Service (https://funding-service.ukri.org/OPP1191/apply/1219) and confirm you are the fellow (Je-S is not used)
Upload the Vision and Approach document and answer the questions: summary (550 words), core team, applicant capability (1,650, R4RI format), career development (1,000), the plus component (1,100, plus fellowships only), host organisation support (1,000), resources and cost justification (1,000), ethics and RRI (500), animals, genetic technologies, human participation, applicant fit to the funding opportunity (500), project partners and letters, facilities (250), and Trusted Research and Innovation
Send the application to your research office for checking; they submit it when ready, with no closing date
To be included in a particular assessment batch, submit by 4pm on 30 April or 30 September; the next cut-off is 30 April 2027
If shortlisted after expert review and panel ranking, attend an interview (details given at least a month ahead)

the Find a Grant closing date of 31 March 2027 and any date shown on the Funding Service are system dates only. Applications that do not clearly address the requirements may be rejected before expert review.

Have ready

Vision and Approach document: a single PDF no bigger than 8MB, up to seven sides of A4 in 11-point Arial or equivalent with margins of at least 2cm (references no more than one page), plus one optional page for a diagrammatic workplan, named with your Funding Service number followed by 'Vision and Approach'
Project partner letters or emails of support: a single PDF, in English or Welsh, up to two sides of A4 per partner
Animal research forms, if the project involves animals

partner letters are needed only if you have project partners. The head of department's support statement and all other answers go into Funding Service text boxes. Documents that do not meet the format requirements lead to rejection.

More like this

Other grants open to organisations like yours.