UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships 2026 – Prestigious Research & Innovation Funding in the UK

The UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships (FLF) Round 11 is a major funding opportunity for early-career researchers and innovators looking to establish or strengthen their independence and leadership in research and innovation. This prestigious UK scheme offers long-term, flexible support to help talented individuals develop ambitious projects that address real-world challenges and advance knowledge across disciplines.

 What Is the Future Leaders Fellowship?

The Future Leaders Fellowships are designed to support researchers and innovators who are transitioning to or establishing their own independent research or innovation agendas. The scheme enables fellows to build careers that cross traditional boundaries between academia, businesses, and interdisciplinary fields.

 Key Dates & Funding

• Funding Opened: 2 February 2026
• Application Deadline: 16 June 2026, 4:00 pm UK time
• Total Fund Available: £110 million for Round 11
• Award Duration: Up to 7 years (initial funding for 4 years with option to extend)
• Funding Support: UKRI funds 80 % of full economic cost (FEC) of projects, with no fixed minimum or maximum budget.

 Who Can Apply?

• Researchers and innovators who are developing ambitious research or innovation programmes and are ready to establish or transition to independence.
• Applicants should be hosted by an eligible UK organisation — such as a university, research institute, business, or non-academic entity that meets UKRI eligibility criteria.
• There are no strict rules about holding a permanent position or specific years since PhD, but applicants must not already have research independence (such as major funding or leading a significant research programme).

 What the Fellowship Supports

The Future Leaders Fellowships are broad in scope and encourage applications across all research and innovation areas covered by UK Research and Innovation. This includes arts, humanities, social sciences, sciences, engineering, technology, health, environment and interdisciplinary work. Fellows are empowered to design ambitious programmes that:

• Advance cutting-edge research or innovation
• Tackle complex global challenges
• Translate ideas into practical impact
• Build collaborations and networks across sectors

 Why This Opportunity Matters

This scheme is one of the UK’s most competitive and prestigious fellowships for early-career leaders. It offers:

Long-term support — up to seven years of funding
Career development — focused on leadership and independence
Flexibility — support for diverse paths, including part-time work and career breaks
Cross-sector potential — suitable for academic and non-academic hosts
High impact potential — enabling transformative research or innovation programmes

 Application Essentials

To apply successfully, researchers must:

• Demonstrate vision and originality in their proposed work
• Explain how the fellowship will accelerate their career
• Show evidence of host organisation support
• Detail the impact, feasibility, and resources needed for the project
• Justify the requested funding relative to project goals

Candidates will also be assessed on the strength of their career trajectory, research plan, and contribution to their field or sector.