Externally-funded fellowships

There are numerous Fellowship and individual awards available.

It's never too early to explore Fellowship or individual grants you may want to apply for now or in the future.

Where to start

It's essential to read the funder strategy and scheme guidance notes in detail. This is so you understand who and what the schemes will fund. Consider the funders’ strategic aims and how your plans map to these. You need to be armed with relevant information from the outset to optimally shape your plans and get the most out of the development conversations you will have. 

Applying to a scheme

Once you've explored the available schemes, you must critically assess your readiness for applying to a scheme. This means mapping your career stage, experience and research, and career plans against the award guidance and criteria.

At this stage, you'll need advice from your line manager, group lead or a senior member of your Division or Institution. As well as sharing your CV, you'll need to articulate why you think this is the right scheme for you and have ideas about your research plans. If the Fellowship or individual award requires host institute support, you may need Head of Division or Head of School support. 

Training and development

There is also a range of central training and development materials focused on people at a pre-award stage to consider. This is offered by The University of Manchester Researcher Development team.

This includes an introductory session to Fellowships (Fellowships 101), a session looking at the Fellowship application process in more detail, and one-to-one career conversations that can span conversations about Fellowship awards.