UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships (FLF)

"Future Leaders Fellowships will grow the strong supply of talented individuals needed to ensure a vibrant environment for research and innovation in the UK. The scheme is open to researchers and innovators from across business, universities, and other organisations. We welcome applicants from around the world.

Investment of up to £1.5 million over four years, with the ability to extend to up to seven years, will enable the next generation to benefit from outstanding support to develop their careers, and to work on difficult and novel challenges.

We want to fund the best fellows no matter what their background. The Future Leaders Fellowships scheme has been developed with unprecedented levels of flexibility to support applicants from a wide range of experiences, disciplines and sectors."

UKRI - https://www.ukri.org/funding/funding-opportunities/future-leaders-fellowships/

https://www.ukri.org/funding/funding-opportunities/future-leaders-fellowships/how-to-apply/

The University will likely make announcements on the schedule for Round 6 in late summer/early Autumn 2020 

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The University currently has three Future Leader Fellows:

Dr Fay Alberti - Department of History (Round 1)

Fay's project, About Face, traces the emotional and cultural histories of facial disfigurement, reconstruction and transplantation between the 1950s and the present. Building on Fay’s research on the history of cosmetic surgery (and advisory work for the Nuffield Council on Bioethics), and her work on heart transplantation and bodily identity, this project brings an interdisciplinary lens to the recent emergence of face transplants as a viable form of surgical innovation. About Face connects to Fay’s wider interests in identity, gender, technology and ‘looks', especially in the digital age, and the links between appearance matters, emotional health and wellbeing.

https://www.york.ac.uk/history/staff/profiles/fay-bound-alberti/

Dr Benjamin Lichman - Department of Biology (Round 1)

Benjamin's project investigates how a small tree, native to East Asia, could help in the creation of new medicines. The Daphniphyllum macropodum shrub produces an array of complex nitrogen-containing chemicals that are unlike any other known chemicals from plants, animals or microbes and have been shown to have anti-cancer and anti-HIV properties.

https://www.york.ac.uk/biology/research/plant-biology/benjamin-lichman/

Dr Luke Mackinder - Department of Biology (Round 3)

Luke's project investigates how algae converts carbon dioxide into organic molecules during photosynthesis. The results of the research will be used to guide improvements in photosynthesis to help combat climate change and enhance crop yields. Luke and his team will explore how proteins (the building blocks of cells) are spatially organised in diverse algae and how these "protein-networks" change as the cells absorb or “fix” CO2 during photosynthesis.

https://www.york.ac.uk/biology/research/plant-biology/luke-mackinder/

Your Department's Research Support Office: https://www.york.ac.uk/staff/research/research-administrators/

University Fellowship Coordinator: Annabel Jenkins (fellowships@york.ac.uk)

• There are 6 rounds of the FLF, with deadlines twice a year
• The 6th and final round will have deadlines in Autumn 2020
• The University is limited in the number of proposals that it can submit – there is therefore an internal University demand management process on proposals

The University will likely make announcements on the schedule for Round 6 in late summer/early Autumn 2020.

For information, the communication about the process and timescales of the previous round (Round 5) are included below.

The Scheme: This is the fifth round of the Future Leaders Fellowships Scheme

N.B. Due to the recent establishment of the Fellowship Coordination Committee and the availability of University funds to support these applications, there is an additional, short form to fill out (attachment and details below). 

The UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowships (FLF) will grow the strong supply of talented individuals needed to ensure that UK research and innovation continues to be world class. This cross-UK Research and Innovation scheme will support early career researchers and innovators with outstanding potential in universities, UK registered businesses, and other research environments. The support offered will be long-term and flexible, providing a comprehensive package, including the Fellow's salary and justified research, staff and training costs. Seven years of support is available, employing a four year + three year model, with an external review in year four. This is the fifth of six calls for these Fellowships; two calls per year between 2018/19 and 2020/21 (UKRI financial years). 100 Fellowships will be awarded in this round and full details of the UKRI FLF are available here.

The University of York process (see key dates below):

• Both internal and external candidates are eligible to apply for these prestigious Fellowships, and will be supported equitably through the application process. Departments will be responsible for selecting one candidate (internal or external) to progress to University level quality assessment, where candidates with outstanding potential will be identified. Under exceptional circumstances, and with prior approval by the UoY FLF Management Group, departments may nominate two candidates. Departments have until Wednesday 12th February 2020 to nominate their candidate and may organise this selection process as they see fit. Earlier submission to the FLF Management Group is encouraged and the names of nominated candidates should be sent by the DRC Chair via email to catherine.hardman@york.ac.uk;

• Nominated Departmental candidates will be required to complete this Google Form ahead of University level internal assessment. This Google Form mirrors the current UKRI EoI and will facilitate smooth information transfer from the candidate to UKRI systems once the selection process is complete.  In addition, a full up-to-date academic CV with complete publication list must also be submitted to catherine.hardman@york.ac.uk by 12th February 2020;

• Nominated Departmental candidates will then be assessed by the FLF Management Group, (Pro VC-Research, Associate Deans (Research) plus additional disciplinary co-opted members as required);

• All exceptional candidates will be given the required institutional approval to progress their applications. EoIs must be submitted by the candidate to UKRI in April (final dates to be announced). Applicants will be responsible for submitting their individual full applications using JeS in May 2020 (final dates to be announced);

• In addition, for rounds 5 and 6, the applicants are expected to fill in a short form (reusing much of their EOI information) but which should also include financial information. This form (attached) will be considered by the Fellowship Co-ordination Committee, in parallel with the FLF internal selection panel, for central University of York financial support of any successful FLF application. This form should be submitted alongside the Google form by 12th February 2020 to catherine.hardman@york.ac.uk.

Key dates: