Information about Royal Society Newton International Fellowships, Department of Engineering Science at Oxford Process

Royal Society Newton International Fellowships

Oxford Department of Engineering Science EOI Deadline: 11 February 2026

Overview

The Royal Society Newton International Fellowships programme provides support for outstanding early career researchers to make a first step towards developing an independent research career through gaining experience across international borders. The fellowships enable researchers to access expertise, gain new perspectives and build long-lasting collaborative relationships. The programme is open to candidates intending to conduct research 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. The maximum award value is £280,000.

Duration

The awards are for a duration of two years.

Eligibility

This scheme is for you if:

• You have a PhD, or will have successfully defended your doctoral thesis before the closing date for applications
• You have no more than five years of active full-time postdoctoral experience post-PhD at the time of application (discounting career breaks, but including teaching experience and/or time spent in industry on research)
• You are based outside the UK
• You do not hold UK citizenship
• You are competent in oral and written English

Departmental Process

To apply, you will first need to find a suitable permanent member of faculty (an academic with Associate Professor status or above) to act as your UK Sponsor and contact them to confirm whether they will support your application. Please see our list of academics.

We cannot process applications that do not have the support of a permanent faculty member as UK Sponsor. The UK Sponsor should work with the lead applicant to develop the project proposal and should provide mentoring, support, and guidance throughout the duration of the award. Please note, UK Sponsors are limited to supporting one application per round.

When you have confirmed support from an appropriate UK Sponsor, you should ask them to contact the Research Office on your behalf with your CV as soon as possible and no later than 11 February 2026 so we can confirm your eligibility. If you are eligible, we will provide you with further instructions on how to apply and will require your draft application by 18 February 2026. Please expect to submit your final application for internal approvals by 04 March 2026, this is one week prior to Royal Society’s deadline of 11 March 2026.