This page details various sources of funding to support activities including public engagement, knowledge exchange and enterprise; some are available to applicants at postdoc level, others are aimed at existing research fellows and academics. Some of the schemes are fellowships which support your salary, while others only support expenses related to the relevant activity. While we will endeavour to keep these details up-to-date, due to the nature of funding deadlines, some schemes will be currently closed - funders, or their webpages should be able to provide details of future deadlines.
Please contact the research facilitation team directly at fellowships@physics.ox.ac.uk or applications@physics.ox.ac.uk if you are interested in applying to any of these schemes.
NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellowship
The 2023 deadline for this fellowship was in June.
Eligibility: Researchers at all career stages can apply. Applicants do not need to have a PhD, but if you are undertaking a PhD, you must have submitted your thesis before taking up the fellowship. The fellowship can cover up to 100% of your salary, or if you are PI level, a smaller fraction of your time, from 20%. The fellowship lasts up to 3 years.
Scope: The funding aims to enhance the impact of environmental science by enabling the sharing, flow and translation of knowledge and expertise between NERC-remit researchers and, their stakeholders, partners and user communities. Your application should focus on accelerating and amplifying impact throughout the cycle of research.
Funding: In addition to salary costs, up to £40k to cover travel and subsistence, and other costs associated with the proposed work.
For more details please see the UKRI website.
Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Fellowships
Twelve-month accelerator programme for engineering startups and spinouts. The scheme is aimed at University researchers wishing to spin out who have a protectable enginneering or technology innovation. Funding is available to cover your salary and business costs (£75k). Successful applicants will receive training, coaching, mentoring and networking opportunities.
See the RAEng website for further details and contact Phillip.Tait@physics.ox.ac.uk in the first instance if you are interested in applying.
The scheme will open for applications in July 2023.
Royal Society of Edinburgh Enterprise Fellowships
A business development and training programme for the higher education sector which enables researchers to develop into world class entrepreneurs. The funding covers 1 year of your salary, plus business support funding and various training, mentoring and networking opportunities.
Contact phillip.tait@physics.ox.ac.uk in the first instance if you are interested in this scheme.
Leadership of STFC related public engagement activity and culture
STFC fund fellowships for those leading engagement with the public in STFC funded research, technology or facilities. Applicants must have a strong track record of leadership in their field and in public engagement, relative to their career stage. The field must be an STFC-funded area of science and technology or be underpinned by use of STFC's labs or facilities. Applicants must have a contract of employment with the University that covers the duration of the fellowship. The fellowship would typically cover between 20 and 40% of your time for up to 3 years to spend on a high quality program of engagement and outreach.
The latest closing date was Jan 23, further deadlines TBC.
For further information about this scheme visit the UKRI website.
Schemes to support commercialisation of your research
- Oxford's EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA): https://www.mpls.ox.ac.uk/research-funding/impact-and-innovation/iaa
- Oxford's STFC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA): https://www.mpls.ox.ac.uk/research-funding/impact-and-innovation/stfc-impact-acceleration-account-iaa-fund
- STFC Follow on Fund - Develop early-stage research outputs for commercial application: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/develop-early-stage-research-outputs-for-commercial-application-stfc-follow-on-fund-feb-2022/
- STFC late stage commercialisation scheme: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/late-stage-commercialisation-scheme/
- University of Oxford, KE Seed Fund: https://researchsupport.admin.ox.ac.uk/funding/ke-seed-fund
- University of Oxford, Medical and Life Sciences Translational Fund: https://researchsupport.admin.ox.ac.uk/funding/mlstf
- University of Oxford, University Challenge Seed Fund: https://researchsupport.admin.ox.ac.uk/funding/ucsf
- ICURe Programme: https://www.icureprogramme.com/
- STFC iCASE studentships: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/science-and-technology-projects-industrial-case-and-case-plus-studentship/
Contact phillip.tait@physics.ox.ac.uk if you have queries about any of these schemes.
Schemes to support outreach and public engagement
- Department of Physics Internal Outreach Project Fund
- Royal Society Partnership Grants
- Institute of Physics Public Engagement Grant Scheme
- STFC funding for public engagement
- Royal Academy of Engineering Ingenious Public Engagement Grants
- The Ogden Trust Physics Education Grants
- Royal Astronomical Society Education and Outreach Small Grants Scheme
- Public engagement funds for Wellcome Trust funded researchers
Contact sian.tedaldi@physics.ox.ac.uk in the first instance if you would like advice on public engagement.