RAEng fellowships

The internal selection process for this fellowship is now open

Summary

The Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) Fellowship supports outstanding early-career engieers by providing funding for five years, including mentoring, reduced teaching duties, addiional fundng opportunities, and networking with other fellows. Oxford University can submit up to four candidates, with at least two self-identifying from underrepresented groups within the UK engieerng profession.

The fellowship provides up to £625,000 over five years (at 80% of full economic costs). Fellowships can be held part-time (at least 50%).

Key dates

Oxford Physics EOI submission deadline: 14 May 2025, 12noon

MPLS submission deadline: 11 June 2025, 12noon

RAEng submission deadline: 17 September 2025, 4pm BST

For further assistance or inquiries, please contact the Research Facilitation Team at fellowships@physics.ox.ac.uk.

Overview

The RAEng Fellowship encourages early-career engineers to pursue academic research careers by providing essential funding and professional development. The scheme offers five years of funding, alongside mentoring, reduced teaching duties, and additional opportunities for funding and colaboration. The goal is to foster global connections and provide the necessary resources to help fellows develop independent research careers.

Oxford University’s internal selection process is competitive, with each department capped at a specific number of candidates. The fellowship supports research in a wide range of engineering disciplines, including civil, aerospace, mechanical, bioengineering, and more.

Further information is available on the RAEng website.

Eligibility

Research focus: applicants must propose a research project in an engineering subject area such as civil, aerospace, mechanical, bioengineering, materials, energy, etc.

PhD/DPhil requirements: applicants must have a PhD/DPhil (or equivalent) awarded (or unconditionally approved) no more than four years before the submission deadline (17 September 2025). Up to three additional months are allowed for extenuating circumstances like maternity/paternity leave or other caregiving responsibilities.

Previous applicants: those who have applied previously and were unsuccessful are eligible to reapply.

Fellowship start: fellowships must begin between 1 August 2026 and 31 October 2026.

Underrepresented groups: at least two Oxford candidates must self-identify as from underrepresented groups in UK engineering, including:

• Women
• Black people (including mixed ethnicity with Black backgrounds)
• Disabled people

Oxford’s selected candidates who self-identify as belonging to these groups will also be put forward for the RAEng Access Mentoring Scheme to support their final application. 

Expression of interest

For deadlines, see key dates above. 

EOI submissions should be emailed to fellowships@physics.ox.ac.uk and must include:

• Simplified case for support template (see file attachment below)
• CV (with career breaks and/or part-time working noted)
• Research outputs list
• Name of sub-department you are applying through (eg Astrophysics, Particle Physics)
• Confirmation of support from an academic colleague
• Oxford sponsor (cc’d in the EOI email)

Selected candidates will be informed by Thursday 29 May 2025. They will receive support from a Research Facilitator to submit their MPLS application through IRAMS.

Additional information

Internal process: applications are reviewed by an internal panel, based on the on the importance, originality, and feasibility of the research. Specifically: 1) Quality of candidate; 2) Research quality and vision; 3) Research environment; and 4) Beneficiaries and impact. Please see the MPLS webpage for further guidance

Sponsor requirement: applicants must have the support of an Oxford sponsor who will help develop the project proposal. You must confirm this support before submitting your internal EOI.

Support for self-identifying candidates: Oxford encourages applications from underrepresented groups in engineering and will support candidates who belong to these groups with mentorship and guidance throughout the application process.

Equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) information

The RAEng Fellowship allows for flexibility in working arrangements, including part-time options (at a minimum of 50% of full-time equivalent). If you need to apply for a part-time fellowship, it must be stated clearly in the application.

The Department of Physics is committed to supporting applicants from all backgrounds. If you require any accommodations or support during the application process, please inform the Research Facilitation team (in confidence, if needed).

Oxford strongly encourages applications from individuals from underrepresented groups in engineering, including women, Black people and disabled people. For more information on support available, please visit our ED&I webpage.

For further assistance or inquiries, please contact the Research Facilitation Team at fellowships@physics.ox.ac.uk.