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Fellowships and Grants

At Leeds, we offer support for all staff developing or supporting research fellowship and grant applications.

If you are considering developing an application, OD&PL has a range of self-guided resources as well as workshops for you to attend. We also partner with the Research and Innovation Service (RIS) to support researchers and can provide feedback on sections of your application.

New for 2024: OD&PL now offers regular drop-ins for those working on their narrative CV. Find the next session on our Careers Boost webpage (open to Leeds students and staff only).

 

Before you apply

Before you begin an application, check out our self-help guides, to ensure that you’re picking the right path for you.

Is it a Fellowship or a standard Research Grant?

Fellowships and Grants may seem similar at first, but they have several differences. Check out our self-help guide, which explains the main differences between them.

Are you ready for a Fellowship?

Are you ready to take the next steps towards becoming an independent researcher? These resources can help you decide if you are at the right stage in your career and most importantly, if you will be considered competitive when judged by external peer review, before you submit to the University’s internal selection process.

Developing your application

Your application is about more than just presenting an exciting research idea.

You may need to include:

  • Track Record or Resume for Researchers
  • Development for your team, particularly if you want to employ postdoctoral researchers
  • Examples of how you are contributing to a positive, inclusive Research Culture
  • How you will plan and deliver your research impact
  • (For fellowships) Justification for why it is important for your career
  • Explanation for why Leeds is the right place for you

We have a range of guides and resources to help you to consider these areas as you write your proposal. There are also drop-in Q&A sessions throughout the year.

Writing about you and your development

All grants will require you to write about your track record - and with Fellowships, you'll also be expected to talk about your professional development, too.

Track records and narrative CVs

You, the applicant

Research culture and the role of the research leader

What does development look like?

Writing and implementing a Fellowship career development plan

Including the Concordat in your application

Developing a robust research proposal

Once you’ve come up with an exciting research idea, it’s time to start writing! Developing a strong research proposal takes time. It requires you to have a good understanding of concepts such as impact and integrity, as well as the ability to communicate your work to a wide range of audiences.

Check out the resources below, aimed at helping you develop a robust, innovative proposal which will get reviewers excited about your work.

Writing your proposal

Writing about impact

Research integrity and ethics

Embedding Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in your proposal

Including a positive research culture in your proposal

Support from the Research and Innovation Service (RIS)

Researcher@Library

Researcher@Library helps researchers with open access, research data management, literature searching and increasing citations.

Preparing for Interviews

Particularly in the case of Fellowships, the next stage of the process involves an interview. We’ve compiled a range of resources based on information from people interviewing and being interviewed. You can also arrange a mock fellowship interview through the Research and Innovation Service.

What support do we offer at Leeds?

If you’re interested in developing an application, you should first speak to your School to understand any internal selection processes.

Once you’ve been selected by your School for a particular scheme, OD&PL can provide support in partnership with RIS for all aspects of your proposal including track records/Résumé for Researchers, CVs, impact, and development.

For a more detailed overview of RIS’ support, see their webpages.