Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851

Research Fellowships in Science or Engineering

2025 Terms and Conditions

Background
1. 1851 Research Fellowships are intended to give early career scientists or engineers of exceptional promise the
opportunity to conduct a research project of their own instigation; an ultimate objective is to contribute to the
knowledge base required for a healthy and innovative national culture. Around eight awards are made each year.
Candidates proposing projects in applied science and engineering are particularly encouraged to apply.

2. 1851 Brunel Fellowship

Since 2021 there has been a separate competition for researchers in the core subjects of Civil, Mechanical,
Electrical and Aeronautical Engineering submitting applications which address the primary infrastructure
needs of modern society: the buildings we live and work in, transportation of many forms and the machinery
and plant which supply our energy needs. Those interested in this award should see the Brunel Fellowship
Terms and Conditions and apply using the Brunel Fellowship application form. Pure and applied scientists,
as well as engineers of any discipline proposing research outside the constraints of the Brunel award, should
apply for consideration for a Science and Engineering Research Fellowship as set out below.

3. The awards are normally for a duration of up to three years, subject to annual review, but there are opportunities
to extend this on a pro rata basis to facilitate part time working where appropriate, subject to prior approval.

4. Fellowships are held from 1 October or such date in the year of award as agreed with the Fellow, with Fellows
being required to devote their whole time at work to their research project for the duration of the Fellowship. A
limited amount of time may be spent on teaching or lecturing with the written agreement of the Commission.

Eligibility

5. The Fellowships are open to candidates intending to conduct research in any of the physical or biological
sciences, in mathematics, in applied science, or in any branch of engineering. However, engineers proposing
research which addresses the primary infrastructure needs of modern society should apply for a Brunel
Fellowship as set out in paragraph 2 above; they may not submit a duplicate application for this Fellowship.
Repeat applications for the same project from previously unsuccessful applicants will not be accepted.

6. Candidates should hold a PhD or be in the final stages of their PhD studies, to be successfully completed before
the award of a Fellowship can be confirmed. Given that these are early career awards, those with more than three
years postdoc research experience (discounting career breaks) at the anticipated start date of October 2025 will
only be considered in exceptional circumstances. Where applicable, these should be explained in the form of a
personal letter addressed to The Secretary to accompany the submission.

7. A Fellowship will normally be held at a UK Institution approved by the Commissioners; the research should be
carried out at a different Institution from the one where the candidate’s PhD research was undertaken. In
exceptional circumstances the Commissioners may consider an application from a candidate not fulfilling the
above criteria; requests for such exemptions should be in the form of a personal letter addressed to The Secretary
to accompany the submission for consideration. The Commissioners’ decision, which is made after the closing
date for submissions, will be final. Furthermore, it is expected that the candidate does not apply to remain
at their current institution.

8. A Fellow may not be debarred from holding another award or receiving other contributions towards support, but
the Commissioners must be informed. They may, at their discretion, modify the value of the Fellowship or,
where the other award is substantial and made before the Fellowship commences, withdraw their offer if the
candidate decides to accept the alternative.

Status and benefits

There are two possible arrangements for taking on a Fellowship:

9. In the first, Fellows holding their Fellowship in the UK may, where it is mutually agreeable to the Fellow and
their host institution, become employed by that institution. In such cases the Commission will make a grant to the
host institution sufficient to cover full payroll cost (i.e. salary, employer’s national insurance, USS contribution,

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 apprenticeship levy) throughout the tenure of the Fellowship. All overhead costs are to be met by the host
institution. It is expected that Fellows will be appointed at a point on the postdoc pay scale appropriate to their
experience and (subject to satisfactory progress) will receive an annual increment equivalent to one spine point
plus any inflationary uplifts to the postdoc pay scale agreed by their host university. Host institutions will be
asked to confirm the anticipated full payroll cost of the Fellow at the start of each academic year so that the
Commission’s contribution can be calculated and will be required to provide a statement of account at the end of
the Fellowship and repay to the Commission any surplus contribution. The Commission’s contribution will be
payable quarterly in advance, to the host institution’s bank account. The host institution will be responsible for
complying with tax and national insurance obligations. If a Fellow withdraws from the Fellowship at any stage,
or ceases to be employed by the host institution, the Commission will be entitled to claw back any amounts paid
to the host institution that relate to periods after the date of withdrawal / last date of employment (and for these
purposes quarterly payments are to be interpreted as applying evenly to the quarter to which they relate).

10. In the second, Fellows have the status of self-employed visiting researchers at their host institution. Fellows
holding their Fellowship in the UK will receive a stipend equivalent to the grant that would be payable to the host
institution were the Fellow to hold the Fellowship on an employed basis as described above, with annual
increments and inflationary uplifts calculated as above (subject to satisfactory progress). The stipend payable to
Fellows holding their Fellowship overseas will be based on that which would be payable were they to hold the
Fellowship at an equivalent UK institution and will be fixed on a case by case basis. Stipends are reviewed
annually and will be payable quarterly in advance, directly to the Fellow’s bank account. Stipends and any other
assistance provided will be subject to taxation and Class II & IV National Insurance contributions (and / or such
local taxes as may be applicable where Fellows are based outside the UK). Fellows will be responsible for
ensuring they meet their tax and national insurance obligations. Fellows will also be responsible for any pension
provision they choose to make. If a Fellow withdraws from the Fellowship at any stage the Commission will be
entitled to claw back any amounts paid to the Fellow that relate to periods after the date of withdrawal (and for
these purposes quarterly payments are to be interpreted as applying evenly to the quarter to which they relate).

11. Applicants must indicate whether they wish to hold the Fellowship on the employed or self-employed basis on
the application form. Where applicants intend to hold the Fellowship as an employee of their host institution,
they must ensure that the host institution provides the institutional approval requested at paragraph 15 below as
part of the application process. Failure to do so will render the application invalid.

12. Fellows are in addition entitled to an expense allowance of £10,000 pa that can be put towards other costs
associated with their research, including (but not limited to) books, laptops, software, consumables and travel to
present at relevant conferences. Reimbursement for expenses incurred is typically claimed by the Fellow direct
from the Commission; alternative arrangements can be made on a case by case basis where expenses will be
incurred via the University. The Commission reserves the right to refuse reimbursement where expenses are not
related to the fellowship research project or are otherwise unreasonable.

13. Fellows are entitled to maternity, paternity, adoption and sick leave in line with the standard policies of their host
institution and the Fellowship will be automatically extended to account for these. The maximum extension
allowed is two years in aggregate after which the Fellowship will automatically terminate. Additional direct
payroll costs arising will be met by the Commission.

Requirements

14. The Head of Department of the Institution at which the Fellowship is to be held must furnish the Commission
with a letter of acceptance as a part of the application process. The letter will confirm that in the event of the
applicant being awarded a Fellowship:
he/she will be admitted into the Institution to pursue the proposed research project, that the Institution has in
place all resources, space, funding and equipment, to enable the success of the research project, that the
Institution approves of the proposed project, and that the Institution undertakes to inform the Commission of
any departures from the basis on which the Fellowship has been awarded. It will further explain why the
Institute chosen is a good fit for the candidate and the proposed research project.

15. Where a Fellow is to be appointed an employee of the host institution, the host institution must additionally
confirm its understanding that the Commission’s contribution is strictly limited in accordance with paragraph 9
above and that the host institution accepts responsibility for any balance of costs arising. The host institution
must also confirm that the Fellow will be admitted as a full time member and normal employee of the institution.
Such confirmations must be provided as part of the application process and must comply with the host
institution’s formal institutional approval process.

16. At the end of the first and second years of the Fellowship, Fellows are to report to the Commissioners on the
progress of their work, including comments from their supervisors. These reports will inform the Commission’s
decision on renewal of the Fellowship.

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17. At the end of the Fellowship, a Fellow shall provide a report of the progress made in their research.

18. The Commission lays no claim to intellectual property arising from the research conducted during the holding of
a Fellowship.

Application

19. Application is through website online submission https://1851awards.flexigrant.com

20. Each application must include two references; neither of these should be from the Institution at which the
Fellowship will be held, or from a collaborator involved in the proposed project, and it is expected that one will
be from the candidate’s PhD supervisor. Normally at least one will be from a UK institution. The application
will not be deemed complete until the references have been submitted using the secure online reference process.

21. Confidential login instructions are sent to referees by automatic email generated by the candidate during the
application process. Referees are asked to submit their references online before the closing date for the
application to be valid. References should be written in plain text and should not exceed 450 words. Referees
are particularly asked to comment on the candidate’s ability to undertake original research.

22. The letter from the Institution at which the Fellowship is to be held, which must cover the points detailed in 14
above in all cases and include the institutional approvals detailed in 15 above where the applicant intends to hold
the Fellowship as an employee of the host institution, should be uploaded as a PDF document in the online
submission process where indicated.

23. Great importance is attached to the ability to communicate clearly with the general public. The Summary
Statement will therefore merit particular attention. It should be written in terms that will be understood by a
reader with a science or engineering background, but one lying outside the immediate specialism, and should
provide an overview of the proposed research, of its objectives and of its originality.

24. The Details of the Proposed Research should be uploaded as a PDF document, approximately 750 words in
length and no more than 2 pages, including diagrams and literature references. In particular the outline should
emphasise the way in which the proposed project is different from previous research. It should explain the
research reasons for the selection of the Institution at which the Fellowship is to be held. It is the applicant’s
responsibility to ensure that the referees’ references and the acceptance certificate have been received / uploaded
before final submission, as the Commission will be unable to accept partially completed applications.
Completed applications must be submitted by 6 January 2025 by 12 noon GMT.

25. During the assessment process, and prior to the final selections, all candidates will be informed by e-mail whether
or not they have been shortlisted. References will be authenticated and appointments to the Fellowship will be
made during June 2025.

Data Protection

26. The 1851 Royal Commission is a data controller under the General Data Protection Regulation. The Commission
is registered with the UK Information Commissioner's Office with registration number Z8305954. The
Commission may collect and process personal data about you, your referees, your proposed supervisor and
members of the academic department at which you wish to hold your Fellowship as part of your Fellowship
application. Full details of the types of data collected, the ways in which the data are processed and the legal basis
for the processing are included in the Privacy Notice.

John Lavery Telephone: +44 (0)20 7594 8790

Secretary E-mail: royalcom1851@imperial.ac.uk
Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 Website: www.royalcommission1851.org
Sherfield Building
Imperial College
London SW7 2AZ