Research Fund

Our Research Fund supports members with limited access to research funds to start new projects, particularly those working in less well-funded institutes, those in developing countries and early career researchers.

Please note that from this application round, we are introducing new processes for successful applicants to accept and receive grant funding. Please read the Guidance for Applicants document carefully to ensure you are prepared for the changes.

Important update to membership requirements: Please note that you must hold an eligible category of membership before you submit an application to the grant. Your application will not be considered if you do not hold an eligible Membership category when your submitted application is processed by staff.

Please see our FAQ's for more details. If you are unsure about your membership status, please contact membership@rsc.org.

Who can apply?

In order to be eligible, you must meet all of the following criteria:

You (and your co-applicant, if relavent) are an RSC member either an Associate Member (AMRSC), Member (MRSC) or Fellow (FRSC). Undergraduate Student Members (AFU) and Affiliate (AFF) are not eligible to apply.
You hold an independent research post (please see the Guidance for Applicants document for full details).
You must not be currently holding another active Research Fund grant.
Current Researcher Collaborations Grant holders may not apply for a Research Fund to support the same project. If, as a Researcher Collaborations Grant holder, you apply to the Research Fund for a different project, reviewers will consider the application in the context of your current Researcher Collaborations Grant.
Applications are limited to one per department and require support from your Head of Department.

Please ensure you read our Guidance for Applicants fully before you begin your application. Our Frequently Asked Questions document also provides further details about eligibility and the application process.

You can download an example application form here for your information. Please note that this is provided for information only and the real application form is subject to differ.

If an unsuccessful applicant from the previous round wishes to apply again, their new application should be substantially different than the previous.

What can I request funding for?

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The scheme provides up to £5000 of funding for 12 months, covering:

Chemicals and/or equipment
Consumables
Licences for specialist software required for the project
Equipment repairs not covered by University funds
Equipment access, for example at a synchrotron facility

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Travel costs
Salary contributions
Departmental overheads (including office equipment)
Costs for the dissemination of the work (including conference attendance and publication costs)
Funding also should not replace or reduce institutional or funding agency support.

Application timelines

Please note for fairness and transparency to all applicants, we must apply our rules consistently. This means that we do not allow late applications. You are welcome to apply in the next application round providing you meet all
eligibility criteria of that round.

Round 1 2025

Applications open	2 June 2025
Application close	7 July 2025 1400 UK time (BST)
Initial eligibility decisions	Week commencing 21 July 2025
Funding decisions	Late September 2025

Round 2 2025

Applications open	27 October 2025
Application close	1 December 2025 1400 UK time (GMT)
Initial eligibility decisions	Week commencing 15 December 2025
Funding decisions	Early March 2026

Assessment criteria

All applications will be checked by RSC staff. Your application will not proceed to peer review if:

You do not meet our eligibility criteria (see above).
Your application is incomplete.
Your application does not adhere to length limits instructed in the application system.
Your funding request exceeds the £5000 limit.

All remaining applications will undergo peer review by members of our Researcher Grants Peer Review Group and final funding decisions will then be overseen by:

Professor Andy Cammidge, University of East Anglia
Dr Sarah Horswell, University of Birmingham
Professor Gavin Miller, Keele University
Dr Veronica Sofianos, University College Dublin

Our reviewers will assess applications on:

Quality of science	Reviewers will assess novelty and scientific impact of the proposed project.
Feasibility of proposal	Your proposal must be clearly written and costed, and must be feasible to complete in a 12 month timeframe.
Situation of the applicant	We will prioritise those with limited access to research funding or a short-term gap in funding which is impacting a specific project.
Impact of the funding	Reviewers will assess how completion of your project will benefit your career. Examples include promotion/new position prospects or chances for further funding.