Fellowship Support
| Frequency | once per term |
| Upcoming deadline | 25 September 2025, 5pm |
| Funding Amount | up to £30,000 |
| Funding Duration | up to 3 years |
This funding call is designed to contribute towards and support emerging needs of existing Early Career Fellowship awards held by researchers at the University. This includes Early Career Researchers who:
- Are applying for fellowship funding and need evidence of contributory funds
- Hold an offer of an externally funded, competitively awarded Early Career Fellowship that requires matching funds or falls short of the University’s basic salary or cannot cover a full-time position. For example, Royal Commission 1851 Fellowships
- Require an additional modest consumables budget which cannot be provided by the host institution
The INT supports the Leverhulme Trust’s Early Career Fellowship scheme under a dedicated programme – see Leverhulme Early Career Fellowships.
The named applicant should be a PI or independent researcher currently supervising the Fellow in question. In cases where this is not possible, the applicant should be the Head of institution.
Please note that the INT does not reconsider unsuccessful applications for the same project unless there has been a substantial material change in circumstances.
The INT strives to be as flexible as possible to ensure the success of your research project. Therefore, if your proposed project costs are not covered by this summary, please ask.
All applied for costs must be compliant with the existing Fellowship terms and conditions. Your department research grants team should be consulted if you are unsure of this.
Eligible Costs:
- Contribution to consumables where an external fellowship explicitly excludes such provision and cannot be provided by the host institution
- Salary support where the Early Career Fellowship does not cover the minimum PDRA salary at Grade 7 point 041. INT funds can be used to bring the salary up to this minimum. Applicants must be clear about the net salary they are receiving from the other funder and whether National Insurance or pension contributions are being made. The INT will consult with the host department about any contribution to these on-costs that might be appropriate
- Salary support, up to spine point 044, where the Early Career Fellowship does not cover a full-time position. If the Fellow is currently paid at a higher spine point, it is expected that any difference in salary is met using alternative funding
- The Early Career Fellow may work on a part-time or full-time basis. If they are working part-time, this cannot be used as justification to pay salary costs higher than spine point 044 or extend the project further than 3 years
Ineligible Costs:
- Funds already promised by the host institution as part of the application to the external funder
- Funds implicitly included in an institution’s acceptance of a College JRF. Trustees expect that the College will have assured themselves that the resources are available to allow the JRF to conduct their research in Cambridge
- Funds that must, under terms agreed by the University, be met by the Department
- Apprenticeship levy
- Bench fees
- ‘Buying out’ PI time or contributions to PI salary
- Conference Hosting
- Equipment purchases
- Overheads and indirect costs
- Publication and open access costs
- Relocation or Visa costs
- Studentships
- Visitors
Applications must be completed by established PIs from the University, with the assistance of your departmental Research Grants Administrator. Calculating staff costs in a Worktribe standalone budget is recommended.
Applications should be submitted using our online application form. This will be linked here in due course.
You will be asked to upload:
- The project academic case. This should be no longer than 4 sides of A4, including references. All text within your academic case should be no smaller than font size 11, Calibri, Aptos, or Arial. All A4 margins should be set at a minimum of 1 inch
- Information about the Fellowship and offer letter if already awarded. You should provide a copy in English of the terms of the Fellowship offered by the other institution, showing duration, net salary, and whether research funds, pension or insurance or any other benefits are paid
- A completed Financial Summary Table. Please use the temple provided here
- A copy of the applicant CV and the Fellow’s CV. CVs should be no longer than 4 pages
All decisions are made at Trustee meetings, which happen once a term on the dates given below. Please note that the INT will not consider applications made between the advertised funding rounds or by those from outside of the University of Cambridge.
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Michaelmas 2025 |
Lent 2026 |
Easter 2026 |
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Submission of draft applications to HoD/Faculty/School |
18 September 2025 |
02 January 2026 |
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Submission of draft applications to INT |
25 September 2025 |
09 January 2026 |
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Submission of final applications to INT |
09 October 2025 |
23 January 2026 |
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Trustees' Award Meeting |
20 November 2025 |
19 March 2026 |
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Outcome Announced |
27 November 2025 |
26 March 2026 |
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