The FLF scheme aims to help the next generation of researchers, tech entrepreneurs, business leaders and innovators get the support they need to develop their careers. The scheme is open to the best researchers and innovators from around the world, ensuring the UK continues to attract the most exceptional talent wherever they may come from.

These Fellowships support applicants from diverse career paths, including those returning from a career break or following time in other roles. We also encourage applications from those wishing to work part-time in order to combine the fellowship with personal responsibilities. The support offered will be long-term and flexible, with seven years of support available on a 4+3 model, with a review in year 4. The case for support should make clear the long-term aims of the programme, and why they matter – while providing more specific plans and costings for the first four years. 

Further information is available on the UKRI webpages.

Deadlines and timescales (round 9, 2024)

Round 9 has now been announced by UKRI with full applications due in June 2024. This round, the University of Oxford can only support 10 applicants to apply to the scheme across all subject areas. There is therefore an internal selection process at both the department level and a university wide selection process to select candidates.

The Department of Physics is running an internal selection process and applicants interested in applying through Oxford Physics should register their intent to submit an EOI by 12th February and submit their expression of interest (EOI) documents by 19th February. Full details of how to submit an EOI to the Physics selection process are below. Please email fellowships@physics.ox.ac.uk for a copy of the internal EOI form. 

Physics EOI process

Stage 1 (12th February 2024) – Register your intent to submit an EOI through Oxford physics. 

Please send an email to fellowships@physics.ox.ac.uk by 12th February to let us know you intend to submit an EOI to apply through Oxford Physics and so we can send you the EOI form. Please include the name of your Oxford Physics sponsor (an academic based in the department who supports your application). If you haven’t yet confirmed a sponsor, please include the sub-department you will apply under and potential sponsors (sub-departments include Astrophysics, Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics, Atomic and Laser Physics, Condensed Matter Physics, Particle Physics or Theoretical Physics). The purpose of this step is to gauge interest so that appropriate academic panels to review the applications can be put together. Applicants who do not register their intent to submit or do so after the 12th February will still be allowed to submit to stage 2. 

Stage 2 (19th February 2024) – Submission of EOI

Please complete the specific expression of interest form (please note this is different from our normal EOI documents as we are following the central university process) and send it to fellowships@physics.ox.ac.uk by 23.59pm Monday 19th February. Please cc in your Oxford Physics sponsor and include the sub-department you are applying through (this will typically be the sub-department your sponsor is based in, full list of sub-departments above in step 1). Part of the EOI form requires the completion of the Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI, also known as a narrative CV), Oxford has some excellent guidance (available to external candidates as well as internal) which we would encourage you to reference when completing this section – Oxford narrative CV guidance.  

If you have any issues connecting with a suitable Oxford Physics sponsor, please contact the research facilitation team on fellowships@physics.ox.ac.uk

Review process 

EOIs will be reviewed at initially the sub-department level and then by a full physics panel. EOIs will be reviewed in line with Research innovation and excellence, Impact and Strategic Relevance and Applicant and their Development sections of the assessment criteria from a previous FLF round (as round 9 assessment criteria is not yet available). Please note, a requirement of the FLF is the hosts’ “commitment to an open-ended UK-based independent research position to be taken up during or on completion of the fellowship (in line with organisational employment policies and practices)”. For applicants not already holding a position that meets the requirement, Oxford’s policy is to commit that a future open-ended position is expected to become available in the selected applicant’s research area during the course of the fellowship (7 years) as all positions are filled by open competition. As part of Physics’ internal selection, Head of Sub-departments will therefore be asked to confirm to the panel whether there is a planned open-ended position that it is expected in your area during the course of the fellowship, and this will inform the selection of physics candidates. 

Physics intends to select 2 candidates to move to the next stage of the process. Subsequent divisional and university wide selections are then in place to select the final 10 candidates to be supported to apply through Oxford. Further information about the central university process for selected physics candidates is available on the Research Services coordinated bids page.

Please note, the majority of UKRI research councils do not allow applicants to apply to multiple UKRI fellowship schemes at the same time. Please contact us on fellowships@physics.ox.ac.uk for advice if you are interested to apply and also have another fellowship application under consideration currently with UKRI (such as EPSRC, STFC, MRC, BBSRC etc). 

Guidance and useful info

The principal aim of this scheme is to provide funding at a crucial career stage for early career researchers and academics where a significant step-change is proposed/expected. Progress will be reviewed during year 4 of the award to determine whether a further three years of funding is offered.