UKRI Future Leader Fellowships
This page contains information on the mandatory demand management process for the UKRI Future Leader Fellowships (FLF).
Application limit
The University of Liverpool is limited to submitting six applications to UKRI for this scheme, with an additional one application for a clinical fellowship. Due to this, a mandatory internal demand management process is in place. All applicants must follow the following guidance.
Internal candidates can read more about our demand management policies on the institutional Peer Review College intranet pages.
Applicant eligibility
Applicants must be early career researchers who are either transitioning to establishing independence. There are no eligibility rules based on whether you currently hold a permanent or open-ended position or job role.
To qualify as a Clinical FLF applicants must:
- Be a registered healthcare professional
- Intend to be clinically active
- Have completed a PhD or equivalent
- Align to the MRC’s core remit of biomedical discovery and early translation to improve human health.
About the scheme
UKRI are looking to fund fellowships of up to seven years (4+3) to support talented early career researchers and innovators who are transitioning to/establishing independence.
The FLF scheme supports ambitious research or innovation programmes across UKRI’s remit and aims to:
- Develop, retain, attract and sustain research and innovation talent in the UK
- Foster new research and innovation career paths including those at the academic, business and interdisciplinary boundaries, and facilitate movement of people between sectors
- Provide sustained funding and resources for the best early career researchers and innovators
- Provide long-term, flexible funding to tackle difficult and novel challenges, and support adventurous, ambitious programmes.
Applicants must be early career researchers/innovators who are:
- Looking to establish or transition to independence
- Developing their own original and ambitious plans within a commercial setting.
Award value
There is no minimum or maximum award value (UKRI will pay 80% FEC). Successful applicants are expected to be supported with an open-ended position in line with organisational employment policies and practices, after the funded period of the fellowship.
Why Liverpool?
Drawing on our distinctive strengths, deep-rooted innovation and a culture of discovery, we undertake world-class research that delivers scientific breakthroughs addressing the most complex societal challenges of today and tomorrow.
Explore our research activity and contact the relevant Head of Department to host your FLF.
You can also read about some of our most recently appointed Future Leader Fellows.
Internal demand management schedule
| Key dates | Activity |
|---|---|
| Monday 2 February 2026 | UKRI full call announcement date |
| Monday 23 February, 4pm (GMT) |
Internal ‘Intention to Submit’ deadline (compulsory) Applicants to complete and submit an online UKRI FLF Round 11 Intention to Submit form (Microsoft Form). The form includes questions about project details, applicant eligibility and diversity monitoring. There is a short self-assessment exercise to help applicants determine their suitability for the scheme. You can view the exercise here. We encourage applicants to use this to help frame discussions for departmental support. Please note – this stage will not be assessed; the institutional Peer Review College team will use project information to invite suitable reviewers in advance of receiving your application form |
| Before internal application deadline (9 March) | Applicants must discuss their proposal with the Head of their chosen host department to ensure that the proposed research project is strategically aligned and that support will be available. |
| Monday 9 March, 4pm (GMT) |
Internal application deadline (compulsory) 1. Applicants to submit the following to peerrev@liverpool.ac.uk: UKRI FLF R11 Internal application form. For more details on what to include in each section, see the UKRI applicant guidance for round 11. 2. Host Heads of Department to submit HoD Support Statement via MS forms to confirm that the department is in support of the candidate’s application by this deadline. A guidance document for HoDs is available on our intranet pages. Please note - it is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the head of their proposed host department submits confirmation by the deadline. We therefore suggest that applicants meet with their Head of Department well in advance of the deadline to ensure ample time is given for submission of the form. |
| Tuesday 10 March – Friday 24 April |
Mandatory demand management and candidate selection processes. The internal application assessment criteria will be based on the UKRI criteria found within the ‘How to Apply’ section of the funding guidelines, which are based on:
In addition, reviewers will be asked to assess the fit to the overall scope of the call. |
| From w/c 27 April | Applicants receive outcome and feedback |
Tailored support by members of the Research & Partnerships team will be provided to the applicants selected by the Demand Management panel.
University staff can access further details, including a webinar recording from round 10 with current University of Liverpool FLFs and recent UKRI panel members on the institutional Peer Review College pages. If you are an external applicant and would like access to the webinar slides, please contact peerrev@liverpool.ac.uk.
For more general queries relating to the Future Leaders Fellowships funding opportunity (e.g. eligibility), you can contact a member of the Research and Partnerships team at ukriflf@liverpool.ac.uk.
Applicants selected by the University demand management panel will need to meet UKRI’s deadline for the submission of full applications on 16 June 2026.