Funding Resources

As an academic, I've spent an inordinate amount of time searching for funding. I've taken these notes for my own funding searches and am just publicly posting them here:

(last updated May 2026)

Postdoctoral funding:

International: 

Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions fellowship (link) - general research excellence

• eligibility: less than eight years of post-PhD research and cannot have resided in the proposed country for more than 12 of the last 36 months 

• timeline: opens in April, deadline early September, announcement early Feb

Human Frontiers Science Program (link) - transformative, interdisciplinary research in life sciences (novel approaches addressing a barrier to progress)

• eligibility: final fellowship proposal deadline must not be more than three years following submission of PhD

• benefits: three years of funding for living allowance and research funding

• timeline: letter of intent due early May, full proposals invited in August, full proposals due mid September

Branco-Weiss Society in Science (link) - for research outside the mainstream that could not be funded by other organizations

• eligibility: fellowship proposal deadline must not be >5 years following the submission of PhD and cannot have already held a faculty equivalent position 

• benefits: five years of funding (600k CHF total) that does not expire if the fellow accepts a tenure track position

• timeline: opens in October, due in mid January

Schmidt Science Fellowship (link) - interdisciplinary natural science from trailblazers

• eligibility: receiving PhD between the current May and following June (i.e., applying in final year of PhD study)

• benefits: two years of funding (110k USD per year), can move internationally

• timeline: nomination by PhD institution mid May, full application mid July, selection by March

United Kingdom:

Royal Society University Research Fellowship (link)

• eligibility: 3-8 years following PhD defense and cannot have already held a permanent position

• timeline: call opens mid July, closes early September, and decision comes at the end of May

Royal Academy of Engineering

• eligibility: 

• benefits: 

• timeline: 

1851 Foundation (link)

• eligibility: up to 3 years following PhD defense

• benefits: three years of funding

• requirements: two letters of rec (one must be from PhD supervisor, one must be from a UK source, none can be from host university). Need a support letter from the host head of department who will be required to rank candidates if there are multiple

• timeline: opens in October

UKRI Future Leaders (link)

• university must transition recipient into a full-time position at the end. some universities (e.g., Cambridge) will thus only support applications from those already with full-time positions

• timeline: opens start of Feb, closes mid June

Leverhulme Trust

Wellcome Trust

Other

JSPS

• eligibility: 

• benefits: 

• timeline: 

Burroughs Welcome Fund Career Awards at the Scientific Interface (link) - for engineers looking to transition into biological sciences research

• eligibility: 

• benefits: 

• timeline: letter of intent due start of September, full proposal invited mid November and due mid January, interviews mid April, notifications in June

Doctoral funding (USA):

NSF GRFP

NDSEG

NSTRF

Gates Millenium Foundation