STFC Return to Research Bursary

Overview

If you are a researcher looking to return to an academic research career after a break of two or more years, this bursary can help you to develop a proposal suitable for submission to the STFC fellowship scheme.

To be eligible to apply, you must have a PhD in an area that falls within the remit of the STFC core science programme:

• accelerator physics
• astronomy
• solar and planetary science
• particle physics
• particle astrophysics
• cosmology
• nuclear physics

This area should also be the focus of your application.

You can apply for the bursary if you are a researcher who has taken a career break because of caring responsibilities, long-term illness or time spent working in a non-research role.

We would normally expect you to have a career break of at least two years, but if you have had a shorter break and do not have a right to return to your previous employer you may still be eligible to apply.

We calculate your absence from research from the start of your career break to when the next round of fellowship funding is scheduled to start. This is usually in September each year.

You can apply for funding of up to £2,500 to cover the costs of activities that will help you prepare a proposal for STFC fellowship funding, such as:

• literature reviews
• familiarisation with equipment and techniques
• attendance at meetings and seminars

You may also use it to help cover the costs of preparing an application for funding, provided that you are the named research on the proposal.