The Royal Academy of Engineering’s Green Future Fellowships are significant awards that offer up to £3 million over ten years to support the development of pioneering engineering innovations with the potential to deliver climate solutions with real-world impact.

The programme has a five year funding commitment of £150 million from the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to fund a total of 50 fellowships between 2024 and 2029, which will be awarded to scientists and entrepreneurs, from the UK and overseas, working on the development and scaling up of transformative engineering innovations while based at a UK-based university, research institute or company.

The novel technologies supported by the Green Future Fellowships will:

• Be practical and scalable.
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Help the UK adapt sustainably to the impacts of climate change.

Application is open to scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs at any career stage, with no restriction on age or nationality. Applicants are not required to have a PhD or come from an engineering background or discipline.

Innovations at all stages of development are eligible, from basic principle, to proof of concept, demonstration, and application. There is no restriction on the current Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the new technology. Fellowship projects must be centred around enabling and driving scalability of the proposed climate technology solution, and include a plan for how the technology solution will be brought into widespread use.

Awards must be held at a UK-based university, research institute or company. The funding model and maximum award will depend on the profit making status of the host institution.

Applicants based outside the UK are eligible to apply, provided they are able to relocate to the UK and identify a UK host organisation if their application is successful. International applicants who have exceptional potential and can demonstrate why their proposed project warrants consideration on an accelerated timeframe are able to apply via the Accelerated International Route (GFF AIR) to enable rapid relocation and impactful climate innovation in the UK.

The Royal Academy of Engineering will hold five annual application rounds for the Green Future Fellowships between 2024 and 2029.