Department Assessment Process (DAP)

A fellowship is a serious commitment by the Department and candidates must show originality, depth and long-term vision in their proposal, which should align with the Department’s strategic research areas. Every fellowship scheme has different deadlines, some of which involve the central Research Office as well as the Department. All shortlisted candidates are interviewed by a Department panel including the Head of Department and Director of Research several weeks before the funder deadline to allow for proposal revision. Successful applications typically take several months to prepare. 

The application form for the Imperial College Research Fellowship (link) gives a good general idea of the type of questions asked by funders, and the amount of detail required in terms of research plan, budget and impact.

Instructions for applicants:

Step One

 Check the eligibility criteria of the scheme which interests you- particularly the date which you obtained your PhD. If in doubt about your eligibility, please contact the funder.

Step Two

 Make contact with an academic in the Department outlining your fellowship plans and secure their support as host. We cannot review proposals without this support.

Step Three

 It is highly recommended that applicants submit an early draft of their proposal to the Research Proposal Advisor Board (RPAB), to obtain independent feedback on the proposed research, ahead of official submission to Department for consideration. RPAB will aim to turn feedback around in 15 working days.

Step Four

Following feedback from RPAB, submit the full ICRF form to DOR general email and/or Nina Hancock. This form is used for all schemes at the initial Department review stage unless otherwise specified*.

*RAEng requires a specific form from March 2026