ECR Visiting Fellowships

Applicants must be within seven years of setting up their first lab/research group and be working in the field of experimental biology relating to animal comparative physiology or biomechanics.

Each application will be evaluated on the excellence of the candidate as well as the aims and approach of the proposed research project, the applicant’s track record, benefits to the applicant and ECR, and alignment of the research project to the core remit of Journal of Experimental Biology.

Please review the applicant handbook and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) before completing and submitting your application.

Note: We are unable to pay awards to recipients in jurisdictions, countries or regions of the world subject to sanctions, embargoes or other political trade restrictions put in place by the United Nations, the EU or the UK.

General guidelines:

• Applications will be considered only from junior faculty staff members (e.g. Lecturer, Assistant Professor, Group Leader, Principal Research Investigator) within seven years (excluding any career breaks) of their first faculty position.
• Applicants must be working in the field of experimental biology relating to animal comparative physiology or biomechanics.
• Grants do not cover research costs — applicants must already have secured funding for their research project.
• Grants do not support attendance at scientific meetings, conferences or training courses.
• Grants will not be awarded to applicants with an existing collaboration with the ECR to be invited.
• ECR Visiting Fellowships can be awarded once only to an applicant.
• Applicants cannot apply for both an ECR Visiting Fellowship and a Research Partnership Kickstart Travel Grant within a 12-month period.
• If an application is unsuccessful, the applicant cannot reapply within 12 months (i.e. they may not reapply in the following funding round).
• The date of travel of the ECR must occur within six months of funding being awarded.
• The visiting ECR should have significant intellectual input into the project and play a fundamental role in data acquisition, analyses and manuscript preparation.
• Applications will not be considered retrospectively.

Guidelines for completing the application:

• The application form and all supporting documents must be completed in English, and letters of support must be on institutional headed paper and signed.
• The total amount requested should not exceed £3,000.
• Expenses include travel, accommodation, subsistence and visa fees. Travel insurance costs should not be included in the expenses.
• Please upload the following documents to your application:
  • letter of employment status and support from your Head of Department/School
  • statement/evidence of research funding from your Head of Department/School
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • publication list
• It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that they meet the criteria required for the grant.

Terms and conditions for successful applicants:

• If your application is successful, you will be required to sign our ECR Visiting Fellowship Agreement.
• The start date of the ECR visit must occur within six months of funding being awarded.
• If for any reason the visit is delayed beyond six months of the award, you must seek permission to extend the funding.
• If you are unable to recruit an ECR or the visit is cancelled, the funds allocated will need to be returned, in full.
• Any unspent funds must be returned within one month of the end of the visit.
• You must keep all receipts related to the ECR’s visit. These must be scanned and uploaded via the online application portal within one month of the end of your visit.
• You must provide at least two bright, clear photographs and a 300–500-word summary of the outcomes of the ECRs visit within three months of completion of the visit.
• Funds can only be used to support the ECR visit specified in your application. You must seek agreement from us if any details change after your application has been submitted.

Deadline dates for applications and applicant handbook

2026

• 5 June 2026 (for travel after 6 July 2026)
• 27 November 2026 (for travel after 4 January 2027)

Please submit your application in plenty of time as it can take up to four weeks from the deadline date to reach a decision.

Applicant handbook

Our applicant handbook provides further useful information on the application process.