APEX Awards

Aims

In partnership with the British Academy, the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering ("the Academies") and supported generously by the Leverhulme Trust, the APEX Awards (Academies Partnership in Supporting Excellence in Cross-disciplinary research) offer established independent researchers, with a strong track record in their respective area and proven ability to lead collaborative work , an exciting opportunity to pursue genuine interdisciplinary and curiosity-driven research to benefit wider society. Successful applicants will be expected to work in collaboration with relevant researchers from other disciplines.

The objectives of this scheme are to:

• promote collaboration across disciplines, with a particular emphasis on the boundary between science, engineering, and the social sciences and humanities
• support outstanding interdisciplinary research which is unlikely to be supported through conventional funding programmes
• support researchers with an outstanding track record in developing their research in a new direction through collaboration with partners from other disciplines
• enable outstanding researchers to focus on advancing their innovative research through seed funding

Subjects Covered

Applications must be within the remit of more than one of the Academies. Applications that span the remit of The British Academy and The Royal Academy of Engineering are encouraged.

The British Academy Remit – In any discipline within the social sciences and humanities - in some cases, creative and professional practice may play a significant role in shaping the methods and/or outcomes of research. In all proposals, whether practice-led or not, a clear scholarly rationale is required for the choice of research methods, processes and outputs. For a full list, please the British Academy’s subject sections page.

The Royal Academy of Engineering Remit – Applications are welcome from any engineering discipline. Engineering is defined in its broadest sense, encompassing a wide range of diverse fields, including computer science and materials.

The Royal Society Remit – Natural sciences (including agriculture, mathematics, technology, computer science, materials, medical, environmental and engineering sciences, but excluding clinical medicine). For a full list, please see the Royal Society's guidance page. Submissions from clinically qualified scientists may be considered. The Society does not support clinical or interventional research on humans at the individual or group level.

Applicant Eligibility

The scheme is open to applicants of all nationalities. Applicants must be exceptional researchers with excellent track records as established independent researchers (this can include engineering researchers, humanities and social sciences scholars and scientists).

Applicants will be expected to collaborate with a research partner (co-applicant) from a different discipline to their own, based at the same institution or a different university in the UK. All applications must be supported by the applicant’s Head of Department, who will be asked to provide assurance that the researcher will be permitted to use the institution’s facilities during the period of the award and can be released/partially released from teaching duties (if required).

Applications must be within the remit of more than one of the Academies. For example, applications that span the remit of The British Academy and The Royal Academy of Engineering are encouraged but applications which are within the remit of just one Academy will not be permitted.

Applicants may only submit one application per round.

Please see the Scheme Guidance Notes and FAQs for further guidance. Enquiries about eligibility can be made to [email protected].

Value and duration

Awards are expected to commence between 1 October and 31 December 2025 and can be held for up to 24 months. Support is up to £200,000 to fund staff costs for the lead applicant and the co-applicant, and associated research costs representing no more than 25 per cent of the total award value. These can include consumables, equipment, and collaborative travel.

‘Staff Costs’ can now include funds to support research assistants, undergraduate/Master’s students and PhD students in addition to teaching replacement.

Successful applicants will also have the opportunity to separately apply for up to £10,000 to create and lead public engagement projects linked to their APEX Award.

Application process

Applications should be submitted through the Royal Society’s grant management system, Flexi-Grant®, by 3:00pm on Wednesday 27 November 2024.

Your application will go through the assessment process detailed in the APEX Awards scheme guidance.

You will be notified of the result of the application process in late May 2025.

We are committed to supporting applicants with disabilities. If you require a reasonable adjustment during the application process, please contact the team via [email protected] or phone +44 20 7451 2666.

APEX Awards 2024 pre-application webinar