RD Lawrence Fellowship

RD Lawrence Fellowship

Funds students and early career scholars with mentoring support for RD Lawrence Fellowship in biotechnology and medical technology.

The RD Lawrence Fellowship is Diabetes UK's flagship postdoctoral award, providing up to £525,000 over four to five years to researchers seeking to establish an independent diabetes research career at a UK academic institute or NHS Trust. The fellowship is named after RD Lawrence, a founder of the British Diabetic Association, and is reserved for postdoctoral scientists with three to ten years of research experience who do not hold a permanent academic post — holding such a post is a hard disqualifier. Career interruptions are considered. A sponsor at the applicant's host institution must be identified before the application is submitted.

Eligible costs span researcher and technician salaries, consumables, equipment, animal research costs, conference attendance (capped at £2,500), and training relevant to the project (capped at £1,500). The 2026 cycle runs on a two-stage schedule: preliminary applications open 5 May 2026, the preliminary deadline falls on 1 October 2026, and full applications are due 2 November 2026. Final interviews are held in May–June of the following year. All applications undergo external peer review before being shortlisted by a specialist panel.

Assessment weighs proposal quality, the applicant's research track record, demonstrated leadership potential, and the quality of the host research environment. Fellows who win the award gain access to Academy of Medical Sciences mentoring and are eligible to apply for fast-track Global Talent Visa endorsement through Diabetes UK — both significant career benefits beyond the funding itself. The scheme is open to UK-based institutions only; for-profit organisations and solo individuals without an institutional host are ineligible.