RD Lawrence Fellowship

The RD Lawrence Fellowship is Diabetes UK’s main route for postdoctoral researchers who are ready to establish independence in diabetes research. It sits under the charity’s research funding portfolio as a named fellowship, and it is designed for applicants with several years of postdoctoral experience who are no longer best served by short project funding. The fellowship can provide up to £525,000 over four to five years. It can support researcher and technician salaries, consumables, equipment, animal research costs, and conference or training expenses, while applicants must identify a sponsor at their institution and cannot already hold a permanent academic post. The award is run on a two-stage annual timetable, with an initial screening step before the full application and interview stage. This route is aimed at researchers who can show clear momentum toward independence, a credible host environment, and a strong diabetes-focused programme that needs time to mature. The fellowship’s added benefits, including Academy of Medical Sciences mentoring and fast-track Global Talent Visa endorsement, make it particularly useful for candidates building a long-term academic base in the UK. Applicants who can present a focused research plan and a believable path to leadership are the ones most likely to fit its shape.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.