The Royal Society International Collaboration Awards 2027 offer up to £300,000 over three years for eligible UK-based researchers developing scientific partnerships with researchers in Brazil or South Africa. Funded through the International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF), the programme supports newly independent research leaders building their own research groups. Projects must fall within the Royal Society’s natural sciences remit and meet the UK’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) requirements. Applications opened on 13 October 2026 and close on 3 December 2026 at 15:00 UK time.
One important eligibility condition: this is a collaborative research grant, not an individual fellowship. Applicants need an eligible UK-based lead researcher, a qualifying partner in Brazil or South Africa, and a jointly developed research proposal.
Royal Society International Collaboration Awards 2027: Quick Overview
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Programme | ISPF International Collaboration Awards 2027 |
| Funding organisation | The Royal Society |
| Funding source | International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF) |
| Maximum grant | £300,000 (£100,000 per year) |
| Duration | 3 years |
| Eligible partnerships | UK–Brazil or UK–South Africa |
| Career stage | Newly independent researchers |
| Research fields | Natural sciences, including engineering and biomedical sciences |
| Expected awards | Approximately 10 |
| Applications opened | 13 October 2026 |
| Application deadline | 3 December 2026, 15:00 UK time |
| Expected decisions | May 2027 |
| Expected start | November–December 2027 |
| Application platform | Royal Society Flexi-Grant |
What Are the Royal Society International Collaboration Awards?
The International Collaboration Awards support researchers who have recently established independent academic careers and are developing their own research groups.
For the 2027 round, the Royal Society is inviting joint applications involving one UK-based lead researcher and one eligible research partner based in Brazil or South Africa.
The programme aims to help researchers establish long-term scientific partnerships while developing their ability to lead international research projects.
Unlike grants that primarily support short research visits, these awards fund collaborative research programmes lasting three years.
The participating teams are expected to share scientific expertise, research facilities, technical knowledge and professional development opportunities.
Eligible research areas
The 2027 Brazil and South Africa call focuses on five development priorities:
- Health
- Energy
- Climate
- Food
- Nature and environment
Projects must also fall within the Royal Society’s natural sciences remit, which includes biological sciences, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, physics and relevant biomedical research.
For example, eligible research could investigate renewable energy technologies, climate-resilient agriculture, environmental monitoring or scientific approaches to improving public health.
These are illustrative topics rather than a list of automatically approved projects. Each proposal must demonstrate scientific merit and satisfy the programme’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) requirements.
For researchers seeking an individual career-development award rather than a bilateral collaboration grant, the Royal Society Career Development Fellowship 2027 is another Royal Society funding route, although it has distinct and restrictive eligibility conditions.
Funding and Benefits: What Does the £300,000 Grant Cover?
Successful applicants can receive up to £300,000 over three years, with a maximum of £100,000 per year.
Funding can support:
- Research materials, consumables and other eligible project expenses.
- Travel and subsistence for researchers participating in collaborative activities.
- Contributions towards research assistance and other eligible research staff costs.
- Technical and non-technical training.
- Research equipment, subject to programme restrictions.
- Research capacity strengthening and knowledge exchange activities.
The scheme notes specify a maximum equipment cost of £25,000 per item.
The overseas organisation may also request an additional contribution towards overheads of up to 20% of its eligible direct costs, subject to the scheme’s funding rules.
An important limitation is that the grant does not fund the salaries of the UK or overseas principal investigators. Both lead researchers must therefore have appropriate independent academic appointments or fellowships covering the award period.
Applicants should develop their budgets jointly with their institutions’ research or finance offices and consult the official funding guidance before assigning costs.
Researchers exploring other international research partnerships can also review the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership Call 2026, which supports eligible multinational projects in marine science, sustainability and innovation.
Who Is Eligible for the Royal Society International Collaboration Awards 2027?
The scheme is designed for researchers who have moved beyond supervised postdoctoral research and are establishing independent research careers.
Both the UK and overseas lead applicants must meet the programme’s eligibility requirements.
1. Independent research status
Applicants must be newly independent researchers building their own research groups.
As a guide, the Royal Society typically expects applicants to have:
- Between three and eight years of active research experience after completing their PhD; or
- No more than five years of an independent research career.
These are indicative career-stage expectations, not absolute age limits. The Royal Society considers eligible career interruptions, including parental leave, caring responsibilities, extended illness and time outside research.
2. Eligible employment and institutions
The UK lead researcher must be based at an eligible UK institution, while the overseas lead must be based at an eligible institution in Brazil or South Africa.
Both must hold a permanent or fixed-term independent academic research position, or a named independent research fellowship, for the grant’s duration.
Applicants should also have access to their own laboratory or research space and the ability to recruit research staff or students.
3. Can postdoctoral researchers apply?
Researchers employed in conventional postdoctoral positions under another principal investigator are not eligible to apply as lead applicants.
Similarly, researchers whose salaries are funded through grants led by someone else do not meet the independence requirement.
However, postdoctoral researchers and postgraduate students can participate as members of an eligible research team.
This distinction is particularly important for early-career researchers who have strong publication records but have not yet secured independent appointments.
Researchers specifically interested in conducting research in Brazil may also explore the TWAS-FAPESP Postdoctoral Fellowship 2027, which follows a different host-supervisor and funding structure.
4. Research partnership requirements
The application must involve a genuine collaboration between the UK researcher and the overseas researcher.
Both lead applicants must contribute to developing the proposal, planning research activities and establishing the partnership’s objectives.
Previous collaboration is not compulsory. The application form explicitly allows applicants to explain how a new partnership was established.
Each applicant may submit only one application to this call and may hold only one active ISPF International Collaboration Award.
The ODA Requirement: Why It Matters for Applicants
The 2027 round for Brazil and South Africa is funded through Official Development Assistance.
This means the research must directly and primarily address development challenges affecting eligible developing countries.
A scientifically strong project will not qualify simply because it involves a university in Brazil or South Africa.
Applicants must explain how the proposed research will contribute to economic development and welfare, identify the intended beneficiaries and describe how the findings could produce meaningful development outcomes.
For instance, a renewable energy project focused on improving reliable electricity access for underserved communities could demonstrate a clearer development objective than a project focused solely on advancing a technology without identifying its intended beneficiaries.
The Royal Society assesses ODA compliance as an essential eligibility condition.
Applicants must also provide a Gender Equality Statement demonstrating meaningful and proportionate consideration of gender inequalities. Failure to meet the minimum standard makes an application ineligible for funding.
Researchers building independent research programmes in Europe may also compare the ERC Consolidator Grant 2027, which supports eligible principal investigators through a different funding and host-institution framework.
Careers Help Desk Counter Angle: A Strong Research Proposal Alone Is Not Enough
One of the most important details in the 2027 scheme notes is that research capacity strengthening is considered equally important to the scientific research objective.
This changes how applicants should approach their proposals.
A conventional research grant might concentrate on scientific novelty, experimental methods, publications and expected findings. For these awards, applicants must also explain how the collaboration will strengthen the capabilities of researchers and their institutions, particularly in the developing-country partner institution.
For example, a UK–South Africa research project could combine scientific experiments with technical training, shared research methods, improved laboratory capabilities and opportunities for early-career researchers to gain independent project-management experience.
However, simply adding a training workshop to the budget is unlikely to demonstrate a well-developed capacity-strengthening strategy.
The Royal Society expects applicants to identify capacity gaps, explain how proposed activities address those needs and demonstrate how the benefits can continue beyond the grant period.
Equitable partnerships are another explicit assessment consideration. Both institutions should have meaningful roles in project design, decision-making, research delivery and the sharing of outcomes.
Our recommendation: Before drafting the full proposal, both research teams should agree on the development problem, intended beneficiaries, research responsibilities, institutional capacity needs and distribution of resources.
These decisions should shape the project itself rather than being added later to satisfy application questions.
For research teams working on ambitious computing and information science projects, the NSF Expeditions in Computing 2026–2027 offers a separate large-scale funding opportunity led by eligible US institutions.
How Competitive Are the International Collaboration Awards?
The Royal Society publishes the following historical application and award figures:
| Financial year | Eligible applications | Awards offered | Success rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 63 | 19 | 30.2% |
| 2024/25 | 262 | 27 | 10.3% |
| 2025/26 | 240 | 20 | 8.3% |
The success rate fell to 8.3% in 2025/26.
These figures cover previous programme rounds and should not be treated as a forecast for the 2027 Brazil and South Africa call.
With approximately 10 awards anticipated, applicants should pay close attention to the published assessment criteria, including scientific originality, research leadership, feasibility, development relevance and partnership quality.
Required Documents for the 2027 Application
Applicants must prepare a joint research proposal and provide supporting information through Flexi-Grant.
The main requirements include:
- Research proposal, entered into the application form (maximum 1,500 words) or uploaded as a PDF (maximum three A4 pages).
- Career summaries, research experience and publication records for both lead applicants.
- Supporting statements from the Heads of Department at both institutions.
- Research budget and justification of requested funding.
- ODA compliance statement explaining the development relevance of the project.
- Gender Equality Statement.
- Research capacity strengthening and equitable partnership plans.
- Data management and sharing information.
Additional documentation may be required for projects involving fieldwork, animal research or human participants and tissue.
Applicants should read the official scheme notes carefully because individual sections have specific word limits and formatting requirements.
Postdoctoral researchers who are not yet leading independent research groups may find the Branco Weiss Fellowship 2027 and TIES2 Fellowship Finland 2027 relevant, as it supports eligible researchers pursuing independent projects at academic host institutions worldwide.
How to Apply for the Royal Society International Collaboration Awards 2027
Applications must be submitted online through the Royal Society’s Flexi-Grant system.
Step 1: Confirm eligibility. Both researchers should check their independent research status, institutional eligibility and project relevance.
Scheme notes – ISPF International Collaboration Awards (Brazil and South Africa)
Step 2: Develop the joint proposal. Agree on research objectives, responsibilities, development outcomes and capacity strengthening activities.
Step 3: Register on Flexi-Grant. The UK lead applicant starts the application and invites the overseas lead researcher to participate.
Apply for this scheme through Royal Society Flexi-Grant®
Step 4: Complete the application. Both applicants contribute their career information, research proposal, budget and required statements.
Step 5: Request departmental support. Invite both Heads of Department to submit their supporting statements through Flexi-Grant.
Step 6: Obtain institutional approval. The UK host organisation’s authorised approver must approve the application before the deadline.
The Royal Society recommends that supporting participants complete their contributions at least five working days before the closing date.
This matters because applicants cannot complete the submission process until all mandatory participants have submitted their sections and the UK host organisation has approved the application.
Ready to Apply for The Royal Society Grants
The Royal Society International Collaboration Awards 2027 provide up to £300,000 for eligible UK–Brazil and UK–South Africa research partnerships. Researchers considering this opportunity should confirm their independent academic status, establish an eligible international partnership and develop a proposal that demonstrates scientific merit, equitable collaboration and direct development benefits. Applications close on 3 December 2026 at 15:00 UK time.
Official application and programme information: Royal Society ISPF International Collaboration Awards 2027
For programme-specific questions, contact the Royal Society Grants team at collaboration.awards@royalsociety.org.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can researchers from countries other than Brazil and South Africa apply?
The current round supports UK partnerships with researchers based in Brazil or South Africa. Researchers based in other overseas countries are not eligible as overseas lead applicants under this call.
Can researchers from Brazil or South Africa apply without a UK partner?
No. The programme requires an eligible UK-based researcher collaborating with an eligible newly independent researcher in Brazil or South Africa. It does not provide a standalone grant for an overseas researcher working without a UK partner.
Is the Royal Society International Collaboration Award fully funded?
The scheme provides up to £300,000 in research grant funding over three years, subject to eligible costs. It does not cover the lead investigators’ salaries and should not be confused with a fully funded personal fellowship.
Is the £300,000 funding a personal salary or stipend?
No. The £300,000 is the maximum project grant over three years, not a personal stipend. Funding supports eligible research activities and collaboration costs; applicants’ own salaries are not eligible.
Can I apply without previous collaboration with my overseas partner?
Yes. Previous collaboration is not mandatory. However, both researchers must jointly develop the proposal and demonstrate how they will establish an effective and equitable partnership.
Can a postdoctoral researcher participate?
Yes. Postdoctoral researchers may participate as project team members, but researchers working under another principal investigator are not eligible to serve as lead applicants.
When is the Royal Society International Collaboration Awards 2027 deadline?
The deadline is 3 December 2026 at 15:00 UK time. Applications are submitted through the Royal Society’s Flexi-Grant system.
When will successful applicants receive their results?
The Royal Society expects to announce decisions by 31 May 2027. Successful projects are expected to begin between November and December 2027.
Is there an age limit for applicants?
No specific age limit is stated in the scheme notes. Eligibility is based on research independence, career stage, relevant experience and other programme requirements.
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