New Round of UK Research and Innovation’s Future Leaders Fellowships Announced

A Lincoln academic has been named among top researchers and innovators from across the UK who will be supported to pursue new research through UK Research and Innovation’s prestigious Future Leaders Fellowships.

Dr Anna Tarrant from the University of Lincoln’s School of Social and Political Science will lead an international project examining how society perceives and responds to young fathers. The four-year ‘Following Young Fathers Further’ study will build an extended evidence base about the lived experiences and support needs of young men who are fathers. Establishing a unique partnership between national charities NSPCC, Coram Family and ChildCare, and the YMCA, the study will also instigate policy and practice change via the implementation of a novel social intervention that prioritises the needs and voices of young fathers and their families.

Future Leaders Fellowships are helping universities and businesses in the UK recruit, train and retain the world’s best researchers and innovators, regardless of their background. They can apply for up to £1.2 million over four years, with the ability to extend to up to seven years. The investment will propel the next generation of researchers as they lead cutting-edge projects.

Dr Tarrant said: “This is the single largest investment in young parenthood research and practice in recent years. The Fellowship is a significant and exciting opportunity to implement a compassionate and truly participatory social policy and support environment in the UK, generating an extended evidence base and practice solutions of benefit for young fathers, their families and wider civil society.”

Professor Sir Mark Walport, UK Research and Innovation’s Chief Executive, said: “The Future Leaders Fellowships will enable the most promising researchers and innovators to become leaders in their fields, working on subjects as diverse as climate change, dementia and quantum computing.

“UKRI is committed to creating modern research and innovation careers and our Future Leaders Fellowships aim to support and retain the most talented people, including those with flexible career paths.”