Routes 1, 2, and 3 bypass peer review entirely. Route 1 requires an eligible UK academic appointment where a PhD is essential. Route 2 requires a named fellowship from the approved list. Route 3 applies if you are named in a successful grant from a UKRI-endorsed funder. All three are documentary — straightforward evidence, but strict eligibility criteria. Verify before assuming you qualify.
Route 1 — Academic and research appointments
Route 1 applies if you have been appointed to an eligible academic or research position at a UK HEI or research institute, and the role requires a PhD as an essential entry condition. The position must have been obtained on open merit — not created specifically for you.
What counts as an eligible institution?
- UK universities with research-active departments in your field
- Recognised UK research institutes — e.g. Francis Crick Institute, Wellcome Sanger Institute, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Babraham Institute, John Innes Centre
- NHS hospitals or trusts where the role is primarily research (not clinical service delivery)
- Government-funded research bodies where research is the primary function
What does not qualify?
- Postdoctoral positions where a PhD is preferred but not essential
- Industry R&D roles, even at major pharmaceutical or technology companies
- Teaching-only positions with no research component
- Positions created specifically for the applicant through a personal connection
- Visiting or honorary positions with no active employment contract
Evidence to prepare for Route 1
- Signed offer letter or employment contract naming the institution and role
- Job description confirming PhD is an essential requirement
- Evidence of open recruitment — job advert if available
- Confirmation of start date (must be imminent or already started)
Route 2 — Named fellowships
Route 2 applies if you hold — or have held within the last 5 years — a fellowship on the approved list maintained jointly by the Royal Society, British Academy, and Royal Academy of Engineering.
Commonly approved fellowships
- Royal Society University Research Fellowship (URF)
- Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship
- Royal Society Newton International Fellowship
- Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award
- Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellowship
- Wellcome Trust Career Development Award
- UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship
- MRC Career Development Award
- BBSRC Future Leader Fellowship
- ERC Starting Grant, Consolidator Grant, or Advanced Grant
- Leverhulme Research Fellowship
- EPSRC Fellowship (not standard grants)
Always verify on royalsociety.org before applying — the list is updated and some fellowships are added or removed each year.
Evidence to prepare for Route 2
- Award letter from the funding body confirming the fellowship
- Confirmation of the fellowship period (start and end dates)
- If the fellowship ended more than 12 months ago, evidence it was within the 5-year window
- Brief statement of the research the fellowship supported
Route 3 — Endorsed funders
Route 3 is a fast-track for researchers who are named as the primary researcher in a successful grant application from a UKRI-endorsed funder, and who will carry out that research at an eligible UK institution. You must be personally named in the grant — working in a funded lab does not qualify.
What are UKRI-endorsed funders?
UKRI maintains a list of external funders whose grants are recognised for Route 3. These are major research charities and foundations — not UKRI itself (UKRI grants fall under Route 2 if they are named fellowships). Examples from the endorsed list include:
- Wellcome Trust (research grants and senior awards — not just fellowships)
- Cancer Research UK (project and programme grants)
- British Heart Foundation (project and programme grants)
- Alzheimer's Research UK
- Versus Arthritis
- Medical Research Foundation
The full endorsed funder list is published by UKRI and may be updated. Always check the current list at ukri.org before applying under Route 3.
Eligibility conditions for Route 3
- You are named as the principal researcher (not just a collaborator or team member) in the grant
- The grant has been awarded — not pending or applied for
- The research will be conducted at a UK institution eligible under the GTV scheme
- The grant is from an organisation on the current UKRI-endorsed funder list
Evidence to prepare for Route 3
- Award letter from the funder confirming the grant and naming you as the lead researcher
- Confirmation of the host UK institution where the research will be conducted
- Evidence that the funder appears on the UKRI-endorsed list
- Grant period (start and end dates)