Becoming a Fellow

RSE Fellows have a fundamental role to play in enabling the RSE to deliver on its mission of ‘Knowledge made Useful’ and acceptance of Fellowship implies a strong commitment to the objectives of the RSE (to inspire, engage, provide expertise and promote) and a willingness to devote time and effort to its work whether at a local, national or international level.

We have around 1600 Fellows. The Fellowship is split into four broad sectors, covering the full range of physical and life sciences, arts, humanities, social sciences, education, professions, industry, business and public life. This range of expertise within the Fellowship means that we are well-placed to respond to and provide advice on a wide range of issues.

There are three key criteria against which candidates will be assessed and which demonstrate the excellence we seek. These are:

  • Outstanding achievement;
  • Professional standing and;
  • Societal contribution.

Further Information

Nominations open in February and close on 31 May each year: The assessment process is carried out from July to end November and the final list of candidates approved by the RSE Council at its December meeting. Proposed new Fellows are then put to a ballot of the Fellowship. Successful candidates will be informed in the Spring.

If a candidate is not successful in the first year, their nomination will automatically be considered for another two years unless it is withdrawn. Proposers will be asked to provide an updated application (on a form supplied by the Fellowship Office) and are strongly encouraged to work with the candidate to do so.

Fellows, Corresponding Fellows and Honorary Fellows are elected each year. Around 50 Fellows are elected each year, together with up to 10 Corresponding Fellows and up to 4 Honorary Fellows.

Please read the guidance provided before making a nomination. Any questions should be directed to the RSE Fellowship and Young Academy Manager.

COVID-19 Update

The deadline for new and updated nominations for fellowship elections is 31 May 2020. Given the current situation and recognising that Fellows and candidates, particularly those with caring responsibilities, may have difficulty meeting this deadline, we would like to offer some flexibility with this deadline to those who need it. In order not to impact on the rest of the timeline, we would appreciate it if those who can meet the deadline still do so, but those who require some flexibility are welcome to contact the Fellowship Team to agree an extension. New (simplified) nomination forms have been produced for this year, so Fellows are encouraged to view this on the “Documents and Forms” page.

New nomination forms are made available for each deadline. The forms below are for the 2020 deadline; please do not use any previous versions of these forms.

Please note there are no longer separate Update forms. A new nomination and/or assessor form can be submitted for each year of consideration (which will replace previous versions). Where a new form is not submitted, the previous version will be considered. Proposers are strongly encouraged to work with their candidate to complete a new nomination form each year.

Forms should be submitted by the 31 May deadline. Please see “The Election Process” section for advice on extensions in 2020 due to COVID-19.

All forms are required electronically only. If for any reason you are unable to complete the forms electronically, or you have any questions about the process, please contact the RSE Fellowship and Young Academy Manager.

Please find below the forms for the 2020 deadline.

Nomination and Assessor Forms

Fellowship Nomination Form

Honorary Nomination Form

Corresponding Nomination Form

Assessor Form – All categories of Fellowship

Equal Opportunities Monitoring [optional]

 

Guidance Documents

Election Process

Criteria for Election

 

 

The Fellowship is split into four broad sectors, covering the full range of physical and life sciences, arts, humanities, social sciences, education, professions, industry, business and public life. This range of expertise within the Fellowship means that we are well-placed to respond to a wide range of issues, and provide advice and expertise on a wide range of issues.

Each Sector Group is represented by a Vice-President, and each discipline area is represented by a Sectional Committee, comprised of Fellows of the RSE, which considers the Fellowship nominations in that area.

GROUP A: Life Sciences
A1: Biomedical and Cognitive Sciences
A2: Clinical Sciences
A3: Organismal and Environmental Biology
A4: Cell and Molecular Biology

GROUP B: Physical, Engineering and Informatic Sciences
B1: Physics and Astronomy
B2: Earth Sciences and Chemistry
B3: Engineering
B4: Informatics, Mathematics and Statistics

GROUP C: Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
C1: Language, Literature and History
C2: Philosophy, Theology and Law
C3: History, Theory and Practice of the Creative and Performing Arts
C4: Economics and Social Sciences

GROUP D: Business, Public Service and Public Engagement
D1: Public Engagement and Understanding
D2: Professional, Educational and Public Sector Leadership
D3: Private Sector Leadership