Royal Academy of Engineering Global Talent endorsement: who qualifies and what to send

Disciplines

Which engineering fields does the Royal Academy of Engineering cover?

The Royal Academy of Engineering covers engineering. The Royal Society covers the natural and medical sciences, and the British Academy covers the humanities and social sciences. Some engineering subjects, such as aeronautical, civil, electrical, mechanical and materials science, also appear on the Royal Society list. Check the published discipline list to decide which endorsing body, if any, covers your area.

• Aerospace, transport and mechanical engineering
• Biomedical and medical engineering, such as medical devices, medical imaging and medical robotics
• Chemical and process, energy and power, materials and mining
• Civil, construction and built environment engineering
• Computing and communications, such as artificial intelligence, data science and software engineering
• Innovation and policy, and emerging areas such as quantum technologies, machine learning and robotics

Four routes

There are four routes, and only one involves full peer review

Routes 1 to 3 are fast-track routes that rely on a job, fellowship or grant that has already been through a selection process. Route 4 is peer review, which is not fast-track. You can apply for peer review with or without a job offer.

Active researcher

You must be an active researcher, and industry research counts

An active researcher has a sustained track record of research production in their field. The setting can be a university, a research institute or industry. Your whole application is used to judge this, including your track record, career history and contributions to the field. For example, an engineer in a company R&D team could point to patents, licences or a spinout alongside any publications.

• Publications
• Prizes and research funding awarded
• Patents, licences, spinouts or other intellectual property
• The impact of past innovation activity, in an organisation, academia or as an individual

PhD or equivalent

Without a PhD, you need at least three years of research that you led

Peer review applicants need a PhD or equivalent research experience. Equivalent experience means at least three years of consolidated research time in which you were the intellectual drive behind a project and achieved strong, demonstrable outputs. This can come from industry, a clinical post with dedicated research time, or a non-traditional career path.

Talent or Promise

Exceptional Talent is for leaders; Exceptional Promise is for potential leaders

Under peer review you choose the category. Exceptional Promise applicants must be at an early stage of their career, and this is a mandatory eligibility check. Promise applicants are typically towards the start of their career and on a steep trajectory, but there is no minimum number of years of research experience. On Route 2, the fellowship you hold decides the category, so you do not choose.

Letters

Your letters must come from UK-based experts and be written for this application

Exceptional Promise needs one letter and Exceptional Talent needs two, from different people. The letter of personal recommendation must come from an eminent person resident in the UK who knows your work and has internationally recognised expertise in your field. The second Talent letter must come from a senior member of a reputable UK organisation in your field, such as a Professor, Head of Department or Chief Executive, who gives an objective assessment. If the endorsing body is not shown that an author is a credible referee, it can refuse the application or ask for more information, which can cause long delays.

• Up to three sides of A4, excluding the author's credentials and contact details
• Signed, dated and on headed paper, with the author's email address and telephone number
• Sent with the author's CV
• Written specifically for this application, never a general reference letter
• The first letter explains how the author knows you, your achievements, why you show Talent or Promise, how you would benefit from living in the UK, your likely contribution to UK research or innovation and wider society, and what plans you have for work in the future

Documents

Send the required documents for your route, and nothing for show

For peer review, the mandatory documents are the application form with your personal statement, a CV of no more than three sides of A4, and your letter or letters, each with the author's CV. You list your most significant publications with full bibliographic references, and patents with their full reference and the countries where they are registered and valid. You do not need copies of publications, degree certificates, contracts, award certificates or conference certificates.

Timing and refusal

How long Stage 1 takes, and what happens if you are refused

Peer review usually takes five weeks, and Stage 1 can take up to eight weeks from when the Home Office receives your application. Fast-track decisions usually come back within 14 working days. If you are refused and believe your application was not judged correctly, you can ask for a free review within 28 days of the decision.

• The review is done by the endorsing body that made the decision
• You cannot add new evidence at review
• You are told by email within 28 days if the review succeeds
• If refused again for the same reasons, you cannot ask for another review and a new application means paying the endorsement fee again