The 1851 Research Fellowship is a scheme conducted by the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 to annually award a three-year research scholarship to approximately eight "young scientists or engineers of exceptional promise". The fellowship is open to all nationalities and fields of science, including physical or biological sciences, mathematics, applied science, and any branch of engineering. The fellowship can be held anywhere in the United Kingdom.
Several other Fellowships are also awarded by the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, including the Research Fellowship in the Built Environment, Industrial Fellowships and the Research Fellowship in Design.