Resource
Choosing between a fellowship, a project grant, and a challenge call
Not every strong idea belongs in the same funding mechanism.
Use fellowships when the person is part of the value
If the story depends on independence, trajectory, or how one researcher is moving into a new level of responsibility, a fellowship-style route may carry the argument better than a project grant.
Project grants work better when the research plan is the center of gravity and the institution can already support it.
Use challenge calls when the problem frame is doing real work
Challenge programmes are best when the application benefits from a visible use case, a delivery environment, or a system-level problem that shapes the science.
If the challenge framing feels pasted on, a cleaner investigator-led route is usually safer.