Postdoctoral Fellowships
Expressions of interest in applying for postdoctoral fellowship schemes.
We invite expressions of interest for applications for ongoing post-doctoral fellowship schemes.
Please work with a member of academic staff within your proposed area of research to develop your proposal. They will be able to help identify a suitable scheme and support you to develop and submit a high quality application. Please note that institutional approval will need to be obtained for all schemes, and we expect prospective applicants to get in touch as soon as possible to discuss their applications. We expect applications to be ready to submit to the funder at least one week prior to the advertised deadline, and for us to work with prospective applicants at least 6 weeks in advance of this date. Some calls have further internal competition deadlines which will be published here.
Each year the Leverhulme Trust holds a competition to award Early Career Fellowships to researchers within 4 years of PhD examination, to enable them to undertake a significant piece of publishable work. Fellowships are tenable for 3 years on a full time basis, with Leverhulme contributing 50% of each Fellow’s total salary up to a maximum of £26,000 per annum, with the host institution expected to support the remaining 50% of the salary. Leverhulme also contribute an additional £6,000 per annum of research expenses if requested.
Eligibility: Applicants must not yet have held a full-time permanent academic post in a UK university or comparable UK institution, nor may Fellows hold such a post concurrently with the Early Career Fellowship. The Trust will consider applications from candidates whose permanent post does not include any research. Applicants who have existing funding in place for a duration equivalent to or greater than the duration of the Early Career Fellowship should not apply.
Applicants must hold a doctorate by the time they take up the Fellowship. Those who are or have been registered for a doctorate may apply only if they have submitted their viva voce examination by 4pm on the closing date of 22 February 2024. Applicants must be within 4 years of their PhD examination. As such, those who formally submitted their doctoral thesis for viva voce examination before 22 February 2020 are not eligible unless they have since had a career break (maternity leave, family commitments, illness, or other exceptional circumstances). The Trust will accept applications from candidates who submitted their doctoral thesis for examination up to five years prior to the closing date if they can make a case for their work having been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic (this would need to be explained in their application).
For full eligibility details please refer to Leverhulme Trust’s website. Applicants should make sure they are eligible to apply to this scheme prior to an application being made to the School.
Submitting an Application: Please check the Leverhulme page for detailed information on eligibility and application process www.leverhulme.ac.uk/early-career-fellowships
The University holds an internal selection process for the Leverhulme competition. Applicants must email the following documents to Laura Elliott (Laura.Elliott@newcastle.ac.uk) by 5pm on Wednesday 22 November 2023:
- A summary of the research project (2 sides of A4 maximum). Please include details of your methodology, timetable and proposed output(s). The summary should take particular note of the following guidance: 'The objective is for Fellows to undertake a significant piece of publishable research during the tenure of the award, and the project put forward should therefore not be a reworking or mere extension of the candidate’s doctoral research project.' The project should also be able to demonstrate strong intellectual fit in terms of our School’s research profile and that of our Faculty more broadly. You should identify an appropriate mentor in our School with whom you’ve spoken in advance: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/elll/research/
- A CV, including publications, of no more than 2 sides of A4
We expect that applicants will be notified of the outcome of the School competition in the week commencing Monday 11 December 2023.
Please direct any queries to the School’s Acting Director of Research, James Procter (james.procter@ncl.ac.uk)
The British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship offers outstanding early career researchers the opportunity to strengthen their experience of research and teaching in an academic environment. This scheme aims to help develop the award holder’s curriculum vitae and boost their prospects of obtaining a permanent academic post. The primary emphasis is on the completion of a significant piece of publishable research, and the integration of the award holder into the community of established scholars within their field.
The Fellowship is tenable for three years, starting Autumn 2024 in a UK-based university or higher education institution. Candidates can only apply once to this scheme. If you have previously applied and failed to reach the second stage you are not eligible to re-apply.
Applicants should make sure they are eligible to apply to this scheme prior to an application being made to the School. For full eligibility details please refer to the BA Website.
We are not currently accepting Expressions of Interest for this scheme. Once the call opens, please send a draft proposal of no more than 1500 words, together with a brief 2 page CV to the School Finance, Research and HR Administrator, Laura Elliott, by (date TBC). The project should also be able to demonstrate strong fit in terms of our School’s research profile and you should identify an appropriate mentor with whom you’ve spoken in advance: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/elll/research/