Fellowships

A postdoctoral fellowship is a research opportunity on a temporary or fixed term contract for researchers that have completed a doctoral qualification. A Postdoctoral fellowship can be between six months and five years, and have traditionally been dedicated purely to research. Fellowships provide postdoctoral researchers with the opportunity to undertake institution or laboratory based research in the UK or another country for a certain period of time.
UK research funding providers have fellowship funding opportunities for both UK researchers wanting to work in another country and for researchers wanting to work in the UK.

INCOMING FELLOWSHIPS

Are you a researcher working outside the UK who would like to come here to continue your work? Or perhaps you are a principal investigator in the UK interested in bringing talented researchers to your group? This section has details on funding for incoming fellowships, from the postdoctoral level and upwards.

Newton International Fellowships
The Newton International Fellowships scheme is run by The British Academy, The Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society. The Fellowships cover the broad range of natural and social sciences, engineering and the humanities. They provide grants to cover subsistence, research expenses, plus a one-off relocation allowance. As part of the scheme, all Newton Fellows who remain in research will be granted a 10 year follow-up funding package.

The Royal Society
The Royal Society is the leading independent scientific body of the UK and the Commonwealth. Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowships supports scientists and engineers at the start of their career, helping them to progress to a permanent position. The Newton International Fellowships attracts the world's best early-career researchers to the UK for two years. University Research Fellowships provides outstanding scientists with the opportunity to have an independent research career.

Framework Programme 7 (European Commission)
The European Commission’s 7th Framework Programme (FP7) has several funding schemes under its People programme. Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowships support top-class researchers from world level third countries to work and undertake research training in Europe.

The British Academy (BA)
The BA is the national academy for the humanities and the social sciences and is responsible for the promotion of historical, philosophical and philological studies in the UK. It provides international funding through the Sino-British Fellowship Trust ( SBFT). The SBFT support individual research projects conducted either in the UK or in China, or in both countries. The Visiting Scholars scheme, jointly funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, enable early-career scholars from overseas to spend time undertaking a research project in the UK. The Postdoctoral Fellowships scheme is designed to enable outstanding early career researchers to strengthen their experience of research and teaching in a university environment.

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
The AHRC is the research council responsible for supporting quality research in arts and humanities for the cultural, creative and economic life of the UK. In conjunction with the British Academy and the Economic and Social Research Council, they run a joint Visiting Fellowship for South Asia and the Middle East. It enables postdoctoral early career researchers to spend time undertaking a research project in the UK.

Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
The NERC delivers independent research, survey, training and knowledge transfer in the environmental sciences. Their Postdoctoral Research Fellowship supports environmental scientists as they become independent investigators and can be used as a means of re-establishment in the UK following a period overseas.

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
The BBSRC is a non-departmental public body and aims promote and support basic, strategic and applied research. The David Phillips Fellowships allow Scientists with postdoctoral research experience to establish themselves as independent researchers. Professorial Fellowships support world-class bio-scientists and help with their recruitment to the UK. Institute Career Path Fellowships are aimed at early-career researchers wishing to be based at BBSRC institutes.

Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
The ESRC is the UK's leading research funding and training agency addressing economic and social concerns. Their Postdoctoral Fellowship provides career development for those at an early stage of their career. The scheme is to qualified individuals from any country in the world.

Social Science Research Council (SSRC)
The SSRC an independent, not-for-profit research organisation based in New York City. In conjunction with the Economic and Social Research Council, they jointly fund the Collaborative visiting fellowships. This allows scholars from the Americas to visit and engage in collaborative activities with members of ESRC-supported projects in the UK.

Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
The STFC is an independent, non-departmental public body of the Department for Business, Innovation, and Skills ( BIS). Postdoctoral Fellowships enable less experienced researchers the ability to pursue a long term research career at a UK institution. Advanced Fellowships enable outstanding researchers the opportunity to pursue full-time research at a UK institute.

The Wellcome Trust
The Wellcome Trust is the largest charity in the UK. It funds innovative biomedical research, in the UK and internationally. Researchers from the European Economic Area who will be based at an academic institution in the UK or Republic of Ireland can apply for fellowships in either basic biomedical or clinical sciences. For a full list of Wellcome Trust fellowships please visit the Wellcome Trust fellowships pages.

Leverhulme Trust
The Trust is a registered charity and makes awards for the support of research and education. Their Visiting Fellowship Scheme enables post-doctoral researchers to visit a UK university for the purpose of research and collaboration.

Cancer Research UK
Cancer Research UK is the leading charity dedicated to cancer research and offers a number of funding opportunities at different levels

The Nuffield Foundation
The Nuffield Foundation is a charitable trust. Their Career Development Fellowship Scheme aims to promote excellence in UK social science research capacity and support post-doctoral social scientists who have the potential to become outstanding in their field.

The Academy of Medical Sciences
The academy of Medical Sciences is a registered charity. It promotes advances in medical science and campaigns to ensure these are translated into health care benefits for society. Their UK/Middle East Exchange Fellowships scheme in partnerships with Lord Turnberg FMedSci and the Daniel Turnberg Trust has been developed to encourage collaboration between medical researchers in the UK and the Middle East.

OUTGOING FELLOWSHIPS

Are you currently working in the UK but would like a fellowship to enable you to carry out your research in another country? This section includes post-doctoral fellowships and fellowships for more senior researchers who may wish to spend some time overseas.

The British Academy (BA)
The BA is the national academy for the humanities and the social sciences and is responsible for the promotion of historical, philosophical and philological studies in the UK. Their Invitation Fellowship Programme jointly funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) enable UK scholars with a post doctoral degree to spend time in Japan. The JSPS Invitation Fellowship Programme is a channel for senior scholars to make visits to Japan.

Leverhulme Trust
The Trust is a registered charity and makes awards for the support of research and education. Their Research Fellowships scheme allows experienced researchers to carry out research overseas. There are no restrictions on academic discipline.

The Wellcome Trust
The Wellcome Trust is the largest charity in the UK. It funds innovative biomedical research, in the UK and internationally. Researchers from the European Economic Area with a UK or Republic of Ireland sponsoring institution who will be carrying out research or fieldwork in a developing country can apply for fellowships in either basic biomedical or clinical sciences. For a full list of Wellcome Trust fellowships please visit the Wellcome Trust fellowships pages. The Trust also funds overseas fellowships which allows researchers from developing countries who wish to carry out research aimed at understanding and controlling human and animal diseases of local, national or global health importance can apply for fellowships in Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Senior researchers who wish to establish a career in selected restructuring countries can apply for International Senior Research Fellowships

Framework Programme 7 (European Commission)
The European Commission’s 7th Framework Programme (FP7) has several funding schemes under its People programme, Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowships aim to reinforce the international dimension in the career of European researchers.

The Medical Research Council (MRC)
The MRC is a publicly-funded organisation dedicated to improving human health. The MRC funds a range of fellowship schemes for both clinical and non-clinical researchers.

Toshiba
The Toshiba Corporation is a world leader in high technology and a diversified manufacturer and marketer of advanced electronic and electrical products. In conjunction with the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, they fund the Toshiba Fellowship programme.

The Institute des Hautes Études Scientifiques(IHÉS)
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the IHÉS, together offer the William Hodge Fellowships. The IHÉS, based in France, is an institute of advanced research in mathematics and theoretical physics. The fellowships enable young mathematicians and theoretical physicists to spend time at IHÉS.

Social Science Research Council (SSRC)
The SSRC an independent, not-for-profit research organisation based in New York City. In conjunction with the Economic and Social Research Council, they jointly fund the Collaborative visiting fellowships. This enables British scholars to visit collaborators in the Americas.

Human Frontier Science Program Organization (HFSP)
The HFSP supports novel, innovative and interdisciplinary basic research. Through their Postdoctoral Fellowships , scientists are able to work in foreign laboratories to obtain training in a different field of research.

The Science and Technology Fellowship Programme in China
The purpose of the programme is to promote the mobility of European researchers towards the Chinese research and development area. The STF China is the pilot phase of a European Community action offering fellowship positions in China.  

The Royal Society
The national academy of science of the UK and the Commonwealth, is at the cutting edge of scientific progress. The JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship Program for Foreign Researchers provides opportunities to young postdoctoral researchers from other countries to conduct, under the guidance of their hosts, cooperative research with leading research groups in universities and other Japanese institutions

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