Postdoctoral research opportunities
A postdoctoral (postdoc) or early career fellowship allows you to conduct research after you complete your doctoral studies.
This type of fellowship provides career development opportunities for those who are at a relatively early stage of their academic careers, but who have a proven record of research. These schemes often seek to foster academic mobility between institutions.
Early career postdoctoral researchers can choose from a variety of different funding sources. Two of the most popular are the following annual competitions.
British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships
We are accepting applications for the British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship until 14 September 2026.
Please submit your application to ames-admin@ames.cam.ac.uk by no later than 12pm on Monday 14 September 2026.
British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships are typically for 3 years.
Funding goes towards:
- the salary of the postdoctoral fellow to work full-time on the fellowship
- small-scale research expenses
- costs towards the time of a mentor
- the host institution's estates and indirect costs
The aim of the British Academy in making these awards is to offer opportunities for outstanding early career researchers to strengthen their experience of research and teaching in a university environment. This will develop their curriculum vitae and improve their prospects of obtaining permanent lecturing posts by the end of the fellowship.
The primary emphasis is on completion of a significant piece of publishable research, which will be assisted by full membership of an academic community of established scholars working in similar fields.
Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowships
Apply for a Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship until 23 October 2026.
Please submit your application to ames-admin@ames.cam.ac.uk by no later than 12pm on Friday 23 October 2026.
Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowships are typically for 3 years on a full-time basis.
This is a highly prestigious, fiercely competitive, postdoctoral award for researchers who are near the start of their career.
The expectation is that fellows should undertake a significant piece of publishable work during their tenure, and that the fellowships should lead to a more permanent academic position.