145 Early Career Fellowships UK

Early Career Fellowships are intended to assist those at a relatively early stage of their academic careers, and it is hoped that the appointment would lead to a more permanent position for the individual, either within the same or another institution. Fellowships can be held at universities or at other institutions of higher education in the UK.

  1. In response to the financial challenges facing the Higher Education sector in the forthcoming academic year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trust has adjusted the value of the awards for the 2021 round.
  2. The Trust will contribute 100% of each Fellow’s total salary costs up to a maximum of £50,000 in year one of the award.
  3. The Trust will then contribute 50% of the Fellow’s total salary costs up to a maximum of £25,000 in years two and three, with the balance to be paid by the host institution.
  4. The Trust’s maximum annual contribution will be pro-rated if the Fellowship is held on a part-time basis. Each Fellow may request up to £6,000 per annum in research expenses to further his or her research activities.

Duration

  1. Fellowships are tenable for 3 years on a full-time basis. The Trust will support requests to hold the award part-time over a proportionately longer period for health related reasons, disability or childcare commitments.
  2. Before beginning your application, please read the information below or download it as a PDF Guidance for Applicants.

Eligibility

  1. 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.
  2. The Trust will consider applications from candidates whose permanent post does not include any research. Those in receipt of a stipendiary Fellowship may not hold this at the same time as an Early Career Fellowship.
  3. 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.

All candidates must hold a doctorate or have equivalent research experience in between (25 February 2017 to 25 February 2021).

Applicants must either hold a degree (any degree) from a UK higher education institution at the time of taking up the Fellowship or at the time of the application deadline must hold an academic position in the UK (e.g. fixed-term lectureship, fellowship) which commenced no less than 4 months prior to the closing date. Hence, those who do not hold a UK degree and whose UK academic position commenced after October 2020 are not eligible.

The Trust will consider candidates without a UK degree whose UK academic post commenced after October 2020 if they have been in continuous UK academic employment for more than 4 months prior to the deadline. The intention is to support the career development of those building an academic career within the UK.

Candidates who have been, or are currently a Principal Investigator on a three-year post-doctoral research project, or have held or currently hold a comparable three-year post-doctoral position to pursue their own research are not eligible to apply.

Approximately 145 Fellowships are available in 2021. 

How to apply

  1. To make an application, please access the Leverhulme Trust Grants Management System. The recommended browser to use is Google Chrome.
  2. When completing the online application form, please refer to the Application Help Notes.
  3. Applications must be approved and submitted to the Trust by the host institution by 4pm on the closing date of 25 February 2021. Institutional approval is required both from the head of the host department and from an administrative officer on behalf of the host institution.
  4. Nominated referees will also be required to provide their references via the online system within two weeks after the closing date.
  5. Applicants will be informed of the result of their applications by email at the end of May 2021.

Due to the large number of applications received to this scheme, it is not possible to provide feedback regarding the reasons for rejection to individual applicants.

TypePostdoctoral Position
SubjectsAll
Opens

Closing Date

Decision

1 January 2021

25 February 2021

May 2021

General enquiries[email protected], 020 7042 9888

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