Post-doctoral and research fellow positions
Post-doctoral and research fellows are valued participants in the life of the LSE’s Department of Anthropology, enriching and benefitting from our strong research environment. The Department of Anthropology does not award post-doctoral fellowships, apart from a few LSE Fellow positions (mostly teaching-oriented), which we formally advertise. As a host institution, however, the Department regularly supports applicants for such awards from other bodies, for example the British Academy, ESRC, and Marie Curie. The competition for such places is intense. All applications are vetted, and not all will be supported. Unfortunately, we cannot support schemes which require matching funds from the Department, such as Leverhulme.
Applications from post-doctoral candidates wishing to be hosted in the Department of Anthropology are considered by the Department’s Research Committee. Successful outcomes are greatly aided by timely submission of materials to this committee, which must receive them well in advance of deadlines set by the relevant awarding bodies.
Applicants should first approach a prospective mentor within the Department, who must be a member of the Department’s Academic Staff (i.e., a permanent member of staff). Staff are accustomed to being contacted by intending applicants and welcome such enquiries, so candidates should feel free to reach out to potential mentors. Once identified, the mentor will liaise with the Department’s Research Committee throughout the application process and assist with preparing materials.
General guidance about application deadlines and process
All applications must be sent to the Chair of the Departmental Research Committee, Professor Katy Gardner, k.j.gardner@lse.ac.uk, no later than one month prior to the deadline set by the awarding body. (Please note that, for applications with a deadline between mid-July and mid-October, the Committee must receive materials six weeks prior to the deadline set by the awarding body, as many members of staff are on research leave over the summer.)
All applicants should note that, in addition to the departmental deadline, all approved applications (other than for ESRC post-doctoral fellowships) must be sent to the LSE’s Research Development Support team at least five days before the scheme deadline: please contact Liberty Gibson, L.Gibson4@lse.ac.uk.
ESRC post-doctoral fellowships
Applications are made via the PhD Academy and according to their deadline. In order to prepare an application, you need to make contact with a mentor who must be a permanent staff member of the department. If they agree to work with you, they may help you strengthen your proposal. Please see the information on the PhD Academy webpage here. All eligible applications submitted through the PhD Academy will be ranked by the Department.
The LSE’s Visiting Appointments Scheme enables practitioners and academics to carry out research in departments and/or to be involved with departmental activities. The Department of Anthropology will accept only applicants proposed by a current permanent staff member who has similar interests and can therefore act as a sponsor. Applicants will also need to be able to demonstrate that their research aligns with that of the Department.
Visting Fellows are expected to make an active contribution to the life of the Department. Such contributions might include:
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regular participation in the departmental Friday morning seminar and related social events
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meeting with individual members of staff and/or research students to discuss shared research interests
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organising seminars, workshops or even conferences with departmental colleagues (these should be discussed in the first instance with their sponsor and/or the Head of Department).
Arrangements
The title of Visiting Fellow is given to individuals from outside the School who are associated with LSE departments. Visiting Fellows have access to various facilities at LSE, including the library.
• Fellowships typically run between one and three years, and Fellows may in theory start at any time of the year, subject to the timely endorsement of their sponsor and approval by the Departmental Research Committee and the School. Fellowships for periods of less than one year can also be considered.
• Those who have just completed their PhD in the Department may apply for a period of affiliation of no longer than one year. This appointment will not be renewable.
• The Department does not provide a research allowance.
• We are not able to make any arrangements for Visiting Fellows’ accommodation.
• At the end of a Fellowship, Visiting Fellows are asked to submit a brief written report to the Head of Department summarising their contribution to the Department.
• Visitors who have publications that arise while affiliated or as a result of their Visiting Fellowship are asked to ensure that LSE is listed as (one of) their affiliation(s).
Upcoming application deadlines
The department deadline for VF applications is Monday 8th June (for fellowships starting in September 26).
If you need to start your fellowship sooner, please email Professor Katy Gardner (k.j.gardner@lse.ac.uk) before 20th April 2026.
Application process
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You should identify a member of the Department’s Academic Staff (i.e., a permanent member of staff) who will act as your sponsor/contact and discuss with them how your work and research interests align with those of the Department and how your proposed visit will benefit the Department.
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In advance of the deadline, you should submit a draft application and current CV, including full contact details, to your sponsor.
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Your application should be written in the third person and cover the following points:
- what academic benefits you hope to obtain from your affiliation with the Department;
- what contribution you think you will be able to make to the intellectual life of the Department (including any possible teaching contributions) and what research activities you are planning to undertake while affiliated with the Department;
- the exact start and end dates of the proposed visit;
- details of any grant you have obtained or are applying for to cover your stay and travel costs.
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Your sponsor will aid in drafting the School's nomination form, and this text will be considered by the Departmental Research Committee along with your CV.
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If your nomination receives Departmental approval, the School’s nomination form will then be submitted by a member of our Professional Services Staff for consideration by the School. If your application is successful, HR will issue a formal letter of invitation confirming your appointment.
Renewal process
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If you are currently a Visiting Fellow and would like to extend your status, please submit an application and current CV, including full contact details, to Tom Hinrichsen, T.A.Hinrichsen@lse.ac.uk, for consideration by the Departmental Research Committee. Renewals are exceptional and not automatically approved.
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Your application should be written in the third person and cover the following points:
- a statement outlining details of your contribution to the Department during the previous appointment;
- what academic benefits you hope to obtain from your continued affiliation with the Department;
- what contribution you think you will be able to make to the intellectual life of the Department (including any possible teaching contributions);
- what research activities you are planning to undertake while affiliated with the Department;
- the exact start and end dates of the extension;
- the start and end date of your previous/current appointment;
- details of any grant you have obtained or are applying for to cover your stay and travel costs.
- If your extension request receives Departmental approval, it would then also need to be approved by the School. The School’s nomination form will be submitted by a member of our Professional Services Staff. If your application is successful, HR will issue a formal letter of invitation confirming your appointment.
We welcome research students from other universities to spend between one term and one academic year at LSE as a Visiting Research Student (VRS).
The VRS scheme allows students who are registered as doctoral researchers at other institutions to participate in research activities in the Department and around the School, to interact with other research students, utilise LSE library facilities, and benefit from the expertise of LSE faculty and the training offered by the PhD Academy. Note that Visiting Research Students do not have access to any LSE taught courses. Further details can be found here.