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Postdoctoral Research Fellowships

The term postdoctoral research fellowship refers to independent sources of funding that you can apply for as an early career researcher to do your own research project. These are prestigious and highly competitive but give an excellent opportunity to focus on research for a period of time without a heavy teaching load.

How to apply

Please browse the below list of prestigious fellowships and, if you are interested, contact a potential mentor from our Academic Staff list via email with your proposal. Please note LSE Fellows cannot mentor research fellows.

The call is open to applicants who have completed their PhD at a research organisation that is part of an ESRC Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) and who are within 12 months of passing their viva voce. At the submission deadline, the applicant must either have been awarded a PhD or have submitted their thesis and passed their viva voce with minor corrections, with the expectation that the PhD will be awarded by the fellowship start date.

See the ESRC website as well as the LSE ESRC DTP application guidance for further details.

This funding opportunity supports outstanding early career researchers in the humanities or social sciences with a full-time, three-year award towards the completion of a significant piece of publishable research and integration into the community of established scholars within their field.

The department typically sets its internal deadline for late August or early September.

See the BA website for further details.

European Fellowships are for researchers relocating within or to Europe for 1-2 years; all nationalities can apply.

Global Fellowships fund 2-3 years research outside Europe, with a mandatory 1-year return phase; only EU nationals or long-term residents can apply.

See the MSCA website for further details.

This scheme provides funding for early-career researchers from any discipline who are ready to develop their research identity. Through innovative projects, they will deliver shifts in understanding that could improve human life, health and wellbeing. By the end of the award, they will be ready to lead their own independent research programme. The award usually lasts for 5 years, but may be less for some disciplines, such as humanities and social science.

See the Wellcome website for further details.

This grant scheme supports new researchers at the start of their careers to become independent researchers through gaining experience of managing and leading research projects and teams.

Grants range from £100,000 to £300,000 for a period of up to five years. Funding is based on the full economic costs of the research, with ESRC providing 80% of the cost and the research organisation covering the balance.

Proposals can cover any research area, but the social sciences must represent more than 50% of the research focus and effort.

Find out more here.

The BA/Leverhulme Small Research Grants are available to support primary research in the humanities and social sciences. These awards, up to £10,000 in value and tenable for up to 24 months, are provided to cover the cost of the expenses arising from a defined research project.

Find out more here.

This programme provides UK-based early career researchers, active in any discipline within the humanities or the social sciences, with the opportunity to develop and lead international and interdisciplinary research projects.

It aims to support projects which engage with questions concerning the relationship between expertise, public understanding and policy delivery internationally, and highlight the importance of collaboration between communities of practice, disciplines, capacities and borders.

The call supports international collaborations between early career researchers in the UK and elsewhere on internationally focused research projects of an interdisciplinary nature involving the humanities and social sciences.

Find out more here.