Postdoctoral Research Funding

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.

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.

Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellowships support early-stage academics, potentially leading to permanent positions, either within the same or another institution. Postdoctoral candidates seeking a host in the Department of Sociology will be considered by a department panel, with one nominee selected. This candidate will then be evaluated by LSE Research Development Panel, which selects up to six candidates across all departments for application support to the Leverhulme Trust.

In the first instance, please contact the department to check if we are participating in the Scheme in the current academic round. If so, the department typically sets its internal deadline for October or early November.

See the Leverhulme Trust 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 MSCAwebsite 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 Wellcomewebsite 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.

Researchers of any nationality with 2-7 years of experience since completion of PhD, a scientific track record showing great promise and an excellent research proposal can apply for this scheme.

ERC grant applications can only be submitted in response to a Call for Proposals. Calls are published on the European Commission’s Funding and Tenders Portaland in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Find out more here.

Awards to support researchers without prior experience of leading a significant research project to accelerate their trajectory as independent researchers, to unlock their potential and build leadership and convenor experience.

Awards are available for projects between £100,000 and £300,000 (full economic cost) and AHRC will fund 80% of this. Funding is available for projects up to five years in duration.

Ensure your proposal is suitable for AHRC funding

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.

This programme provides support for UK-based early career researchers working with international partners wishing to develop ODA-eligible interdisciplinary projects involving both the humanities and the social sciences.

The scheme is focused on enabling UK-based early career researchers to work with early career researchers in Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Philippines, South Africa, Turkey, Thailand, Vietnam and/or Least Developed Countries. In the context of this call, funding from the International Science Partnerships Fund is funded by Official Development Assistance (ODA), therefore applications for this funding must be ODA-eligible.

Find out more here.

• The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) website hosts a Funding Finder for information about postdocs and beyond
• Research and Innovation Division at LSE. Sign up to their research and innovation briefing.
• Research Professional is a database of funding opportunities to which LSE has an active subscription.
• Internal funding is also available in some circumstances.