Fellowships

Fellowship at Oxford Chemistry

We offer a dynamic and multidisciplinary research environment with state-of-the-art facilities and access to excellent infrastructure and expertise in the wider Oxford area. Fellows benefit from comprehensive training and development, a mentoring programme and career support.

Early Career Fellowships aim to provide career development opportunities for those who are at a relatively early stage of their academic careers, but who have a proven record of research. Early Career Fellowships provide complete independence but without the usual teaching or administrative demands. This gives researchers the time and ability to develop their independent research, apply for additional funding, network, travel to conferences, and build an international reputation.

We have a team of in-house experts, our research facilitators, that help with all aspects of fellowship applications for both internal and external candidates, spanning postdoctoral to established career levels. We encourage and facilitate collaboration, both within the department, the wider university, and with other universities, research institutes, and industrial partners.

The Department of Chemistry is strongly committed to equality and valuing diversity and we operate a flexible working policy.

For more information please contact the Research Facilitation team.

Applying for Early Career and Postdoctoral Fellowships

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For those wishing to develop their own independent research group

Departmental support is required before application via the Expression of Interest (EoI) process - see guidelines here.

Candidates are strongly encouraged to discuss their research ideas with a member (or members) of academic staff in the Department, especially those with whom they might seek to collaborate, and the Head of the most relevant Section.

Researchers are also encouraged to contact the Research Facilitation team at an early stage to discuss the application process. If you have questions regarding the EoI process or would like support contacting academics in the department, follow the link to set up an informal chat via Teams.  

Application process

If you would like to apply for an independent research fellowship hosted in our department, please submit the following documents to the Head of Department’s Office:

  • Complete EoI form
  • Research proposal (2 pages maximum - anything beyond 2 pages will not be reviewed)
  • CV
  • Ensure brief supporting statements from at least two referees are submitted directly to the Head of Department's Office

Candidates are encouraged to contact the relevant Head of Section before applying to see if their research is a good fit for the department.

Successful candidates will be invited to interview where they will give a short presentation followed by questions from the panel. Departmental support is then valid for a year, which covers all available fellowship deadlines. Successful fellows will be assigned an academic mentor from Oxford Chemistry. Our Research Facilitators will guide you through all aspects of the application process and can offer help with application feedback, costings and interview preparation.

EoI deadlines

EoIs are reviewed on the following dates:

  • 16th January 2024
  • 14th May 2024
  • 17th September 2024

The department is welcoming of fellowship applicants from diverse backgrounds and individuals from underrepresented groups in chemistry are particularly encouraged to apply. The majority of the schemes we support applications to can be held part time for personal circumstances such as caring responsibilities or disability/chronic health conditions. Applications are welcome from applicants who are returning from a career break or those working outside of academia. Please reach out to the fellowship team (on research-facilitator@chem.ox.ac.uk) if you wish to discuss your individual circumstances with a member of the team or you have any accessibility or accommodation requirements for the application or internal selection processes. 

For those wishing to work with a supervisor to develop their own independent project

Some postdoctoral fellowships are subject to an internal selection process before application. Please contact the academic supervisor you are interested in working with and the Research Facilitation team to discuss your application.

If you are unsure of who to approach, you can start by contacting the relevant Research Theme lead or the Research Facilitation team.

Fellowships and Schemes

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Scheme Duration Eligibility Funder Deadline Suggested EoI Deadline
Future Leaders Fellowship 4 years with possible extension to 7 years See person specification

Round 9

18th June 2024

MPLS selection process applies,

deadline 11th March 2024

Scheme Duration Eligibility Funder Deadline Suggested EoI Deadline
Postdoctoral Fellowships 3 years Currently only available in Maths, Energy and Synthetic Biology.

Open - No closing date.

Not required
Open Fellowships 5 years See guidance Open - No closing date.

January

May

August

 

*From May 2023, you must apply to EPSRC responsive mode open fellowships via The Funding Service (TFS).

Scheme Duration Eligibility Funder Deadline Suggested EoI deadline
Career Development Award 5 years Postdoctoral researcher

17th April 2024.

Sept 2024.

January

May

 

Scheme Duration Eligibility Deadline Suggested EoI Deadline
BBSRC Fellowships Scheme 3 years No limit on PDRA years 2nd May 2024

No EoI.

Host laboratory required.

 

Scheme Duration Eligibility Funder Deadline Suggested EoI Deadline
Independent Research Fellowships 5 years   TBC for 2024 May
Scheme Duration Eligibility Deadline Suggested EoI Deadline
University Research Fellowship 5 years 3-8 years post PhD 10th September 2024 May
Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship

5 years

<6 years post PhD

Needs for flexible support

29th October 2024 May
Newton International Fellowship 3 years Non-UK Citizens working outside the UK. 13th March 2024

Internal Selection Deadline 30th January 2024.

Career Development Fellowship 4 years <2 years PDRA experience 24th January 2024 n/a

 

 

 

Scheme Duration Eligibility Next Deadline Suggested EoI Deadline
Wellcome Early Career Awards 5 years <3 years post PhD

15th February 2024

21st May 2024

September

January

Wellcome Career Development Awards 8 years Mid Career  Researcher

11th April 2024

25th July 2024

September

January

 

 

Scheme Duration Eligibility Deadline Suggested EoI Deadline
European Research Council Starting Grant 5 years 2-7 years post PhD

TBC for 2024*

May
Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship

1-2 Years

Maximum

8 years post PhD

September 11th 2024* No internal process

 

*For European Research Council fellowships, there is an internal Research Services deadline 2 weeks before the call deadline.

Scheme Duration Eligibility Deadline  Suggested EoI Deadline
*Ramsay Memorial Fellowships 2 years   November Not required

* These fellowships only provide only 50% of the salary. You would need to discuss with your potential supervisor how to fund the remaining 50%.

Scheme Duration Eligibility Deadline Suggested EoI Deadline
Research Fellowships 3 years <3 years post PhD January 8th 2024 Not required but internal selection process applies. Deadline 28th Nov 2023.

 

Scheme Duration Eligibility Deadline Suggested EoI Deadline
Daphne Jackson Fellowships 2-3 years After a career break of two or more years No deadlines 3-4 months before you plan to apply

 

Scheme Duration Eligibility Deadline Suggested EoI Deadline
Junior Research Fellow      

Advertised on www.jobs.ox.ac.uk

Glasstone Fellowship 3 Years     Advertised on www.jobs.ox.ac.uk

 

Glasstone Fellowships are allocated in advance to departments via an even distribution model whereby every eligible department receives the same number of fellows. Each department is allocated one of the 8 fellowships every 4 years on a rotating basis (Chemistry next due in 2025, applications open October 2024).

 

Funder Scheme Duration Eligibility
British Heart Foundation Career Re-entry Research Fellowship 4 years After a career break of two or more years

 

Scheme Duration Eligibility Deadline  Suggested EoI Deadline
*Early Career Fellowships 3 years <4 years post PhD 22nd February 2024 Not required

* These fellowships only provide only 50% of the salary. You would need to discuss with your potential supervisor how to fund the remaining 50%.

Scheme Duration Eligibility Deadline Suggested EoI Deadline
Canon Foundation Research Fellowships 3 months to 1 year  

February

September

No deadline
CRUK Career Development Fellowships 6 years  

March

January