Independent fellowships

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:

•  January 2025 date TBC
• May 2025 date TBC
• September 2025 date TBC

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.