Postdoctoral Fellowships
The Astronomy Section, covering the
CEA,
CfAI, and
ICC, of the
Physics Department welcomes applications from candidates interested in applying for personal fellowships at Durham University. We provide basic details and links for further information for some of the main fellowships below. The fellowship list is not exhaustive and interest from applicants for other fellowships are very welcome.
For all fellowship applications please identify a relevant member of academic staff
to act as your host in the preparation of your fellowship application. If you are unsure of who to contact then please email one
of the directors of the CEA, CfAI, and ICC or astro.secretary@durham.ac.uk:
We are committed to advancing equality and diversity and aim to ensure that our culture is inclusive. We welcome applications from everyone irrespective of gender, ethnic group, or nationality. Our systems also allow for flexible support and family-friendly working.
Fellowship summary;
Shorter duration (≤ 3 years):
- 1851 Research Fellowships
- Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship
- Leverhulme Early Career Fellowships
- Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship
- Newton International Fellowships
- Royal Astronomical Society Fellowships
- STFC Daphne Jackson Fellowships
Longer duration (>3 years):
- Faraday Discovery Fellowship
- Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship
- EPSRC Fellowships
- Royal Society University Research Fellowships
- Royal Society Career Development Fellowships
- STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellowships
- UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships
- UKRI Stephen Hawking Fellowships
Fellowship basic information;
| Deadline | Fellowship applications open from October each year |
| Eligibility and guidance | See guidance. Early career scientists or engineers with (normally) no more than 3 years post PhD experience; must take position in different institution to PhD |
| Basic award information | £6k/year travel and research expenses / 3 years either as employed or self employed
|
| Deadline | 2nd September 2025 |
| Eligibility and guidance | Need for flexible support, PhD required, up to six years postdoctoral experience / any nationality |
| Basic award information | See online: salary, research expenses, contribution to PhD student / 5 years |
| Deadline | Early May, end of Sept, end of Dec |
| Eligibility and guidance | PhD required / any nationality (Tier 1 visa required) |
| Basic award information | See guidance / 5 years |
| Deadline | Applications accepted at any time |
| Eligibility and guidance | See details / up-to 12 years post
PhD experience / must be hosted by former Humboldt fellow: Simone Scaringi
|
| Basic award information | Salary depends on personal circumstances / 6-24 months
|
| Deadline | tbc |
| Eligibility and guidance | Must have not held full-time permanent academic post in UK institution; no more than 4 years of post PhD experience.
|
| Basic award information | £6k/year travel and research / 3 years |
| Deadline | 10th September 2025 |
| Eligibility and guidance | Must be moving from a different country / any nationality |
| Basic award information | See online / 1-2 years |
| Deadline | 19th March 2025 |
| Eligibility and guidance | PhD required, up to seven years postdoctoral experience, must be residing outside the UK at least one year prior to the deadline, and not hold UK citizenship at time of application. More detailed guidance provided here. |
| Basic award information | see guidance / 3 years
|
| Deadline | tbc |
| Eligibility and guidance | PhD required, up to 5 years postdoctoral experience / any nationality (Tier 1 visa required) / Durham University can only host one fellow at a time |
| Basic award information | See guidance / 3 years |
| Deadline | 10th September 2025 |
| Eligibility and guidance | 3-8 years post PhD / any nationality (Tier 1 visa required) ( link" |
| Basic award information | See scheme notes / 5+3 years |
| Deadline | None |
| Eligibility and guidance | Flexible fellowship aimed at those returning to careers following a break; see online for more detailed information
|
| Basic award information | Part-time for 2 years with additional third year at 50-100% FTE
|
| Deadline | 1st October 2025 |
| Eligibility and guidance | See stfc-ernest-rutherford-fellowship for full information/ any nationality (successsful applicants are eligible to apply for a Global Talent Visa).
There is a quota on the number of ERF applications that can be submitted from Durham each round. All ERF applications will need to be internally reviewed. We therefore require all applicants to submit a CV, using the STFC Narrative_CV_template (2022 version), a publication list, and a
3-page research outline, including a brief additional paragraph (not counted within the 3 page limit) on why Durham and how the project connects to Durham. In addition, please identify (and contact) a member of staff to be your academic host to support
you in the preparation of your application. Please ensure that the name of your academic host is included at the top of the research outline. This material should be submitted by 15th July 2025 to astro.secretary@durham.ac.uk, and copied to your academic host.
|
| Basic award information | £5k consumables + £2k per yr travel / 5 years |
| Deadline | 18th June 2025 |
| Eligibility and guidance | See guidance / any nationality (Tier 1 visa required).
There is a quota on the number of UKRI applications that can be submitted from Durham each round. All UKRI applications will need to be internally reviewed to select which applicants can apply. For specific details please contact a member of staff; see below for our contact details. |
| Basic award information | Up to £1.5M / 4-7 years |
| Deadline | Open ended |
| Eligibility and guidance | There is a quota on the number of UKRI applications that can be submitted from Durham each round. All UKRI applications will need to be internally reviewed to select which applicants can apply. |
| Basic award information | Up to £10K equipment / up to 4 years |
| Deadline | 24th January 2024 |
| Eligibility and guidance | Early career researchers who have less than 2 years postdoc experience. Applicants can be from outside the UK.
|
| Basic award information | The fellowship offers 4 years support |
| Opening | 5th August 2025 |
| Eligibility and guidance | Mid-career
|
| Basic award information | The fellowship offers 5 years support and up to 8M pounds |
Contact Details
For all fellowship applications please identify a relevant member of
academic staff to act as your host in the preparation of your application. If you are unsure of who to contact then please email one of the directors of the CEA, CfAI, and ICC (see above for details) or
astro.secretary@durham.ac.uk.
