Postdoctoral Fellowships

The Faculty invites Expressions of Interest from researchers who wish to apply to the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship scheme (European Fellowships).

Candidates need to check carefully the detailed guidance for the scheme to ensure they are eligible. Broadly:

• Candidates should have a doctoral degree by the time of the deadline for applications (13 September 2023)

• Candidates must have a maximum of eight years’ experience in research, from the date of the award of their doctoral degree

• Candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the UK for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the call deadline

https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/actions/postdoctoral-fellowships

The Faculty will select applications to support. Those interested should send a CV, including a list of publications, and a two-page outline of the proposed research, addressing the aims and objectives of their intended project, research questions, its methodology, as well as intended outcomes, to ref@ell.ox.ac.uk. They should mention the name of a member of the Faculty who is willing to act as their sponsor, and describe how their research would enrich the Faculty’s portfolio. They should also ask a referee to send a brief letter of support to the same address. The internal deadline for Expressions of Interest is Monday 5 June 2023, 5:00pm

Oxford has an award-winning partnership with the National Trust, Europe's largest conservation charity, which cares for historic properties and areas of beautiful countryside in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The partnership facilitates cutting-edge research into the National Trust’s inspiring places and collections which is then embedded into interpretation and public programming initiatives. Applicants interested in a 6-month post-project placement in the heritage sector with the National Trust should contact Helen Appleton.

EU Funding Situation

At the current time, the UK has still not associated with the EU research programme, Horizon Europe, and there is a possibility that the negotiations will end without agreement.  There is currently a UK government guarantee in place to fund proposals that have been submitted to earlier Horizon Europe calls in any eventuality.  However, this guarantee has not been extended to the MSC Fellowship call this year, and no decision has been taken on whether it will be.  There is a risk, therefore, that any applications to the scheme from UK institutions will not be funded. The Humanities Division Research Facilitation team  are happy to discuss this with applicants, but at the current time we can only proceed as normal, but with awareness of the risk.

The Faculty welcomes interest from suitably qualified applicants in this year's British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme, for awards to be taken up in September or October 2023. The scheme is designed to "offer opportunities for outstanding early career researchers to strengthen their experience of research and teaching in a university environment which will develop their curriculum vitae and improve their prospects of obtaining permanent lecturing posts by the end of the Fellowship."

Further details can be found on the British Academy website.

Applicants applying to hold fellowships in the Faculty of English Language and Literature at Oxford are asked to follow the steps listed below:

1. Consider whether this is the best year for you to make the application. Unsuccessful applicants will only be able to resubmit the following year if they are invited to do so by the British Academy.

2. Ensure you meet the eligibility criteria. You must have completed your viva voce between 1 April 2020 and 1 April 2023, plus you must not have held a permanent academic post. This extended eligibility period is in view of the difficulties faced by researchers as a result of the pandemic, and the impact that COVID-19 may have had on the ability of some researchers to make applications in the past year. Candidates are invited to provide a statement of any circumstances they feel may have impacted their research track record.  Any information received will be treated confidentially and shared only with the Chair of the selection panel.

3. Think about who your referee for the BA application will be. One referee, usually the external examiner, is required. For guidance on the choice of referee see the British Academy FAQs. (This referee does not need to supply a reference for the internal Faculty deadline.)

4. Identify and approach a potential Faculty mentor. Ask your mentor to write a brief statement of support, confirming that they would be happy to act in this role. Statements and any questions about them should be emailed to ref@ell.ox.ac.uk by noon on Monday, 1 August 2022.

5. Prepare and submit the Expression of Interest form to ref@ell.ox.ac.uk by noon on Monday 1 August 2022.

Please note candidates need to have the agreed support from a member of Faculty, but they should not expect any input into their application at the EoI stage.

If you are interested in applying to this scheme via the Faculty of English, please email ref@ell.ox.ac.uk with the following information by 12PM on Monday 21 February 2023.

1. Reasons for choice of Host Institution
2. Abstract (400 words max.)
3. Research Proposal (1,500 words max.)
4. The names of your Nominated Referees
5. A full budget table
6. A CV

Eligibility criteria and further information is available on this webpage: International Fellowships 2023 guidance notes | The British Academy

Leverhulme Early Career Fellowships are designed to support scholars at a relatively early stage of their academic careers (defined as having submitted their thesis for viva voce examination no more than 4 years prior to the closing date), but with a proven record of research. Fellowships are tenable for three years on a full-time basis. Further details about the scheme are available on the Leverhulme Trust website.

The deadline for the Leverhulme scheme is 23 February 2023, but to enable the Faculty to select the candidates that it wishes to support, applicants must submit expressions of interest to the Faculty (to ref@ell.ox.ac.uk) by 23.59 on Sunday, 11 December 2022. Expressions of interest must be submitted using this form: https://forms.office.com/r/PAgsu6AEhX

Expressions of interest should consist of:

1. a maximum two-page CV including education, publications, any awards, thesis title and examiners;

2. a maximum two-page draft statement of research (which may use similar headings to that in the Leverhulme scheme’s notes of guidance);

3. a 150 word abstract summarising the research for a general audience;

4. an indication of what additional research expenses may be claimed (up to £6,000 p.a. available from the Leverhulme Trust);

5. whether you have identified a Faculty mentor who would be prepared to support your application.

6. Two references which must be sent direct to the Faculty by Sunday, 11 December 2022 (you must request that your referees send their references to the Faculty by this date)

Potential applicants must not open a Leverhulme application until Faculty support is confirmed in writing.

Please note: The Leverhulme Trust panel that makes these awards encourages a change of institution for its award holders. Potential applicants with Oxford DPhils must therefore ensure that their draft statement of research makes a compelling case as to why they need to remain at Oxford to undertake postdoctoral work.

Please ensure you meet the eligibility criteria for the Leverhulme scheme before applying.