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 of English at the University of Oxford invites expressions of interest from postdoctoral and completing graduate scholars who wish to apply for the British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme for entry in 2024.

The Fellowships are designed to enable outstanding, recent postdoctoral scholars in the Humanities or Social Sciences to obtain experience of research and teaching in a university environment for a period of three years, to strengthen their research and teaching track record and to improve their prospects of obtaining permanent posts by the end of the fellowship.  More information about the scheme is available on the British Academy website (which will be updated with the 2023 call details from 5 July). There are strict eligibility requirements and potential candidates are advised to check these carefully.

Candidates who intend to apply for a BA Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Faculty are asked to submit an application form to ref@ell.ox.ac.uk no later than 31 July 2023. You should also ask your proposed mentor to send a brief note of support to the same address by the same date. 

Please note that all applicants should have secured the agreement of a potential mentor within the Faculty, but mentors are not expected to provide any input into applications ahead of this stage.

You are also welcome to include, if appropriate, a separate statement of any circumstances that you feel may have impacted on your research track record (such as illness, parental leave, etc). 

There is no guarantee that applications which arrive after the above date will be supported or processed.  Candidates selected by the Faculty will be contacted by the Division’s Research Facilitation team with further information on the process and timetable for submitting your application via the British Academy application system.  An online webinar for candidates selected by Faculties will be held on Wednesday 6 September 9.30-11.00.

Download the application form.

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 22 February 2024, 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 12:00pm on Monday, 11 December 2023. Expressions of interest must be submitted using this form.

Expressions of interest should consist of:

1. a 100 word abstract summarising the research for a general audience

2. details of current and past research

3. detailed statement of proposed research

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 Monday, 11 December 2023 (you must request that your referees send their references to the Faculty by this date)

7. a copy of your CV in addition to the Expression of Interest form

Please see the Expression of Interest form for further information

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 .