ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowships
Notify Faculty of intention to apply by: 8 January 2024
Funder deadline: 16 May 2024
The Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership invite applications for up to four one year ESRC-funded postdoctoral fellowships to be based at one of the partner institutions: Brunel University London, the Open University or the University of Oxford.
Fellowships are aimed at those in the immediately postdoctoral stage of their career, to provide the opportunity to consolidate their PhD through developing publications, their networks, and their research and professional skills. Proposals are welcome from single or multi-disciplinary backgrounds but the fellowship activities must be aligned to one of the Grand Union DTP’s 23 thematic pathways and based at least 50% within the social sciences.
The total cost for each fellowship can include Fellow’s salary costs, indirect costs, estate costs, and up to a maximum of £10,000 for all other costs (to include costs such as mentoring costs, travel and subsistence, conference attendance, training, and fieldwork, for example).
The call will be open to applicants who have undertaken their PhD at a research organisation that is part of an ESRC-funded DTP or CDT. At the application submission deadline (16 May 2024), the applicant must either have been awarded a PhD or have submitted their thesis and passed their viva voce with minor corrections, with the expectation that the PhD will be awarded by the fellowship start date. Fellowships must start 1 October 2024.
Grants are restricted to those with no more than 12 months active postdoctoral experience, between passing their viva and the application deadline of 16 May 2024.
Visit the Grand Union website for full details
As the DTP structure was under review in 2023, there was a delay in announcing the deadline for the 2024 scheme's timeline. As of 21 February, it has now been confirmed that the scheme will have 16th May 2024 deadline, as opposed to the usual late March deadline.
Internal selection process
For the 2024 scheme, an Expressions of Interest stage is being trialled. Departments will be able to put forward one candidate each, who will be assessed by the DTP. Applicants are requested to submit a CV (2x sides of A4 maximum, font size 11) and case for support (6 sides of A4 maximum, font size 11) to the Faculty of Law if they wish to be considered, using this Expression of Interest form, plus a mentor's letter of support (2 pages max).
The Faculty will be limited to supporting only one application and will therefore need to hold an internal selection process before the selected candidate's proposal is forwarded to the DTP for confirmation.
The deadline for expressions of interest forms to be submitted to the Faculty via research@law.ox.ac.uk for consideration will be 5pm 19 March 2024. Applicants will be notified if they have been accepted to submit a full application by 11 April 2024 at the latest. The deadline for full submissions will be 12 noon 16 May 2024. The application form and required documents will need to be submitted as a single PDF by Faculty research administration on behalf of the candidate.