POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCH FUNDING Lynne Parsons ext Research Support Office

It’s much harder these days to go straight into a lectureship after finishing a PhD. It’s becoming much more common to have a period of post-doctoral research to get more experience and publications before getting an academic job. So what are the options if you want to stay in academia?

Three main areas: 1.Fellowships 2.Named Research Assistant 3.Other Opportunities How do I find out more?

1. FELLOWSHIPS

The basics:  You apply in your own name  Project remit decided by you but must move beyond PhD  Variable length (few months – 3 years)  Limited numbers  Prestigious and hard to get  Often known as Early Career/Junior fellowships  I can provide examples of previously successful bids FELLOWSHIPS (1)

FELLOWSHIPS (2) Leverhulme Trust: Early Career Fellowships  3 years’ salary plus research expenses (up to £6000 p.a.)  50% funding from University/College  Application deadline March – call announced Dec/Jan  Must have completed PhD  70 awards from applications  All subjects eligible 

FELLOWSHIPS (3) British Academy: Postdoctoral Fellowships  Three years’ salary plus research expenses  Outline submissions in October; full submission March  Must be within 3 years of completion of PhD  Must have completed PhD by 1 st April in year would start  Around 45 awarded each year; announced May to start Autumn.  Humanities and Social Science subjects eligible 

FELLOWSHIPS (4) Wellcome Trust: Research Fellowships  Medical History and Humanities & Ethics & Society  Broadly interpreted could cover (e.g.) social history, sociology of health  Up to 3 years salary plus research expenses  Need a mentor in host department  Strong preference for applicants with a good prospect of achieving an academic career in subject  Two application dates each year (1 st Aug and 1 st Feb); preliminary applications at least 6 weeks before  humanities/Funding-schemes/Fellowships/WTD htmhttp:// humanities/Funding-schemes/Fellowships/WTD htm

FELLOWSHIPS (5) ESRC Future Leaders Scheme  Aims to  enable outstanding early career social scientists to develop the skills to become future world leaders in their field  fund excellent social science research projects with high potential impact  Annual call – announced in June  Less than 4 years’ post-doctoral experience  Nomination by host institution: UoL internal competition  70+ awards each year  opportunities/15938/future-research-leaders.aspxhttp:// opportunities/15938/future-research-leaders.aspx

FELLOWSHIPS (6) AHRC Fellowships – Early Career Route  Salary plus research expenses for 6-24 months  Designed to build the capacity of the leaders of the future and equip individuals to be future leaders  Must result in significant research and outputs  At least 2 years’ post-doctoral experience and up to 8  Requires nominated mentor at host institution and support from department  Also requires a contract beyond the end of the fellowship  Open call - apply any time to start circa 9 months later  Opportunities/Pages/Fellowships---Early-Career- Researchers.aspx Opportunities/Pages/Fellowships---Early-Career- Researchers.aspx

FELLOWSHIPS (7) Miscellaneous sources  A variety of organisations (e.g. Cambridge colleges, learned societies), UK and overseas  Usually for 6 – 12 months  Remits vary from specific topics to broad subjects  Advertised in a number of places  Help on where to find them later

2. NAMED RESEARCH ASSISTANT

NAMED RESEARCH ASSISTANT (1) Different to Fellowships:  Work with a particular academic to develop project  You are named on application as research assistant  Can last from 1 – 5 years  Expected to do research in application rather than your own work  Success rate varies  Application must fit funding body remit

NAMED RESEARCH ASSISTANT (2) Possible sources include:  AHRC Research Grants Scheme  ESRC Research Grants Scheme  Leverhulme Trust Research Programmes and Research Project Grants  Heritage Lottery fund and other lottery related funds  Wellcome Trust  European Union funding  Other charities and various learned bodies

3. OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES  Not everyone knows who they want to appoint on a research grant and will need to advertise.  Temporary lectureships can be a good way into academia although they can be hard work.  Miscellaneous other opportunities are out there, you just need to keep checking  Opportunities are advertised in the press and on the web.  At Leicester, you will find them on the website

4. HOW DO I FIND OUT?

FINDING OUT Two main types of websites:  Job opportunities websites  Funding opportunities websites  There is also funding available for travel etc while you are studying.

Job Opportunities    Let’s have a quick demonstration

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES    Details on how to use these sites are in the handout

Thank you. Any Questions?