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HRC Postdoctoral Research Fellowships

Each year, the HRC awards up to nine non-stipendiary one-year Postdoctoral Research Fellowships, with a research grant of £1000 made available for each.

Each of the arts and humanities departments (Archaeology, English, History, History of Art, Language and Linguistic Science, Philosophy, School of Arts and Creative Technologies), and the Centre for Medieval Studies may nominate one recent doctoral graduate for a fellowship. The School of Arts and Creative Technologies may nominate two - one from each subject area (TFTI/Music).

The fellowships run for an academic year, and each of the appointed fellows will:

  • carry the title Humanities Research Centre Postdoctoral Research Fellow
  • be given personal workspace in Heslington Hall (new home of the HRC) for the academic year, enabling them to continue to benefit from, and contribute to, the intellectual, social and research life of the arts and humanities community (and the company of each other).
  • receive early career support from the HRC, including access to a bespoke mentorship programme
  • receive a research grant of £1000, payable in two instalments.

Current and former HRC Postdoctoral Research Fellows

HRC Postdoctoral Research Fellowships competition 2025-26

Applications are now invited for HRC postdoctoral research fellowships for the academic year 2025-26. These fellowships will run from 15 September 2025 (beginning of semester one) to 20 September 2026 (end of semester two).

In order to be eligible, candidates must:

  1. have received formal notification that their York-registered doctoral thesis has been passed in the 18-month period before taking up the fellowship.  

    • Candidates who are due to have their viva shortly after the 15 September 2025 may apply for a postdoctoral fellowship. However, if they are nominated as their department's candidate, their fellowship will be conditional on their passing their viva and they will only be able to start their fellowship once confirmation of this has been provided to the HRC. The fellowship will then run from the date that this documentation is provided to the HRC until the 20 September 2026.

  2. intend to be York-based for the period of the fellowship and able to make the HRC their work base, and intend to contribute to the HRC community through, for example, organising a seminar or workshop in the HRC, contributing to the HRC's outreach, or supporting the HRC's academic programme OR carry out the fellowship at a distance but with the commitment of establishing contact through online meetings and events with the HRC community.

  3. intend to make a career within academia or a related field (ie so that the award might then directly support their future employability);

  4. have a continued right to work in the UK (with official documentation to demonstrate this). 

    • Candidates holding Student Visas who intend to apply for a Graduate Visa after taking their viva may apply for a postdoctoral fellowship. However, if they are nominated as their department's candidate, the fellowship is subject to them having a continued right to work in the UK. The fellowship will then run from the date that this documentation is provided to the HRC until 20 September 2026.

Beyond these baseline requirements, departments will use their own more finely grained criteria by which to select their candidate for nomination. 

The Chair of Graduates of each department/eligible centre (or alternative officer determined by the department) will invite applications to reach them at an advertised departmental/centre address by Tuesday 8 April 2025.

The HRC must be in receipt of the one formal nomination from each department/centre by 5pm on Friday 9 May 2025.

The names of the newly appointed fellows will be announced by Friday 13 June 2025.

Please see the application form for further details about the application process: