Fellowship opportunities

These fellowships support early career mathematicians in the transition between PhD and a postdoctoral position. The London Mathematical Society offers up to eight Fellowships of between three and six months to mathematicians who have recently or will shortly receive their PhD.

The award will be calculated at £1,820 per month plus £800 allowance for relocation/collaboration visits. The fellowships may be held at one or more institutions but not normally at the institution where the fellow received their PhD. At the time of closing date applicants must be UK residents.

The annual deadline is in January.

Find out more about the LMS Early Career Fellowships

Leverhulme Early Career Fellowships are intended to assist those at a relatively early stage of their academic careers, and it is hoped that the appointment would lead to a more permanent position for the individual, either within the same or another university.

Fellowships are tenable for 3 years on a full-time basis.

Annual deadlines are in January/February, but please note that these fellowships require some additional University processes, and so interest would need to be expressed in applying in around October/November.

Find out more about the Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowships

This fellowship is for those who finished their PhD within the last three years. Fellowships are held from 1 October in the year of award for a period of typically 3 years

Find out more about the 1851 Fellowships

EPSRC Fellowships support talented and ambitious researchers to deliver research excellence and lead our research base in the evolution of a modern working culture.

Their fellowships provide applicants with the flexibility and freedom to design a package that fits their career ambitions, research needs and personal development requirements. There is currently no deadline and projects may be held part-time.

There are no eligibility rules about how many years of postdoctoral experience you need.

Mathematical sciences postdoctoral fellowship  Projects are for up to three years. You do not need to hold a permanent academic position to be eligible for postdoctoral fellowships.

You could consider applying for a postdoctoral fellowship if you:

• have recently started formulating your own research ideas for programmes of work up to three years in duration that will deliver high quality research with a focus on mathematical sciences
• can demonstrate that you have acquired the skills and expertise to successfully deliver your research proposal
• have not previously held a significant grant (usually defined as those that included postdoctoral research associate (PDRA) time, capital equipment, or were over £100,000 full economic cost (FEC))
• have identified training and development needs to enable you to prepare for an enhanced career in research and innovation

Find out more about Mathematical sciences postdoctoral fellowship

Mathematical Sciences Early Independence Fellowship. Projects are for up to five years.

To be eligible to apply, you must:

• have completed a PhD with additional postdoctoral experience or equivalent
• show early evidence of capability to be a leading and active researcher
• show evidence of relevant skills, experience, career development and productivity across past appointments

Find out more about Mathematical Sciences Early Independence Fellowship

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships support early career researchers who have received their PhD (or have equivalent experience if based outside of academia) by the time of the deadline.

These fellowships support mobility; to be hosted at the University of York for the two year fellowship, you must not have been resident in the UK for more than 12 months in the three years immediately prior to the call deadline.

The annual deadline is typically in September.

Find out more about the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships

Grants funded by the EC for those who have submitted their thesis within the last 10 years. These can be up to 5 years duration and can fund the principal investigator alongside postdocs and PhD students with all expenses (such as fees) covered. Five year grants award up to EUR 1.5m.

The annual deadline is typically in October.

Find out more about ERC Starting grants

Newton International Fellowships support the development and training of postdoctoral researchers at an early stage of their career from any country outside the UK, by providing an opportunity to work at a UK research institution for two years.

Applicants must: must be working outside the UK and should not hold UK citizenship at the time of application; typically have not lived, worked or undertaken research in the UK in the 12 months prior to the deadline.

Changes to the scheme

Following a steep increase in applications in recent years, changes to the eligibility criteria, selection process and sponsor limits from the 2026 round have introduced, in order to ensure that the scheme could run in a sustainable way.

• In order to be eligible, applicants must have been awarded their PhD or successfully defended their doctoral thesis by the closing date for applications, and have no more than five years’ active full-time postdoctoral experience post-PhD, taking into account career breaks.
• Sponsors are limited to supporting one application per round. This does not mean one application per institution, it means that each UK academic Sponsor can only support one application in any round.

The annual deadline is typically in March.

Find out more about the Newton International Fellowships

University Research Fellowships were launched in 1983 to support the most promising early career postdoctoral scientists to build independent research careers and give them the freedom to pursue innovative and often transformative scientific research.

Applicants have the opportunity to submit a research proposal for an eight-year fellowship. The scheme is open to applicants of all nationalities who are at an early career stage (with between three and eight years of actual research experience since their PhD). This scheme is not for researchers who hold a permanent position in a University or not for profit research organisation, or hold or previously have held an equivalent fellowship within the UK.

The annual deadline is typically in early September.

Find out more about the Royal Society University Research Fellowships

Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowships offer a recognised first step into an independent research career for outstanding postdoctoral scientists who require a flexible working pattern due to personal circumstances, such as caring responsibilities or health issues.

These fellowships are highly flexible. Part-time working, sabbaticals and secondments can be accommodated as well as the provision for maternity, paternity, shared parental leave, adoptive or extended sick leave.

The annual deadline is typically in November.

Find out more about the Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowships

The Faculty for the Future program awards fellowships to women from developing and emerging economies to pursue PhD or Postdoctoral research in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields at leading universities worldwide.

The annual deadline is typically in November. 

Find out more about the Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future Fellowships

This is a pilot scheme to redress some of the imbalances in the academic workforce. It is currently  aimed at candidates with a Black heritage. The scheme is intended to provide support for talented early career researchers in taking the first step towards establishing their research in a UK institution.

You must have a PhD but less than 24 months of post-doctoral experience. The annual deadline is typically in November.

Find out more about the Royal Society Career Development Fellowship (CDF)

These fellowships offer researchers the opportunity to return to a research career after a break of two or more years for a family, health or caring reason.

By combining a personsalised retraining programme with a challenging research project, Daphne Jackson Trust Fellowships provide a vital opportunity for those looking to return to a research career. Fellowships are flexible and part-time, usually completed over two years at 0.5 FTE. They consist of a challenging research project and at least 100 hours of retraining per year.

Find out more about the Daphne Jackson Trust Fellowships