Research staff and postdocs

Early Career Researchers at York are entitled to participate in a minimum of ten days (pro rata per year) professional development. Our ‘Looking Beyond Horizons’ resources have been developed to help early career researchers to make informed choices about their professional development and career needs. View the Looking Beyond Horizons’ resources

Dates for your diary

Research Spotlight is an annual University-wide conference (previously known as Celebrating Spaces: Connecting Researchers) which brings together the research community at York and celebrates the people behind the scenes who make it happen.

The Research Spotlight conference 2026 will be held on 25 June. It is open to all university staff members and PGRs and is free to attend. 

Book your free place

Research Staff Liaison Officers (RSLOs)

RSLOs provide a link between research staff (postdocs, researchers, fellows) and the central support teams. The Officers work with researchers across Faculties and with early career/postdoc associations, to ensure that their needs are represented at the at the University Research Culture Working Group and within the University's Concordat Action Plan.

Learn more about Research Staff Representation 

Support for Research Fellows

We run an annual Preparing for Fellowship Success programme to support Fellowship applicants. The programme provides the space, time and support for exceptional early career researchers to develop a Fellowship application. It is aimed at internal and external high calibre postdocs and early career researchers who intend to submit a Fellowship application within 9-12 months. Find out more about our Support for Fellows at the University of York.

York Assistant Research Supervisor Scheme (YARSS)

The York Assistant Research Supervisor Scheme (YARSS) is a new initiative designed to formally recognise the vital contributions made by researchers, post docs, research associates and technicians who informally support Postgraduate Researcher (PGR) supervision. Based on a scheme introduced at Imperial College London, the Assistant Supervisor Scheme ensures that your expertise is appropriately validated and integrated into the official supervisory team.

British Academy Early Career Researcher Network

Open to all SHAPE Early Career Researchers from social sciences and arts & humanities disciplines, the BA ECRN has launched a new Yorkshire and Humber cluster, offering fantastic opportunities for humanities and social sciences researchers in the region.

The cluster is led by the University of York on behalf of the White Rose University Consortium (which includes the University of Leeds and The University of Sheffield), and York St. John University.
 
The network is designed to provide tailored support to meet the professional and research needs of early career researchers in SHAPE disciplines, and is open to those who have completed their PhD qualification or have equivalent research experience in the SHAPE disciplines - see the BA website for full eligibility criteria. 

Members will benefit from mentoring schemes, training, networking events, grant-writing retreats, academic book publishing conferences, travel grants to attend network events and conferences, and seed funding opportunities. Sign up to be an ECRN member to access the Network’s opportunities & resources.

Celebrating National Postdoc Appreciation Week 2025

As part of NPAW 2025, we invited Staff and Students from the University of York to nominate a postdoc or member of Research Staff who excels in what they do, who goes the extra mile, who contributes to the university, who supports their colleagues and Students, or for any other reason they might deserve the recognition! See the nominations below:

Resources for Researchers

Need help finding funding, writing a grant application, or want to become more involved in public engagement? A wide range of Resources for Researchers are available.