The objective of this call is to provide support to those who are in the immediately postdoctoral stage of their career, to support them in consolidating their PhD, and preparing them for the next stage of their research careers.

SGSSS and its partner universities are participating in this call. Detailed information about the call can be found at the links below. Key aspects are set out below: please read the following information carefully, and please note there are significant changes to this call compared with previous years.

Timelines

Fellowships are for a 9-month duration (full time, part-time equivalent available), starting on 1 October 2026.  

• All awards must finish by 30 June 2027, unless the awards are part time, or due to parental leave or sickness. 

The application window is necessarily short due to the Fellowship start date. All applications must be received by 23:59 BST on 1 June 2026. It is possible that universities will have their own internal processes with additional deadlines.

It is essential applicants contact their proposed university before starting an application.

View list of contact details for all eligible institutions here.

Only one full application to one DTP is allowed: duplicate applications will result in the applicant being removed from all competitions. 

Purpose and Content of Fellowship 

Fellows’ proposed programme of activities should reflect their prior knowledge and experience and be designed to support their longer term research career aspirations. In their call documents, ESRC set out suggested activities for the Fellowship. Please note: new research cannot be funded through these awards. 

Fellowships must take place at the aligned institution and cannot be completed remotely. 

Applicant UoA Alignment and Mentorship 

All Fellows are required to have a mentor who is part of the institution where the Fellowship is held. The mentor should have experience and a strong interest in the applicant’s field of research but should ideally not be the applicant’s PhD supervisor.  

Applicants must be applying to an institution that is part of the SGSSS DTP, and also  administratively aligned to an SGSSS approved Unit of Assessment (UoA) within their proposed institution. The mentor does not need to have the same alignment, however, the application needs to be able to justify why it is an appropriate mentorship arrangement. Some HEIs may choose to impose additional local conditions for their nominations regarding the alignment of the mentor. 

Eligibility 

To be eligible applicants must: 

• Have been awarded a PhD or have passed their viva voce with minor amendments by the application deadline of 1 June 2026 and have been awarded their PhD by the fellowship start date of 1 October 2026. 

• Have no more than 15 months of active postdoctoral experience. This is measured from the applicant’s viva voce pass date to the application deadline of 1 June 2026. 

Permanent members of staff in an academic position with a research component are not eligible for this scheme. If a candidate has previously been employed on a part-time basis, that employment can be calculated on a pro-rata basis. 

International Students

Due to the short duration of the Fellowship, and the likely salaries which will be offered by institutions, applicants who will require a visa to work in the UK are strongly advised to seek advice from their proposed university before progressing with an application.  

If an applicant experiences delays in securing a visa in order to start the Fellowship on 1 October 2026, the end date of 30 June 2027 cannot be extended. Therefore the grant awarded will be shortened and it is unlikely work of significant value can be achieved or the benefits of the Fellowship maximised. If applicants cannot be certain of obtaining a visa in time for the grant start date, this Fellowship may not be an appropriate opportunity for them. 

Please note SGSSS cannot provide any advice or guidance about right to work or visa applications.