External post-doctoral fellowships
Information about, and links to, key external fellowships available to recent PhD graduates.
Securing a post-doctoral level fellowship soon after your PhD is a strong way to set the stage for developing your independent career. These are usually for two to three years and can be fully funded (salary and consumables) or may fund only your salary but provide good leverage to obtain other awards.
The key schemes available include:
Wellcome Fellowships
Wellcome have recently updated their funding schemes and now offer Wellcome Early-Career Awards for early-career researchers from any discipline who are ready to develop their research identity. By the end of the award, they will be ready to lead their own independent research programme. These are aimed at newly-qualified PhDs with generally no more than 3 years postdoctoral experience. Salary and up to £400,000 for research expenses are available.
Leverhulme Early Career Fellowships
For early career researchers, with a research record but who have not yet held a full-time permanent academic post, to undertake a significant piece of publishable work.
Leverhulme Early Career Fellowships website
European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO) Postdoctoral Fellowships
These fellowships support excellent postdoctoral researchers throughout Europe and the world for a period of up to two years. International mobility is a key requirement. The fellowship includes a salary or stipend, a relocation allowance and support for fellows with children.
EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowships website
BBSRC Discovery Fellowships
These fellowships are available to a value of up to £400,000 to support the first steps into independent research and gain leadership skills. Projects must be within the remit of BBSRC and those that fit BBSRC’s strategic priorities are encouraged. Discovery Fellowships are three years long and in 2021 there were up to 15 fellowships available.
Medical Research Council Career Development Award
These enable postdoctoral researchers to lead their own research plans and establish their own research teams to make the transition from postdoctoral researchers to independent investigators. Funding is provided for five years and covers salary, support for research staff, consumables, travel costs and capital equipment.