Post-Doctoral Fellowships and Research: Application Guidelines
The Classics Faculty welcomes enquiries from potential applicants for a range of post-doctoral programmes including: British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships; ERC Starter Grants; Leverhulme Early Career Fellowships; Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships; and Wellcome Trust Research Fellowships. We are keen to support high quality applications that intersect with research already being undertaken or developed in the Faculty. A guide summarising the various schemes is available here.
Links to the relevant website, current, and past deadlines are listed below. Past deadlines show roughly when the next deadline for the programme is likely to be, but do check the website for details.
British Academy International Fellowships 2025
The BAIF are 2-year awards intended for non-UK researchers with no more than seven years active full-time postdoctoral experience at the time of application who wish to conduct research in the UK. For those applying without a PhD, all requirements for the PhD must have been completed (including viva) before the fellowship starts. The aim of programme is to attract and retain emerging international early career talent in the UK and build a globally connected, mobile research and innovation workforce.
More information and eligibility requirements can be found on the scheme website; the 2025 scheme will open in January.
Internal deadline for applications: 27 January 2025
The applications to the Faculty should include:
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CV (2 pages maximum) and list of publications NB: DORA principles should be considered when presenting research outputs.
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a draft application using the criteria listed at International Fellowships 2024 guidance notes | The British Academy under Question Guidance.
Applications submitted to the Faculty by 27 January 2025 will undergo internal scrutiny and selected applications will be supported to full submission. The outcome of the internal scrutiny will be communicated to all applicants by mid-February and the final deadline for applications submitted to the Funder is likely to be mid-March 2025.
British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024-25 (now closed)
The Faculty of Classics invites applications for the British Academy’s Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme. The scheme funds three years of research on a topic of the applicant’s choice, hosted by a UK higher education institution. To determine if you are eligible to apply, please refer to the guidance notes on the British Academy website. Applications should be submitted by email to the Classics Research Officer by 1 August 2024. Supported cases will be submitted to the University's Research Office by 2nd September 2024. The School of Arts and Humanities is holding an online information session for applicants on 25 July at 2pm; you can register to attend here
You should contact an appropriate member of the Faculty to act as mentor and to help you develop your application (for a staff list see here).
The applications to the Faculty should include:
- CV (2 pages maximum) and list of publications NB: DORA principles should be considered when presenting research outputs.
- a summary of your doctoral or other previous research
- a detailed description of the proposed research programme
- one reference from a self-nominated referee, according to the BA guidance
Please contact the Classics Research Officer if you have any questions on this scheme.
Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Fellowships 2024 (now closed)
The Faculty invites expressions of interest for postdoctoral MSCA Fellowships. Potential applicants are invited to submit an outline proposal, of no more than two sides of A4, for initial consideration by 12th July 2024. A list of host academics may be found here. For more information about registering an expression of interest and submitting a proposal please be in touch with the Classics Research Officer.
Further information on the scheme is available here.
Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship Scheme 2024 (now closed)
The Faculty invites applications from researchers to the above fellowship scheme by 31 October 2024
Matched funding for the scheme at Cambridge is provided by the Isaac Newton Trust. There is a pre-selection competition for candidates intending to apply for the Leverhulme Trust awards, which takes place in advance of the Newton Trust's deadline (normally mid-November). The Faculty of Classics may submit up to 2 applications to the Isaac Newton Trust matching funding competition.
Applicants should identify 2 referees (at least one of which must be external to Cambridge) who would be prepared to provide a reference.
Applicants are advised to refer to the Leverhulme Trust website details about the Scheme, and to check that they meet the eligibility conditions before submitting expressions of interest to the Faculty of Classics. See https://www.leverhulme.ac.uk/early-career-fellowships
An application for the internal competition consists of:
- a completed INT Internal Competition cover sheet (this can be found on the following webpage: https://www.newtontrust.cam.ac.uk/ECFs
- a brief c.v. (not exceeding two sides), and
- a draft of the three items required for the Leverhulme application:
- a list of your major publications (maximum one side)
- a statement of your current research (maximum 250 words) and
- a detailed statement of your proposed research (maximum two sides).
- two letters of reference (one should come from outside Cambridge). Note that the national stage of the Leverhulme competition requires a third reference as well, but this is not necessary for the internal INT competition.
Applicants should submit their documentation to the Research Officer by 31 October 2024.
Contacts
Faculty Research Officer: research.officer@classics.cam.ac.uk
School Research Office: http://www.ahssresearch.group.cam.ac.uk/