Fellowship Opportunities
Postdoctoral Fellowships
The Astronomy Section, covering the CEA, CfAI, and ICC of the Physics Department, welcomes applications from candidates interested in applying for personal fellowships at Durham University. We provide basic details and links for further information for some of the main fellowships below. The fellowship list is not exhaustive and interest from applicants for other fellowships are very welcome.
For all fellowship applications please identify a relevant member of academic staff to act as your host in the preparation of your fellowship application. If you are unsure of who to contact then please email one of the directors of the CEA, CfAI, and ICC or astro.secretary@durham.ac.uk:
- Alastair Edge: alastair.edge@durham.ac.uk (Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy (CEA))
- Kieran O'Brien: kieran.s.obrien@durham.ac.uk (Centre for Advanced Instrumentation (CfAI))
- Andrew Pontzen: andrew.p.pontzen@durham.ac.uk (Institute for Computational Cosmology (ICC))
We are committed to advancing equality and diversity and aim to ensure that our culture is inclusive. We welcome applications from everyone irrespective of gender, ethnic group, or nationality. Our systems also allow for flexible support and family-friendly working. Please see the description of Our Culture and working envirnoment.
Fellowship Summary
Shorter Duration (≤ 3 years)
Longer Duration (> 3 years)
Fellowship Basic Information
1851 Research Fellowships
Deadline: Fellowship applications open from October each year
Eligibility: See guidance. Early career scientists or engineers with (normally) no more than 3 years post PhD experience; must take position in different institution to PhD.
Award: £6k/year travel and research expenses / 3 years either as employed or self employed
Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship
Deadline: 2nd September 2025
Eligibility: Need for flexible support, PhD required, up to six years postdoctoral experience / any nationality.
Award: See online: salary, research expenses, contribution to PhD student / 5 years
EPSRC Fellowships
Deadline: Early May, end of Sept, end of Dec
Eligibility: PhD required / any nationality (Tier 1 visa required).
Award: See guidance / 5 years
Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship
Deadline: Applications accepted at any time
Eligibility: See details / up-to 12 years post PhD experience / must be hosted by former Humboldt fellow: Simone Scaringi
Award: Salary depends on personal circumstances / 6-24 months
Leverhulme Early Career Fellowships
Deadline: tbc
Eligibility: Must have not held full-time permanent academic post in UK institution; no more than 4 years of post PhD experience.
Award: £6k/year travel and research / 3 years
Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship
Deadline: 10th September 2025
Eligibility: Must be moving from a different country / any nationality.
Award: See online / 1-2 years
Newton International Fellowships
Deadline: 19th March 2025
Eligibility: PhD required, up to seven years postdoctoral experience, must be residing outside the UK at least one year prior to the deadline, and not hold UK citizenship at time of application. More detailed guidance provided here.
Award: see guidance / 3 years
Royal Astronomical Society Fellowships
Deadline: tbc
Eligibility: PhD required, up to 5 years postdoctoral experience / any nationality (Tier 1 visa required) / Durham University can only host one fellow at a time.
Award: See guidance / 3 years
Royal Society University Research Fellowships
Deadline: 10th September 2025
Eligibility: 3-8 years post PhD / any nationality (Tier 1 visa required) (link)
Award: See scheme notes / 5+3 years
STFC Daphne Jackson Fellowships
Deadline: None
Eligibility: Flexible fellowship aimed at those returning to careers following a break; see online for more detailed information.
Award: Part-time for 2 years with additional third year at 50-100% FTE
STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellowships
Deadline: 1st October 2025
Eligibility: See stfc-ernest-rutherford-fellowship for full information/ any nationality (successsful applicants are eligible to apply for a Global Talent Visa).
There is a quota on the number of ERF applications that can be submitted from Durham each round. All ERF applications will need to be internally reviewed. We therefore require all applicants to submit a CV, using the STFC Narrative_CV_template (2022 version), a publication list, and a 3-page research outline, including a brief additional paragraph (not counted within the 3 page limit) on why Durham and how the project connects to Durham. In addition, please identify (and contact) a member of staff to be your academic host to support you in the preparation of your application. Please ensure that the name of your academic host is included at the top of the research outline. This material should be submitted by 15th July 2025 to astro.secretary@durham.ac.uk, and copied to your academic host.
Award: £5k consumables + £2k per yr travel / 5 years
UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships
Deadline: 18th June 2025
Eligibility: See guidance / any nationality (Tier 1 visa required).
There is a quota on the number of UKRI applications that can be submitted from Durham each round. All UKRI applications will need to be internally reviewed to select which applicants can apply. For specific details please contact a member of staff.
Award: Up to £1.5M / 4-7 years
UKRI Stephen Hawking Fellowships
Deadline: Open ended
Eligibility: There is a quota on the number of UKRI applications that can be submitted from Durham each round. All UKRI applications will need to be internally reviewed to select which applicants can apply.
Award: Up to £10K equipment / up to 4 years
Career Development Fellowship
Deadline: 24th January 2024
Eligibility: Early career researchers who have less than 2 years postdoc experience. Applicants can be from outside the UK.
Award: The fellowship offers 4 years support
Faraday Discovery Fellowship
Opening: 5th August 2025
Eligibility: Mid-career
Award: The fellowship offers 5 years support and up to 8M pounds