ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship – Scottish Graduate School of Social Science

Owing to the later launch ESRC will run an adapted scheme for 2026/27 and projects will only last 9 months starting on 1 October 2026 and ending 30 June 2027 (rather than the usual 12 months).

Also please note that in a change from previous years, no new research is allowed as part of your Fellowship - it is solely for activities associated with consolidating the work you conducted in your PhD.

The scheme will be a 2-stage process with a submission deadline for outline applications to the University of Edinburgh Research Office (ERO) of Friday 24th April 2026 (12 noon UK time). ERO will then select candidates to be invited to submit a second stage application.

If you wish to apply for SSPS hosted fellowship you need to contact ssps.research@ed.ac.uk by Wednesday 22 April 2026 at 12 noon (UK time) to let us know of your intention to apply and confirming who in SSPS has agreed to be your mentor.

This ESRC scheme is linked to their Doctoral Training Partnerships. The scheme is aimed at those in the initial postdoctoral stage of their career, to provide the opportunity to consolidate their PhD through developing publications, their networks, and their research and professional skills. Proposals are welcomed from both single and combinations of disciplines but fellowship activities must be based at least 51% within the social sciences.

For more information please visit the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science website

Eligibility

The call is open to applicants who have completed their PhD at a research organisation in the UK that is part of a Doctoral Training Partnership or Centre for Doctoral Training and who 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. If a candidate has previously been employed on a part-time basis, that post doctoral research experience can be calculated on a pro-rata basis. At the submission deadline, the applicant must either have been awarded a PhD or have submitted their thesis and passed their viva voce with minor corrections, with the expectation that the PhD will be awarded by the Fellowship start date.

Application process

There is a two stage application process: Applicants for Stage 1 are assessed by a panel within the University, with only selected candidates going forward to Stage 2.

There is also an internal SPS School process, which all potential candidates must first apply to:

All applicants to this Fellowship must have a mentor (SPS core academic staff) based within the School. The mentor should have experience and a strong interest in the applicant’s field of research but should not be the applicant’s PhD supervisor. The prospective applicant has the responsibility of first identifying, contacting and securing an agreed mentor for a proposed project application. We strongly encourage all applicants to contact prospective mentors before the call opens, and work closely with them in developing their application.
Applicants must notify the SPS Research Office of intention to apply by Email to ssps.research@ed.ac.uk and provide confirmation from their agreed mentor by 12 noon (UK time) on Wednesday 22 April 2026 (but ideally as soon as the mentor has agreed).
Thereafter, deadlines are as follows:
- Friday 24 April 2026 by 12 noon (UK time): University of Edinburgh deadline for submission of Stage 1 outline application* to charis.wilson@ed.ac.uk and ssps.research@ed.ac.uk
- Friday 8 May 2026: Stage 1 University of Edinburgh selection panel outcome communicated to applicants.
- Monday 18 May 2026: Stage 2 invitees to submit draft budget to SSPS Research Office ssps.research@ed.ac.uk and draft proposal to internal SSPS peer reviewers.
- Monday 25 May 2026: Final draft Stage 2 application ready for SSPS RO and Edinburgh Research Office (ERO) review
- Monday 1 June 2026: SGSSS deadline for Stage 2 application
Applicants must read through all eligibility and scheme guidance on the SGSSS website; Postdoctoral Fellowship (PDF) Scheme - Scottish Graduate School of Social Science and a copy of the stage 1 application and mentor statement forms will be sent to applicants who have registered interest in applying for a SSPS hosted fellowship.

*For the Stage 1 outline application (EoI) applicants are required to submit the following:
Stage 1 Outline Application to comprise of:
- Outline form, word template to download below:
- Case for support (4 sides of A4)
- CV (2 sides of A4)
- Mentor Statement (1 side of A4), word template to download
- List of Publications (where cited in the proposal)

Further information about the Case for support (maximum four sides of A4).

This must be structured to include the following headings:

Abstract/summary of progress
Applicants should provide either a summary or abstract of their in-progress or completed thesis. This should be no more than one page and should include its main claims to originality and excellence, methodology used and significant findings. It should also describe the impacts your research has had or that you expect it to have.
Research-related achievements
This section requires a well-structured summary of 'where you are now' in your training and personal development. This will help reviewers decide whether an applicant is at a stage in their career development where a fellowship will have an important and lasting impact on their ability to work as a professional researcher. We are also interested in the impact the applicant's training to date has had on their skills development and on their prospects for a successful research career.
Planned programme of activities
This section should detail your planned programme of activities. Please note that the programme of activities should be tailored to support your longer term career aspirations, whether you are aiming for a career in academia or a research career in the broader economy.