Fellowship opportunities

The person specification and application process is outlined on the Fellowships recruitment website.

The website outlines the available appointments for each of the areas of research specialism.

The application window will be available for 8 weeks and will close on 29 May 2024.

Interviews will be held on-site in Manchester (where practical) in the week  commencing 17 and 24 June 2024.

We aim to make offers to successful candidates in the week commencing 3 July 2024.

Third Century Fellowship Scheme is offering a maximum of 15 fellowships across the Faculties of Arts and Humanities, Business and Law, Health and Education and Science and Engineering.

By joining our Fellowship Scheme, you’ll play a leading part in our global research offering and join our community, working collaboratively across multidisciplinary and diverse teams with state-of-the-art facilities and supportive work environment.

You will benefit from a three-year development programme including:

• exceptional research environment and facilities to support your ambitions/research
• competitive salary, excellent pension and holiday entitlement, enhanced family leave and more
• access to a three-year development programme, which will be underpinned by the Leadership Lens on the Vitae Researcher Development Framework, a well-established sector-wide tool for the career and professional development of research leaders. This will include mentorship throughout the programme and access to coaching sessions
• diverse teams, colleagues and staff networks

During the term of the fellowship, you will be publishing internationally excellent and world-leading outputs and will be pursuing external funding opportunities to realise your future research ambitions. You will also have the opportunity, when relevant, to prepare and deliver short teaching courses.

The Scheme begins with an initial appointment to a fixed-term Research Fellow post with the strong expectation to transition to permanent Senior Lecturer or as a Reader, after three years, dependant on your performance and potential as assessed through the scheme.

Applicants will be assessed competitively across the four faculties that are welcoming applications.

You can view the eligibility criteria for each appointment on the Fellowships recruitment webpages.

We will manage applications for this round through a two-stage internal process. Expressions of Interest are now invited from potential applicants for stage 1 – to be returned by 16 February 2024.  An internal selection process will determine which proposals will progress to a full application (stage 2).

The deadline for the full proposals selected is 30 April 2024. Support with proposal development will be offered to successful applicants progressing to stage 2. Peer reviews and a panel meeting will decide which full proposals will be submitted externally to UKRI on the deadline of 18 June 2024. 

Manchester Metropolitan University is committed to supporting the rights, responsibilities, dignity, health and wellbeing of staff and students through our commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We promote applications from all sections of the community, irrespective of background, belief, or identity, recognising the benefits that a diverse organisation can bring.

The UK Research and Innovation Future Leaders Fellowships (FLF) scheme will support early career researchers and innovators with outstanding potential. The support of the institution will be a critical component of all Fellowships which will enable the Fellow to transition to or establish their research/innovation independence in any area supported by UKRI. Fellows can be from outside the host institution and can come from beyond the UK.

The objectives of the scheme are to:

• Develop, retain, attract, and sustain research and innovation talent in the UK.
• Foster new research and innovation career paths including those at the academic/business and interdisciplinary boundaries, and facilitate movement of people between disciplines, organisations, and sectors.
• Provide sustained funding and resources for the best early career researchers and innovators.
• Provide long-term, flexible funding to tackle difficult and novel challenges, and support adventurous, ambitious programmes.

The full scheme details can be found on the UKRI website. The guidance states that the scheme supports early career researchers (ECRs) with outstanding potential. UKRI does not define what is meant by an ECR, but does include a section on eligibility as an individual that describes the suitability of an ECR for this scheme.

This scheme aims to support excellent and high potential future research and innovation leaders. Applicants must demonstrate within their application how the UKRI FLF award will support and enable their long-term career goals and clearly demonstrate that their skills and experience at the time of application match those expected.

1. Applicants are expected to hold a doctorate by the start date of the Fellowship or to be able to demonstrate equivalent research experience and/or training. These Fellowships are for early career academics and innovators who are transitioning to establishing independence. Senior academics and innovators are not permitted to apply. There are no eligibility rules based on years since PhD or whether the applicant currently holds a permanent/open-ended academic position or job role. Applicants should use the person specification to assess and justify their suitability for the scheme with reference to the objectives of the programme.
    
2. Applicants must have significant support from their hosting organisation(s). Host organisations are also encouraged to use the scheme to bring outstanding individuals to the UK from abroad.
    
3. Applications are welcome from those returning to research or innovation from a career break or following time in other roles; there are no time limits in respect of time spent outside a research or innovation environment.
    
4. Fellowships may be held on a part-time basis in order to combine research/innovation with personal responsibilities. Applicants can propose to hold a Fellowship on a part-time basis for four years or can choose to request a part-time Fellowship over a longer time-period which would have equated to four years full-time as they wish; job shares are also possible.
    
5. It is expected that Fellows’ full working time will be committed to these Fellowships or activities related to the Fellowship from the start of the award. Those with substantial ongoing research commitments because of participation in other grants must relinquish these in order to hold a UKRI FLF award.

The scheme offers long-term and flexible funding, with seven years of support available on a 4+3 model, with a review in year 4. The support case should make clear the long-term aims of the programme, and why they matter – while providing more specific plans and costings for the first four years. Successful applicants will have the intellectual and financial freedom to develop and change direction over this period.

To be confirmed.

The British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship offers outstanding early career researchers the opportunity to strengthen their experience of research and teaching in an academic environment. This scheme aims to help develop the award holder’s curriculum vitae and boost their prospects of obtaining a permanent academic post. The primary emphasis is on the completion of a significant piece of publishable research, and the integration of the award holder into the community of established scholars within their field.

To be confirmed.

To be confirmed.

To be confirmed.  

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.

Fellowships can be held at UK universities with research degree awarding powers.  The Fellowships are intended to assist those at a relatively early stage of their academic careers, and it is hoped that the appointment would lead to a more permanent position for the individual, either within the same or another university.

The awards are tenable for 36 months and must commence between 1 September 2024 and 1 May 2025.

It is vital that applicants understand the goals and remit of the Leverhulme Trust.

To be confirmed.

To be confirmed.

The University is managing applications for MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships through a two-stage process.

In Stage 1 potential applicants are invited to submit an expression of interest for consideration. The deadline for expressions of interest is 14 February 2024. An internal selection process will determine which proposals will progress to full application (Stage 2), and where required, will identify a suitable supervisor for potential applicants.

Applicants selected to progress to Stage 2 will be offered support with proposal development from both their nominated supervisor and Manchester Met’s Research Development Team. The deadline for preparation of full proposals will be 31 July 2024. Following successful peer review, proposals will be submitted to the European Commission by 10 September 2024.

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships support the mobility of postdoctoral researchers through two routes: European Postdoctoral Fellowships and Global Postdoctoral Fellowships.

European Postdoctoral Fellowships (1-2 years duration)

Open to eligible researchers of any nationality moving within Europe or coming to Europe from another part of the world. Fellowships are hosted in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country (including UK).

Global Postdoctoral Fellowships (2-3 years duration)

Open to eligible nationals or long-term residents of EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries (including UK). The fellowships include an outgoing (Global) phase in a country which is neither an EU Member State nor a Horizon Europe Associated Country. This is followed by a mandatory 12 month return phase in an EU Member State or Associated Country.

For more information see the Funding & tenders webpage.

The scheme has eligibility criteria relating to experience of the fellow and residency as follows:

Experience

At the call deadline (11 September 2024), fellows must have a maximum of 8 years full-time equivalent experience in research, measured from the date that the researcher was in possession of a doctoral degree(defined as a successfully defended doctoral thesis, even if the doctoral degree has yet to be awarded). Years of experience outside research and career breaks (e.g., due to parental leave), will not be taken into account.

Residency

For European Postdoctoral Fellowships hosted by Manchester Metropolitan University, individuals must not have spent more than 12 months in the 36 months before the call deadline living, working, or studying in the UK.

For Global Postdoctoral Fellowships, fellows should not have spent more than 12 months in the 36 months before the call deadline living, working, or studying in the country where they will undertake their outgoing phase.

For the outgoing phase of Global Fellowships, the Living allowance element will be adjusted for cost of living for the host country and may be lower than the figure above.

You will also receive support for research, training, and networking activities of €1,000 per month.

The deadline for the full proposals selected is 2 May 2024. Support with proposal development will be offered to successful applicants progressing to full application stages. Peer reviews and a panel meeting will decide which full proposals will be submitted externally to BBSRC on the deadline of 2 May 2024.

The application will be made through the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service.

Manchester Metropolitan University is committed to supporting the rights, responsibilities, dignity, health and wellbeing of staff and students through our commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We promote applications from all sections of the community, irrespective of background, belief, or identity, recognising the benefits that a diverse organisation can bring.

The 2024 BBSRC Fellowships scheme, offers an exciting opportunity for early career researchers. The scheme aims to support independent research within a host laboratory and foster leadership skills. Applicants on an upward trajectory to pursuing working independently and developing research leadership are encouraged to apply.

You should be able to demonstrate appropriate and relevant research or innovation experience. This could be through:

• completion of a PhD or other higher qualification
• relevant employment within a research or innovation environment

You do not need to hold, or be studying for, a PhD in order to apply.

You must also be able to evidence reasonable scientific and technical skills and competencies, in line with the ambitions of the Discovery Fellowships scheme.

If you are currently studying for a PhD, you are only eligible if you are expecting to have passed your PhD viva before 30 November 2024.

There is no limit on the number of years postdoctoral or work experience.

Holders of postdoctoral training fellowships such as the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions can apply. Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin fellows and Daphne Jackson Trust fellows who meet all eligibility requirements may also apply.

Applicants that have been included on applications as a researcher co-lead are eligible to apply, provided they still meet all eligibility criteria.

You may only submit one application for a BBSRC Fellowship scheme each year.

You should not apply if you hold, or have ever held:

• a position at lecturer level (or the equivalent in an institution other than a university)
• an equivalent competitive fellowship that allows you to establish an independent research group, and therefore independent researcher status

In addition, you should not have been offered such an appointment before taking up a BBSRC Fellowship. This applies to both fixed-term and permanent positions, and includes positions held at overseas institutions.

The total fund available for this scheme is £9,000,000.

The duration of this award is three years and must start by 1 July 2025.

There is no limit on the value of the grant. BBSRC will fund 80% of the full economic cost (FEC). They aim to award approximately fifteen grants with the funds available.

Although there is no upper FEC limit for this award, you are encouraged to justify how the resources requested are reasonable in the context of the proposed research. Please note what they will and will not fund below.

Funding can be used to support:

• personal salary
• travel and subsistence
• training activities
• research consumables
• technician support
• visa costs if required

Funding cannot be used to support:

• researchers or research staff
• purchasing of equipment (for example personal computers, laptops, other computing equipment cameras, or hiring of equipment)