These fellowships are usually a first or second post-doctoral position, where the fellow is tied to an existing research group. These funds provide the fellow's salary and research costs only.

This category includes Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships, Wellcome Early Career Awards, BBSRC Fellowships (formerly BBSRC Discovery Fellowships), Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship, EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowships, and similar awards listed below.

You should independently contact any potential supervisors to discuss your proposal, and a Loke CTR PI must agree to act as a supervisor before you request application support.

These fellowships usually require at least three years of post-doctoral experience, where the sponsor provides funds for the fellow's salary and a research grant that allows the appointment of a post-doc or a research assistant to form a research group.

This category includes Wellcome Career Development Awards, MRC Career Development Fellowship, Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship, ERC starting grant, and equivalents listed below.

Because of the space requirements and usually further departmental support that is required for this type of fellowship, you should seek departmental approval before you request application support from the Loke CTR. 

Please note that the list below is non-exhaustive and deadlines are updated on a semi-regular basis. For up-to-date information, please check University of Cambridge current restricted calls and funder websites. The Research Professional database is another good resource to search for funding opportunities: it covers all disciplines, and all types of funding, from large grants to small pots. This is a subscription service you can access while you're at Cambridge.

 

Early Career Fellowships BBSRC Fellowship (previously the Discovery Fellowship)

Next deadline: May 2025 (TBC)

The Discovery Fellowship will provide support for researchers wishing to undertake independent research and gain leadership skills within a host laboratory. Awards are for three years and of a value of up to £500,000 (funded at 80% fEC). This can be used to support personal salary as well as travel and subsistence, training activities, and research consumables, but not equipment.

 

Wellcome Early Career Awards

Next deadline: 25 February 2025

This scheme provides funding for early-career researchers from any discipline who are ready to develop their research identity. Through innovative projects, they will deliver shifts in understanding that could improve human life, health and wellbeing. By the end of the award, they will be ready to lead their own independent research programme. There are normally three deadlines per year, in February, May and October

 

Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowships

Next deadline: 20 February 2025

This scheme is 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 are tenable for 3 years on a full-time basis, and it is anticipated that a Fellowship will lead to a more permanent academic position.
The scheme provides the Fellow’s salary and research costs of <£6,000/year.

 

BHF Immediate Postdoctoral Basic Science Research Fellowships

Next deadline: open - no set deadlines

BHF Immediate Postdoctoral Basic Science Research Fellowships provide an opportunity for the most promising newly qualified postdoctoral researchers to make an early start in developing their independent cardiovascular research careers in an established institution in the UK.

  Human Frontier Science Programme Postdoctoral Fellowships

Next deadline: 26 September 2024

The HFSP fellowship program supports proposals for frontier, potentially transformative research in the life sciences. Applications for high-risk projects are particularly encouraged. The projects should be interdisciplinary in nature and should challenge existing paradigms by using novel approaches and techniques. Scientifically, they should address an important problem or a barrier to progress in the field. HFSP postdoctoral fellowships encourage early career scientists to broaden their research skills by moving into new areas of study while working in a new country.
Two different fellowships are available:
Long-Term Fellowships (LTF) are for applicants with a PhD on a biological topic who want to embark on a novel and frontier project focussing on the life sciences.
Cross-Disciplinary Fellowships (CDF) are for applicants who hold a doctoral degree from a non-biological discipline (e.g. physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering or computer sciences) and who have not worked in the life sciences before.

 

L'Oréal-UNESCO Women in Science

Next deadline: tbc

International Fellowships support promising young women researchers in the life sciences at doctoral or postdoctoral level. Candidates must be female and no more than 35 years old. Preference will be given to candidates already possessing a PhD degree (or equivalent) in the field of life sciences at the time of application. However, applications from doctoral students will be considered.

 

Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions: Postdoctoral Fellowship

Next deadline: tbc (call will open 9 April 2025)

Supports the mobility of post-doctoral researchers within and beyond Europe - as well as helping to attract the best foreign researchers to work in the EU. The grant usually covers two years' salary, a mobility allowance, research costs and overheads for the host institution. Individual researchers submit proposals for funding in liaison with their planned host organisation.

 

Royal Society Newton International Fellowships

Next deadline: 19 March 2025

This fellowship is for non-UK scientists who are at an early stage of their research career and wish to conduct research in the UK.

  Henslow Fellowship

Next deadline: 11 November 2024

The Cambridge Philosophical Society regularly sponsors three-year Research Fellowships, “Henslow Fellowships”, in the fields of Natural Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science and Clinical Sciences. The Henslow Fellowships are awarded to selected colleges to augment research fellowship provision within Colleges, rather than to substitute for existing schemes. The 2024 Fellowship applications are run in partnership with Murray Edwards: Early Career Research Fellowship 2025 - Sciences at University of Cambridge

More information on College Junior Research Fellowships: Junior Research Fellowships (JRFs) | Careers Service

 

EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowships

Next deadline: 14 February 2025

EMBO Postdoctoral 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. Awardees can attend an EMBO Laboratory Leadership course and become part of the global network of EMBO Fellows.

  Newton International Fellowships - Natural Sciences

Next deadline: tbc

The Newton International Fellowship (NIF) programme, funded by the Royal Scoeity, provides support for outstanding early career researchers to make a first step towards developing an independent research career through gaining experience across international borders. The maximum award value is £280,000 over two years.

 

Other competitive fellowships hosted by the Postdoc Academy

The Postdoc Academy hosts unique fellowships for some of Cambridge’s most outstanding researchers as they reach the pivotal career transition to independence. These schemes open annually and include a pre-selection round within the University of Cambridge. These include: Schmidt Science Fellows, Borysiewicz Interdisciplinary Fellowship, and Canada-UK Postdoctoral Fellowship for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

 

  Mid Career Fellowships ERC Starting grant

Next deadline: 15 October 2024

Funding for researchers of any nationality with 2-7 years of experience since completion of PhD and a scientific track record showing great promise. Starting Grants may be awarded up to € 1.5 million for a period of 5 years.

 

MRC Career Development Award

Next deadline: April 2025

The MRC career development award provides up to five years' support for outstanding post-doctoral researchers who wish to consolidate their research skills and make the transition from post-doctoral research trainee to independent investigator. Applicants are expected to take advantage of the full five years’ funding available. The CDA provides full personal salary costs, together with support for research staff, consumables expenses, travel costs and capital equipment appropriate for the research project. It will also support a period of research overseas, at a second UK institution, or within industry where appropriate for the research project. There are normally two deadlines per year for this scheme: April and September

 

Royal Society University Research Fellowship

Next deadline: September 2025

This fellowship provides the opportunity to build an independent research career. Those appointed are expected to be strong candidates for permanent posts in universities at the end of their fellowships. Research must be within the Royal Society’s remit of natural sciences, which includes but is not limited to biological research, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and physics. Applicants must be in the early stages of their research career (between 3 to 8 years of research experience since their PhD) by the closing date of the round.

  UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships

Next deadline: tbc

This cross-UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) scheme will support early career researchers and innovators with outstanding potential. These Fellowships support applicants from diverse career paths, including those returning from a career break or following time in other roles. The support offered will be long-term and flexible and will provide comprehensive package of support, including the fellow's salary and justified research, staff and training costs, with seven years of support available on a 4+3 model, with a review in year four.

The scheme aims 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 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

 

Wellcome Career Development Awards

Next deadline: 26 November 2024

This scheme provides funding for mid-career researchers from any discipline who have the potential to be international research leaders. They will develop their research capabilities, drive innovative programmes of work and deliver significant shifts in understanding that could improve human life, health and wellbeing. There are normally three deadlines per year for this scheme: April, July and December.

 

BHF Intermediate Basic Science Research Fellowships

Next deadline: open - no set deadlines

British Heart Foundation fellowship to fund talented individuals with the potential to become research leaders.

 

CRUK Career Development Fellowship

Next deadline: 3 October 2024

The Career Development Fellowship supports new group leaders who do not have a salaried independent position to establish their own independent research group. Applications are considered from any cancer-relevant research field with the exception of clinical trials and drug discovery.

 

NIHR Advanced Fellowships

Next deadline: 23 January 2025

The NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) Advanced Fellowship is a Postdoctoral Fellowship aimed at anyone with a PhD (or MD) who hasn’t yet been appointed to a professorial post. The Advanced Fellowship supports individuals undertaking research in any scientific discipline or sector that can demonstrate a contribution to improving health and/or care. Clinical applicants will have the option to request up to 40% of their time to be dedicated to clinical service/development which will be covered by the award.

 

Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowships

Next deadline: 29 October 2024

 

The Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship (DHF) programme aims to support outstanding early career scientists who require a flexible working pattern due to personal circumstances, such as caring responsibilities and/or health-related conditions. Applicants can apply for up to a maximum of £1.87 million over eight years. Funded by the Royal Society.