Below is an overview of Postdoctoral Fellowships primarily based in the United Kingdom. These fellowships vary in scope, duration, and eligibility, so it’s important to review the current scheme notes, as they may be updated. The dates for the current or previous year have been included where applicable, but please refer to the specific links for the most up-to-date information, as deadlines may change annually.
This list is not comprehensive list but includes many UK funding sources. Ask colleagues in your department if they know of additional funding sources in your field. International colleagues might know of fellowships available in other countries.
Imperial College London
MRC Centre Early Career Fellowship – our final 1-year fellowship under the MRC Centre for Environment and Health
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/search-jobs/description/index.php?jobId=21713&jobTitle=MRC+Centre+Early+Career+Research+Fellow
Deadline: on 6 January 2025
Imperial College Research Fellowships (ICRF) – Early Career researcher
Annually - https://www.imperial.ac.uk/research-and-innovation/research-office/funder-information/research-fellowships/icrf/
Government
NIHR Postdoctoral Fellowships
https://www.nihr.ac.uk/career-development/research-career-funding-programmes/postdoctoral/postdoctoral-fellowships
Advanced Fellowship round 13 – already open and closes on 23 January 2025
Advanced Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship round 6 – previous deadline Nov 2024
Advanced Fellowship round 12 – previous deadline Jul 2024
Research Councils/Academies
British Academy Postdoc fellowship
https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/british-academy-postdoctoral-fellowships
Deadline (annually): Previous deadline Oct 2024
UKRI future leader fellowship
https://www.ukri.org/our-work/developing-people-and-skills/future-leaders-fellowships/
The next call will open on 3 February 2025 and close 18 June 2025.
College is launching the internal process early in January to allow Departments sufficient time to select their candidates for this scheme. Imperial has a limit of 8 candidates we can support. All potential applicants for the FLFs, internal or external, must complete the application process: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/research-fellowships/ukri-flf/information-for-applicants/.
MRC career development award
https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/career-development-award/
Several opportunities refer to website
NERC Independent Research Fellowship
https://www.ukri.org/what-we-do/developing-people-and-skills/nerc/nerc-fellowships/
The next call will open on 9 January 2025 and close on 3 April 2025
BBSRC Fellowships including David Philips fellowships
https://www.ukri.org/what-we-do/developing-people-and-skills/bbsrc/fellowships/fellowships-available/
They have not yet announced the next call
ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowships
https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/esrc-postdoctoral-fellowships/
They have not yet announced the next call
ERC Starting Grant
https://erc.europa.eu/funding/starting-grants
Deadline (annually): Previous deadline 2024
ERC Consolidator Grant
https://erc.europa.eu/funding/consolidator-grants
Deadline (annually): on 14 January 2025
Charities
Wellcome Early-Career Awards
https://wellcome.org/grant-funding/schemes/early-career-awards
Three times a year – Upcoming deadline on 25 February 2025
Wellcome Career Development Award
https://wellcome.org/grant-funding/schemes/career-development-awards
Three times a year - Upcoming deadline on 03 April 2025
Wellcome Discovery Award
https://wellcome.org/grant-funding/schemes/discovery-awards
Three times a year - Upcoming deadline on 08 April 2025
Daphne Jackson Fellowship [requires career break]
https://daphnejackson.org/
Regular fellowships can be applied for at any time
Alzheimer’s Society Postdoctoral Fellowship
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/research/researchers/our-funding-schemes/postdoctoral-fellowships
Annually
Stroke Association Fellowship
https://www.stroke.org.uk/research/our-funding-schemes/postdoctoral-fellowships
The next call is now open and closes 31 January 2025
Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship (ECF)
https://www.leverhulme.ac.uk/early-career-fellowships
The next call will open on 1 January 2025 and close 20 February 2025
ARUK research fellowships [Dementia only]
https://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/grants/research-fellowship/
https://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/research/for-researchers/grant-schemes/
There are a number of different schemes (see second link), for main fellowships rounds open
approximately three months before deadline
Jacobs Foundation Fellowship
https://jacobsfoundation.org/en/activity/jacobs-foundation-research-fellowship-program/
Deadline (annually): on 04 February 2025
Human Frontiers Fellowship
http://www.hfsp.org/funding/postdoctoral-fellowships
Deadline (annually)
Societies
Royal Society University Research Fellowship
https://royalsociety.org/grants-schemes-awards/grants/university-research/
Deadline (annually): next call opens on 15 July 2025
Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship [for those who require flexible working]
https://royalsociety.org/grants-schemes-awards/grants/dorothy-hodgkin-fellowship/
Deadline (annually): next call opens on 02 September 2025
Newton International Fellowships
https://royalsociety.org/grants-schemes-awards/grants/newton-international/
Deadline (annually): next call opens on 21 January 2025
Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 Research Fellowships in Science or
Engineering
https://www.royalcommission1851.org/awards/?award=research
Deadline (annually): January. Fellowships held from October in year of award.
Miscellaneous
Marie Curie Postdoctoral fellowship
https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/calls/msca-postdoctoral-fellowships-2025
Deadline (annually): Deadline 10 September 2025
NARSAD Young Investigator Grants [US based but can be spent in UK]
https://www.bbrfoundation.org/grants-prizes/narsad-young-investigator-grants
Deadline (annually)
AXA Research Fellowship
https://axa-research.org/fund-your-research/post-doctoral-fellowships
Deadline (annually). Previous deadline May 2024
Swiss National Science Foundation - Postdoc.Mobility fellowships
https://www.snf.ch/en/mfGgKYOjM35XPnH5/news/call-for-postdocmobility
Deadline (annually)