1. Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures
  2. School of English
  3. Research and innovation
  4. Postdoctoral opportunities

Postdoctoral opportunities

The School of English currently supports applications to the schemes listed below.  However, we are open to supporting applications to other appropriate schemes too.  If you have enquiries about other schemes the School might support, please contact the Director of Research and Innovation, Professor Bridget Bennett: b.k.g.bennett@leeds.ac.uk.  

British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships

This scheme 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.

Eligibility

  • Applicants must be a researcher from the humanities and social sciences.
  • Applicants must be based at any UK university or recognised research organisation based in the UK.
  • British citizens and any nationals from the EEA are eligible, regardless of where their doctorate was obtained. Anyone of any nationality who has a doctorate from a UK university is eligible.
  • Applicants must apply within three years from the date of their successful viva (i.e. applicants should have completed their viva between 1 April 2023 and 1 April 2026).

Application process

Those interested in applying should identify an appropriate mentor from within the School and work with them on their proposal. A list of current academic staff is available here. Due to the number of enquiries we receive and the competitiveness of the scheme, we review applications prior to submission. To apply please send the following materials to Luiza Valozic Nenadic, PA to Head of School of English (email: l.valozicnenadic@leeds.ac.uk) by 1 September 2025 (17:00 GMT):

  • A draft of your application form.
  • A two-page CV including details of major published and forthcoming outputs.
  • A brief supporting statement from the Leeds mentor.

Once applicants have School approval to submit to the British Academy, we ask that you do so by 19 September 2025 (17:00 GMT) in order that we have time to upload our documents ahead of the British Academy’s own deadline of 1 October.

Full details of this scheme can be found here.

Wellcome Trust Early Career Awards

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 related to human life, health, and wellbeing. Awards are for up to five years.

Eligibility

  • Applicants must have completed a PhD (in any subject) and passed the viva at the point of application.
  • Applicants must have had no more than three years’ postdoctoral research experience after they passed their PhD viva.

Application process

The scheme has three applications rounds per year. For applicants to the Wellcome Early Career Awards (ECA) already based at the University of Leeds, there is an internal Expression of Interest process. Full details of what this process entails can be obtained by contacting the Research & Innovation Development team (R-IDevelopment@leeds.ac.uk).

Applicants from outside the University of Leeds should also contact the Research & Innovation Development at the email address above.

Please note: the review process for both internal and external applicants takes several months in order to provide candidates with dedicated support as their application is developed.

Leverhulme Early Career Fellowships

This scheme is for early career researchers with a strong record of research who have not yet held a full-time permanent academic post. It is hoped that the appointment would lead to a more permanent position for the individual, either within the same or another university. Awards are for three years.

Eligibility

  • Applicants must not yet have held a full-time permanent academic post in a UK university or comparable UK institution, nor may Fellows hold such a post concurrently with the Early Career Fellowship.
  • Applicants must either hold a degree from a UK higher education institution at the time of taking up the Fellowship or at the time of the application deadline must hold an academic position in the UK (e.g. fixed-term lectureship, fellowship) which commenced no less than 4 months prior to the closing date.
  • All candidates must have submitted their doctoral thesis for viva not more than four years prior to the application closing date; i.e. those who formally submitted their doctoral thesis for viva before 19 February 2022 are not eligible unless they have since had a career break.

Application process

Due to how these Fellowships are funded, we run an internal competition to ensure that we support the strongest, most competitive applications. Candidates should identify a proposed mentor in the School and work with them on their applications. A list of current academic staff is available here. For the purposes of the internal competition, we will require an expression of interest consisting of:

  • An outline of your past research (max. 250 words).
  • A statement of proposed research, including details of projected major outputs (max. 1000 words)
  • Details of how your proposed research is relevant to the School of English at the University of Leeds (max. 250 words)
  • A two-page CV including details of major published and forthcoming outputs.
  • A brief supporting statement from the Leeds mentor.

Please submit your materials to Luiza Valozic Nenadic, PA to Head of School of English (email: l.valozicnenadic@leeds.ac.uk) by 3 November 2025 (17:00 GMT). We will try to let applicants know whether they’ve been selected before the Christmas break. Successful applicants will be supported by our Research Support officer and will be asked to submit their applications to Leverhulme by 30 January 2026 (17:00 GMT) in order to leave time for us to make arrangements and submit the final documents required ahead of Leverhulme’s own deadline of 19 February.

Full details of this scheme can be found here.