Post-Doctoral Opportunities

The Department is keen to attract outstanding early career researchers through post-doctoral fellowships and grants. With its reputation for research excellence in the social sciences, and its renowned early career development opportunities, the University of Sheffield can offer an excellent environment for you to establish your research career.

Brief details of a variety of schemes that may be able to fund your research project can be accessed below. If you are interested in conducting post-doctoral research in Town & Regional Planning, please contact Dr Aidan While (a.h.while@shef.ac.uk) in the first instance, with the following information:

• 2 page research CV
• 1 page project outline
• Details of your proposed mentor

The University runs internal competitions for most major post-doctoral schemes in order to select the strongest applicants. Details of the specific process for each scheme will be made available below.

ESRC Future Research Leaders Scheme

This scheme funds the 4* researchers of the future to carry out excellent research projects and to develop all aspects of their research and knowledge exchange skills. The scheme is open to high-quality candidates from anywhere in the world who have a maximum of four years’ postdoctoral experience and the support of an eligible UK research organisation. The proposed host research organisation is required to demonstrate a high level of commitment to the applicant’s career development. The scheme aims to:

• enable outstanding early-career social scientists, in partnership with their host organisation, to acquire the skills set to become the future world leaders in their field; and,
• fund excellent social science research projects.

The scheme is intended to support researchers who are at any point in the four year eligibility period and encourages applicants who are currently completing or who are immediately post PhD.

Awards are for a maximum of 3 years with an overall limit of around £300,000 (at 100 per cent full Economic Cost).

If you are interested in this scheme, please contact us as soon as possible, and by early March 2013 at the latest. Expressions of interest will be considered within the department and a select number may be forwarded to the Faculty for further consideration. A tailored programme of internal support will be offered by the Faculty to candidates whose expressions of interest are taken forward.

It is expected that the deadline for applications to the ESRC will be in early October 2013.

Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowships

This scheme aims to provide career development opportunities for those who are at a relatively early stage of their academic careers (within 5 years of PhD, and not yet holding full academic post) but with a proven record of research. To this end, the Leverhulme Trust contributes 50% of each Fellow's total salary costs up to a maximum of £23,000 per annum and the balance is to be paid by the host institution. The awards are tenable for three years on a full-time basis.

British Academy Post-doctoral Fellowships

This scheme funds outstanding early career researchers to undertake research projects to strengthen their experience of research and teaching in a university environment and to improve their prospects of obtaining permanent lecturing posts at the end of the project. Applicants must be within 3 years of the award of their doctorate.

The deadline for outline applications to the 2013 scheme will be in October 2013.