The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) invites applications for their ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowships to be based at South West Doctoral Training Partnership (SWDTP) institutions, which includes the University of Bath.

These Fellowships are designed to support postdoctoral researchers to consolidate their PhD research and to develop their publication records, networks and research and professional skills.

The SWDTP will run a call to award four Fellowships in 2025. The University of Bath will support a maximum of four applications to this regional call and will run an internal selection process to identify the strongest candidates.

To be eligible, you must:

  • have completed your PhD at a UK research organisation
  • have less than 12 months’ active postdoctoral experience (at full-time rate), measured from the date you passed your viva voce examination to the competition closing date

If you are interested in applying to this scheme, please register for the SWDTP Information Event on Wednesday 20 November. A recording will be made available shortly after the event.

To apply to Bath’s internal selection process, you will need to complete an Expression of Interest (EOI) form. Applicants are also encouraged to complete and submit an equal opportunities form. This will be used for monitoring purposes only and will not be considered as part of your application.

All EOIs will be assessed by a panel of academics with ESRC expertise who will select up to four candidates to proceed. Selected candidates will be supported by academic and professional services colleagues to make their applications as competitive as possible.

Selected candidates will be asked to attend a briefing and writing session to support the development of their applications. Please note that this will take place at 10:00-13:00 on Friday 31 January. Applicants to the internal selection process should keep this slot free if possible.

Submission to the SWDTP will be subject to approval by the University, taking account of a subsequent internal peer review stage.

Timeline

The timeline for the application process is as follows:

  • 20 January: Applicants to submit expression of interest (EOI) form to resdev@bath.ac.uk. Must include evidence of support (email confirmation) from Head of Dept.
  • W/C 27 January: Internal assessment panel / outcomes communicated to applicants
  • 31 January: Briefing and writing session for selected candidates
  • W/C 17 February: Internal peer review
  • 25 February: Confirmation of approved applicants
  • 25 March: Deadline for submission of final applications to SWDTP