The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) has launched its Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme for 2025. These Fellowships aim to provide a development opportunity for those at the immediate postdoctoral stage of their career, allowing successful applicants to consolidate their PhD through developing publications and expanding their networks, as well as their research and professional skills.
These ESRC Fellowships are only available to universities that are part of a Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP). UWE Bristol is a member of the South West DTP (SW DTP), which allows us to submit two applications for consideration. The SWDTP will assess around 21 applications from its partners and select four candidates for approval by the ESRC. More information is available from the SWDTP ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowships process.
This is a great opportunity to undertake an ESRC-funded postdoc fellowship at UWE Bristol, and we will offer full support in the application development process to the two successful candidates at the expression of interest (EOI) stage.
Eligibility
The Postdoctoral Fellowship is open to all who:
- have completed their PhD at a UK university or research organisation.
- have been awarded a PhD or have passed their viva voce with minor amendments by 25 March 2025 and have been awarded their PhD by the fellowship start date of 1 October 2025.
- have no more than 12 months (full-time equivalent) of active postdoctoral experience since passing their viva voce (allowing for career breaks). This also applies if you have been employed under a fixed-term contract. Experience is calculated from the date you passed your viva voce to the ESRC SWDTP call on 25 March 2025.
- conduct research that is clearly over 50% based in the social sciences.
Activity
The ESRC Fellowships will start on 1 October 2025 and last for one year if full-time, or two years if part-time. Funding will cover the salary, indirect and estate costs, and up to £10,000 for all other costs.
Fellowships undertaken at UWE Bristol must be in one of the six Pathways hosted at UWE Bristol:
- Climate Change, Sustainability and Society
- Health, Wellbeing and Society
- Sociotechnical Futures & Digital Methods
- Education
- Management and Business
- Social Policy
Application timeline
| 20 November 2024 | ESRC online information event for prospective applicants (recording available from 25 November 2024). |
| 24 January 2025 | UWE Bristol EOI deadline (midday). |
| 10 February 2025 | Applicants informed of outcome; two selected to Full Stage. |
| 18 March 2025 | UWE Bristol deadline for Full Stage applications. |
| 25 March 2025 | SWDTP deadline to receive ESRC Full Stage applications. |
| Full Stage Applications w/c 15 May 2025 | Anticipated outcomes from SWDTP. |
SWDTP assessors will review all ESRC Full Stage applications sent in by the partners, and select four proposals to be funded. These four applications are then sent to ESRC for further processing. The ESRC does not conduct a full review of the applications, but will perform checks including verification of eligibility and page length requirements. Once the Full Stage application passes these checks, the ESRC will award the funding to the host institution.
Next steps for EOI applicants
- Consider if your project complements the six Pathways held by UWE Bristol.
- Identify a mentor. Applicants need to have a mentor as part of the ESRC Fellowship to support them in developing the Full Stage application. If you do not already have a mentor, please consider who is working in the Pathway at UWE Bristol and may be appropriate to support you. If you need help finding an appropriate mentor, please contact research@uwe.ac.uk at the earliest opportunity so you can discuss your potential project with them. The SWDTP also provides a supervisor database if needed.
- Time is tight, and therefore we suggest that you only apply if you can work on the Full Stage application between mid-February and 18 March 2025.
- Download the SWDTP – UWE Bristol EOI Template (DOCX) to draft your answers. If a new window does not open, please look for the file within your ‘Downloads’ folder. This word document offers comprehensive guidance on completing your EOI application, outlining expectations for your responses and where to find additional information. Please note the online EOI application (MS Forms) cannot save work in progress.
- Copy-paste your answers on the online application, submit and email the required documentation before the deadline on 24 January 2024, midday.
EOI online application and required documentation
All applicants are required to submit the following documentation as part of their EOI application:
- 2-page CV, including a list of your publications, minimum font size 11
- Workplan: include a simple GANTT chart or excel spreadsheet outlining the timescale for key activities and milestones
- Reference list for any citations in the application
Email your documents to research@uwe.ac.uk. In the email subject, please use “ESRC SWDTP Fellowship – your first name and surname”.
Documents and links
UWE Bristol has prepared a Guidance for Expression of Interest (EOI) at UWE Bristol (PDF), which includes links to the SWDTP, the ESRC and a screenshot of the EOI application. Please read this information in full before completing your EOI application.
Appreciating this is a very tight deadline, we recommend you familiarise yourself with the ESRC Full Stage application form in advance. The following documents are available on the SWDTP webpage:
- ESRC PDF application form for 2025 (DOCX)
- ESRC PDF call specification for 2025 (DOCX)
- ESRC PDF FAQs (DOCX)
Administration and advice
The ESRC Fellowship – SWDTP applications at UWE Bristol is administered by Research, Business and Innovation (RBI). If you have any additional questions or need specific reasonable adjustments, or any other support to assist with your application (such as submitting in a different format), please reach out to us. Let us know what adjustments would help you in the application process. Contact research@uwe.ac.uk if you have any further questions.