Deadline for Expressions of Interest: 24 July 2025
Funder's Deadline: 1 October 2025
Oxford Sociology is inviting Expressions of Interests (EOIs) to participate in the British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships 2025-26.
The British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship is one of the most competitive funding schemes for early career researchers. It offers three years of funding for researchers who are within three years of the award of their PhDs, to pursue an independent research project. The primary emphasis is on completion of a significant piece of publishable research.
Applicants who wish to apply for this funding with Oxford Sociology must secure the support of a member of the Faculty.
This faculty member will act as a mentor/supervisor who should be actively involved in developing the application and commit to support the Fellow in case the Fellowship is awarded, to plan and monitor the progress of the project and provide advice with regards to the Fellow’s career development and building their capacity as an independent scholar.
Eligibility criteria
- Applicants must be researchers within the humanities or social sciences.
- 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. If an applicant does not meet the prior categories, they may be accepted if they can demonstrate ‘strong prior association’ with the UK academic community.
- The scheme is not open to applicants who hold or have held a permanent university post.
- Applicants must already be of postdoctoral status at the time when the Research Awards Committee meets. Applicants who expect to have had their viva between 1 April 2023 and 1 April 2026 are eligible for consideration but will have to withdraw their application if the examination is not completed on time.
Application Process
The scheme has a two-stage application process:
- Outline Stage (October deadline)
- Second Stage by invitation only (Spring 2026)
- Successful applicants will be expected to start their fellowship in Autumn 2026
Further information on the scheme and eligibility criteria can be found on the British Academy website.
If you are interested in applying for the scheme with the Department, please fill in the application form and submit to research@sociology.ox.ac.uk, along with an academic CV.
You will be asked to provide your Mentor's name. Please note, mentorship must be discussed and agreed with the Faculty member prior to submission.
The call for EOI applications with the Department of Sociology closes at 5pm on 24 July 2025.
Please email research@sociology.ox.ac.uk with any questions.
