Externally Funded Opportunities

The Institute of Astronomy welcomes enquiries from outstanding researchers seeking to join us as independant research fellows. We have significant experience hosting research fellowships, with fellowship holders typically going on to have successful long term academic research careers.

We are open to applications for a number of different fellowship schemes, including, but not limited to;

Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowships - Application deadline typically November

Leverhulme Trust/Isaac Newton Trust Early Career Fellowship- Application deadline typically October

Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 Fellowships - Application deadline typically January

Royal Society Career Development Fellowship - Application deadline typically January

Royal Society Newton International Fellowships - Application deadline typically March

Royal Society University Research Fellowships - Application deadline typically early September

STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellowships - Application deadline typically September

Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships - Application deadline typically September

Royal Astronomical Society Research Fellowships - Application deadline typically October

Further details can be found in the opportunities listing below, and on the funders webpage. Open current opportunities will appear on our main vacancies webpage. Closed opportunities are moved to the page below. Fellowship calls generally open annually - closed adverts are left visible to give potential applicants an idea of timings and application processes. Some schemes stay open for extended periods of time - these will typically be listed below until around 2 months before the application deadline, at which point they would move to our main vacancies webpage.

In the first instance applicants should make contact with a member of the Institute’s Academic Staffwho has related research interests to discuss the possibility of hosting the fellowship within the Institute. This contact should be made as soon as possible, and at least 1 month before the posted closing date. Please note, some schemes have additional internal selection procedures and may require earlier pre-applications - please read the opportunities listings thoroughly before applying.

Once a member of academic staff has agreed to support the application, potential applicants should also make sure to email the IoA Finance Manager David Savidge at an early stage indicating their intention to apply for a Fellowship and liaise with him over financial aspects as preparation of an application proceeds