Applications for the 2026 WGSSS ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship Competition are OPEN
WGSSS invites applications for up to five ESRC-funded Postdoctoral Fellowships in any of our accredited Pathways to commence in October 2026.
The Fellowships are aimed at those in the immediately postdoctoral stage of their career, to provide the opportunity to consolidate their PhD through developing publications, networks and their research and professional skills.
The grants provide funding for 9 months full-time, or 18 months part-time (pro-rated based on an applicant’s time commitment) to give fellows time to prepare for a successful career in research either within or beyond academia.
New research cannot be funded through these awards. Potential applicants who wish to apply for research funding should consider applying to the New ESRC Investigator grant opportunity.
Full information is available in the Call Specifications. The ESRC has also produced a set of answers to Frequently Asked Questions.
Please get in touch with fellowships@wgsss.ac.uk if you have any questions that are not addressed in the guidance documents linked above.
Eligibility
This opportunity is open to applicants who have completed their PhD in the UK at a UK research organisation. Applicants are not required to have previously held an ESRC-funded studentship to be eligible to apply.
To be eligible, applicants must:
Have been awarded a PhD or have passed their viva voce with minor amendments by the application deadline of 1 June 2026 and have been awarded their PhD by the fellowship start date of 1 October 2026.
Have no more than 15 months (At full-time equivalent and allowing for career breaks) of active postdoctoral experience. This is measured from the applicant’s viva voce pass date to the application deadline of 1 June 2026.
Active postdoctoral experience refers to research experience. This is usually gained within academia, but research‑related roles in non‑academic organisations may also count when assessing eligibility. Teaching‑only roles with no research component are not considered active postdoctoral experience. Further information about active postdoctoral experience is covered on page 4 of the FAQ document.
The call is not open to applicants who are established, permanent members of staff in an academic position with a research component.
Please note that only one application to a single Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) is permitted. An applicant may not submit to more than one DTP under the terms of this funding opportunity.
Fellowships last for 9 months full-time, or 18 months part-time and include a salary. You may only apply on a part‑time basis if that matches your normal working pattern, as these awards are designed to take up 100% of your working time. Fellows cannot hold secondary paid employment during the award, except in cases where an applicant completed their PhD part‑time alongside permanent part‑time employment. In those exceptional situations, a part‑time fellowship alongside that role may be considered. All other applicants are expected to commit their full working time to the fellowship.
International candidates are advised to seek guidance from their hosting institution’s HR/international staff support team concerning eligibility to engage in this scheme. UK Visa and Immigration rules may mean that there are restrictions to participation.
Applicants are encouraged to consult the FAQ document for guidance, as many common eligibility questions are addressed there.
Competition Timeline
| 23/03/2026 | Competition Launch Fellowship call opens; applicants begin preparations and contact the WGSSS Pathway Convenor. You can find the list of Pathways and Convenors on the Pathway Page. Please contact the relevant Pathway Convenor as early as possible. |
| 01/05/2026 | Stage 1 – Pathway Deadline Deadline to submit the Stage 1 application, including the completed Application Form to Pathways |
| 22/05/2026 | Stage 1 – Pathway Outcome Pathways notify applicants and nominate candidates to the WGSSS |
| 01/06/2026 (23.59) | Stage 2 – WGSSS Deadline Deadline to submit full application to WGSSS All nominated applications are reviewed by the WGSSS Management Board |
| 30/06/2026 | Stage 2 – WGSSS Outcome Final decisions shared with applicants |
| 23 July 2026 | ESRC Submission Successful applicants submit proposals to ESRC |
| 01/10/2026 | Fellowships Commence Fellowship projects officially begin |
WGSSS Postdoctoral Fellowship Application Guidance
As described in the call, applicants must first identify a mentor – this should be a senior colleague based in the research organisation and Pathway that will host the Fellowship.
Your initial point of contact for identifying a mentor should be the Pathway Convenor for the Pathway most aligned with your Fellowship proposal. You can find the list of Pathways and Convenors on the Pathway Page. Please contact the relevant Pathway Convenor as early as possible.
Each Pathway has its own Stage 1 application process, and the Convenor will provide you with the necessary details and documentation. Early contact is strongly encouraged to ensure you have sufficient time to prepare your Stage 1 application.
We expect a high level of competition for these Fellowships, and the selection process involves two formal application stages:
Stage 1 – Pathway Application
Deadline: 01 May 2026
- Applicants must submit their Stage 1 application to the relevant Pathway by this date.
- Applicants must complete the WGSSS Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form. This data is held confidentially and used only for statistical reporting to the ESRC.
- Pathways will review applications and shortlist candidates between 01 May and 22 May 2026.
By 22 May 2026, applicants will be notified of the outcome of Stage 1. Pathways will nominate selected candidates to proceed to Stage 2. Each of our 15 Pathways is permitted to nominate either one or two applications to be considered by the WGSSS Management Group at Stage 2.
Stage 2 – WGSSS Application
Deadline: 01 June 2026 (23.59)
- Nominated applicants must submit their full Stage 2 application to WGSSS at fellowships@wgsss.ac.uk
- Applications must include all mandatory attachments as specified below.
- Applications are reviewed by the WGSSS Management Group.
Final Stages
- By July 2026: Applicants will be notified of the final outcome. Some may be placed on a reserve list.
- 23 July 2026: Successful applicants must submit their final proposal to the ESRC.
Fellowships commence: 1 October 2026
Application – Mandatory Attachments
In addition to the application form, all applications must include attachments 1-4. Attachments 5-7 are required if applicable. All attachments must have a minimum font size of 11.
Full details of the mandatory attachments required in your application are available in the ESRC PDF Call Specification.
- Case for support (maximum four sides of A4)
- Justification of resources (maximum one side of A4)
- CV (maximum two sides of A4)
- Mentor statement and summary CV (maximum two sides of A4)
- Data management plan (maximum of three sides of A4) Whilst applicants cannot collect any new data as part of this fellowship, there may be exceptional circumstances where existing data is re-used or combined with other data to form a new dataset
- List of publications – Where references are cited in the proposal, a list of publications should be included containing the relevant bibliography. The applicant’s own publications should be included with their CV.
- Other attachments (if applicable) Other acceptable attachments are detailed in the PDF call specification
No other additional attachments will be accepted, and your proposal may be returned or rejected if you include attachments that are not permitted under this call or if any of the mandatory attachments are missing.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
The WGSSS values diversity and equality at all levels and encourages applications from all sections of the community, irrespective of age, disability, sex, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief and sexual orientation.
Additional Guidance
The ESRC website includes resources on preparing research proposals, and information about ethics, research impact and developing collaborations.
The ESRC’s impact toolkit is also a helpful reference for developing impact strategies.
Postdoctoral Fellow Profiles
Have a look at the profiles of our current postdoctoral fellows.
Contact
If you have any queries please contact fellowships@wgsss.ac.uk.