Nottingham Research and Anne McLaren Fellowships
University of Nottingham
Join our pioneering research fellows and get the generous funding, specialist support and unique opportunities you need to be a research leader.
Our fellows are essential to our mission of delivering exceptional research that transforms lives in the UK and across the world.
Apply now and join a university with a diverse, thriving community and a reputation for transformative discoveries. Our fellows are the research leaders of tomorrow, working with inspirational pioneers from across disciplines to find solutions to complex global problems.
We recognise that exceptional people come from many backgrounds, with diverse career paths and circumstances that are as individual as you are. We are committed to an inclusive and dynamic research environment, and welcome applications from those wishing to work part-time to meet personal responsibilities. We are especially interested in supporting those from Black and Asian backgrounds.
Please register your interest by 8 October 2021 via the relevant school/faculty vacancy. You must discuss your research proposal with your host school/faculty and you must have been awarded your PhD to apply.
Expected start date for successful fellows is Spring/Autumn 2022.
For further general information about the scheme or the application process, please contact fellowships@nottingham.ac.uk.
Our fellowship schemes
We have two schemes, each offering the same package of support:
- Anne McLaren Fellowships are aimed at outstanding female postdoctoral researchers in science, technology, engineering and medicine, who are at the early stage of their academic careers and wish to establish a research career in the UK
- Nottingham Research Fellowships are aimed at outstanding postdoctoral researchers who are at the early stage of their academic careers from all academic disciplines represented at the university
We offer:
- three years’ independent research funding, covering salary costs at c. £40,000-49,000
- the link to a permanent academic post, subject to performance
- additional funding for research expenses totalling £75,000
- childcare costs of up to £15,000
- access to mentoring, career development and networking with the wider fellowship community
Our fellowships actively supports applicants from diverse career paths and backgrounds, including those returning from a career break or from other roles. We also support applications from those wishing to work part-time in order to combine the fellowship with personal commitments.
Am I eligible to apply?
Find out if you’re eligible
Candidates must have been awarded their PhD – or equivalent such as postgraduate MD/DM for clinical applicants – prior to the closing date for registering interest in the scheme (8 October 2021).
This scheme is aimed at early career researchers, and candidates do not normally have more than eight years’ post-doctoral experience. However, there are no eligibility rules based on years of post-doctoral experience as this doesn’t allow for variations of career paths across disciplines. Candidates will be assessed on their quality, potential, trajectory and track record, relative to their career stage.
Candidates for the Anne McLaren Fellowships must be pursuing a career in a STEM subject. Female researchers are typically under-represented in STEM subjects and female applicants are strongly encouraged.
Candidates for the Nottingham Research Fellowships can be from any academic discipline across the university.
Candidates should be able to demonstrate:
- An outstanding track record of research for their career stage and discipline, including high-quality publications, research funding and/or prizes and awards
- Evidence of a growing reputation, both nationally and internationally
- An aptitude to lead and inspire others within the research team and institution more broadly
- Potential to act as an ambassador in their research field and more widely
Part-time appointments will be considered on a pro-rata basis.
Candidates are not normally expected to have a permanent position, as they may be considered to have achieved the aims of the scheme already. See FAQs for further information.
The scheme is open to external (including international) and internal candidates. The University of Nottingham will act as sponsor for any candidate who does not have the right to work in the UK.
For more details on what makes a good application, details of current fellows and the characteristics of successful fellows, please go to the our fellows and what makes a good candidate sections.
How to apply
To apply, please ensure you have completed the following mandatory steps:
- Identify your host school/faculty from the list below
- Contact the identified school contact to discuss your research proposal – see list below. Ensure your proposed research aligns with identified strategic priority areas for your host school/department
- Follow the link (below) to the online form for your host school/faculty and ensure you upload your CV and research proposal. The format of the CV/Research Proposal is provided in the individual application links below.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have not registered interest via your chosen school/faculty online form you will not be considered for the scheme.
The cut-off date for registering interest via the online form is 8 October 2021.Faculty of Engineering
The scheme is open to all areas of engineering research, however, the Faculty of Engineering has identified the following strategic areas as priorities for fellowship applications. Research proposals aligned to these areas are particularly encouraged:
- Sustainable process engineering
- Low carbon construction and civil engineering
- Climate resilience in the built environment
- Recycling, re-use and circular economy
- Future and renewable power systems
- Low carbon transport, electrical vehicles and future propulsion
- Digital manufacturing
- Artificial Intelligence and/or Machine Learning in Engineering
- Smart buildings and structures
We encourage applications from excellent early career researchers to all of our research groups. We strongly suggest you familiarise yourself with our structure, teaching and research. Applicants are advised to think in detail about how your research proposal and future work fits within our Faculty and identify the best research group for your research. You MUST contact the Head of Research Group for the group that will be the best fit to host your fellowship to discuss your fellowship and gain their confirmation of support for your application (details can be found under the meet the team link in the research group pages).
Contact details
General enquiries for Engineering applications should contact ez-eng-erke@exmail.nottingham.ac.uk. Queries on eligibility and process should be sent to fellowships@nottingham.ac.uk. Apply online
Back to the topFaculty of Arts
All proposed work programmes should be interdisciplinary in nature and have the potential to lead to large, collaborative funding bids in the medium term.
They can be located in any discipline, but should be aligned with at least one of the Faculty’s strategic priorities, notably:
- Black-centred research, including Black studies
- Arts and computing, including Digital Humanities
- Creative and Cultural Industries
- Health Humanities
Contact details
Humanites
- History – Richard Gaunt Richard.gaunt@nottingham.ac.uk
- Classics & Archaeology – Hannah O-Regan Hannah.Oregan@nottingham.ac.uk
- Music – Lonan O’Briain Lonan.Obriain@nottingham.ac.uk
- Theology & Religious Studies – Michael Burdett Michael.burdett@nottingham.ac.uk
- Philosophy – Craig French craig.french@nottingham.ac.uk
English
- Sarah Nolan sarah.nolan@nottingham.ac.uk
CLAS
- Dr Adam Sharman adam.sharman@nottingham.ac.uk
Back to the topFaculty of Social Sciences
Nottingham University Business School
- Contact: Professor Scott McCabe
- li-research-support@exmail.nottingham.ac.uk
- Strategic priority areas:
- Improving work quality across health and social care.
- Inclusive Entrepreneurship/Inclusion and diversity in the workplace.
- Data and digital innovation and business strategy.
School of Politics and International Relations
- Contact: Professor Rory Cormac
- rory.cormac@nottingham.ac.uk
- Strategic priority areas:
- Cyber security
- Political Communication
- Chinese security, defence and/or foreign policy
- Democratisation and representation in areas currently under-represented in the school, especially the United States Canada and Latin America
- Political Theory approaches to Democracy, Populism, Post-Truth and conspiracy theories
School of Law
- Contact: Professor Nigel White
- nigel.white@nottingham.ac.uk
- Strategic priority areas:
- Human Rights Law
- Commercial Law
- Criminal Justice
School of Sociology and Social Policy
- Contact: Dr Nicola Carr
- nicola.carr@nottingham.ac.uk
- Strategic priority areas:
- Sociology
- Social Policy
- Social Work
- Criminology
Across all disciplines we welcome candidates whose research interests align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals – including reduced inequalities, the promotion of health and wellbeing and peace, justice and strong institutions.
In the discipline of Sociology we would particularly welcome candidates researching in the fields of Cultural Sociology and Science and Technology Studies (STS).
School of Economics
- Contact: Dr Martin Jensen
- martin.jensen@nottingham.ac.uk
- Strategic priority areas:
- Microeconomics
- Macroeconomics
- Development economics
- Economic theory
- Behavioural economics
School of Geography
- Contact: Professor Simon Gosling
- simon.gosling@nottingham.ac.uk
- Strategic priority areas:
- The School of Geography welcomes applications which complement and build on the existing research specialisms of the School’s Cultural and Historical Geography research theme. In particular, applications are encouraged in the areas of:
- Cultural and historical geographies of anticolonialism, imperialism, internationalism and/or race
- Cultural landscapes of the Anthropocene
- The School of Geography welcomes applications from candidates conducting research on the interaction between current and future climate change and society, including:
- Climate risk management
- Sustainability and climate change
- Climate resilience and adaptation
- The economics of climate change
- The School of Geography welcomes applications which complement and build on the existing research specialisms of the School’s Cultural and Historical Geography research theme. In particular, applications are encouraged in the areas of:
Applications are encouraged from candidates who could work in one or several of the four areas above, across more than one of the School’s research themes.
School of Education
- Contact: Professor Volker Wedekind
- volker.wedekind@nottingham.ac.uk
- Strategic priority areas:
- curriculum and pedagogy (including learning sciences and subject areas)
- teacher development
- counselling in education
- lifelong learning/further/vocational education
- higher education
- comparative and/or international education and development
Back to the topFaculty of Science
School of Pharmacy
- Contact: Dr Frankie Rawson
- frankie.rawson@nottingham.ac.uk
- Strategic priority areas:
- Biotherapeutics
- Anti-infective technologies
- Diagnostics and analytics
School of Psychology
- Contact: Dr Neil Roach
- neil.roach@nottingham.ac.uk
School of Physics and Astronomy
- Contact: Professor Amalia Patane
- Email: amalia.patane@nottingham.ac.uk
School of Computer Science
- Contact: Professor Tony Pridmore
- tony.pridmore@nottingham.ac.uk
- Strategic priority areas:
- Embodied intelligence
- Cyber security
- cyber health
School of Biosciences
- Contact: Dr Ian Fisk
- Biosciences-Research@nottingham.ac.uk
- Strategic priority areas:
- Climate change, sustainable agriculture and food production systems
- engineering biology
- food & nutrition for all
- animal biotechnology
- microbiology
- digital agriculture/smart farm/Agri-tech
- World leading fundamental biosciences
School of Chemistry
- Contact: Professor Andrei Khlobystov
- andrei.khlobystov@nottingham.ac.uk
- Strategic priority areas:
- Sustainable Chemistry
- Molecular Bonding and Spectroscopy
- Materials
- Synthesis & Catalysis
- Biological Chemistry
School of Mathematical Sciences
- Contact: Prof Thomas Sotiriou
- thomas.sotiriou@nottingham.ac.uk
Back to the topFaculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
School of Medicine
- Contact: Professor Pip Logan
- MS-Research-Cttee@nottingham.ac.uk
- Strategic priority areas: the School of Medicine welcomes applications from all medical disciplines, particularly those that align to the research themes in the NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre:
- hearing
- gastrointestinal and liver disorders
- musculoskeletal diseases
- mental health and technology
- respiratory diseases
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) which supports all areas of research
School of Health Sciences
- Contact: Dr Sarah Goldberg
- sarah.goldberg@nottingham.ac.uk
- Strategic Priority Areas:
- Mental Health
- Maternal health and wellbeing
- Rehabilitation (aligned with the work of the National Rehabilitation Centre)
- Children’s and Young People’s healthcare
School of Life Sciences
- Contact: Professor Amir Ghaemmaghami
- Amir.ghaemmaghami@nottingham.ac.uk
- Strategic priority areas:
- Infection and immunity
- cell signalling /molecular pharmacology
- immune engineering
- health gaining in musculoskeletal or nervous system
- microbes and biotechnology
Vet School
- Contact one: Dr Cinzia Allegrucci
- Cinzia.Allegrucci@nottingham.ac.uk
- Strategic Priority Areas:
- Immunobiology
- Infection and Immunity
- Diagnostics and Therapeutics
- Epidemiology
