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School of History

Postdoctoral Funding Opportunities

The School of History at QMUL is a notable centre for the nurture of postdoctoral and early career colleagues, and we have been highly successful in supporting postdoctoral applications.

Alongside their research mentors, postdoctoral researchers (PDRs) in the School are supported by a dedicated academic PDR coordinator, Prof Kim Wagner . Prof Wagner coordinates a colloquium series, which runs throughout the year and is an opportunity for PDRs to present their research to the rest of the School.

The Humanities and Social Sciences Early Career Researchers Network offers support to researchers at the beginning of their academic careers. As well as regular talks and workshops, there are opportunities to meet other ECRs from across the Faculty to share the experience and knowledge in getting careers started. In addition, the Humanities and Social Sciences Peer Review College provides individual support for early career researchers in grant and fellowship applications.

The School of History has a diverse community of postdoctoral fellows who contribute to our dynamic research environment. We welcome enquiries and applications from potential postdoctoral fellows. More information on our current postdoctoral fellows can be found on our postdoctoral research page. All enquiries should be directed to Senior Research Manager Sarah Saines (history-research@qmul.ac.uk) or Director of Research Funding Dr Andrew Mendelsohn.

The School of History operates an internal peer review process in order to support, mentor and manage demand for highly competitive postdoctoral research fellowships. Applicants wishing to consider applying for these awards are encouraged to contact the Director of Research Funding, Dr Andrew Mendelsohn  and a member of staff in the appropriate area of expertise to act as your mentor at least six weeks in advance of the relevant scheme’s deadline unless otherwise indicated above. Applications must fit both the funding scheme criteria and the School’s research profile. Many schemes are oversubscribed with low success rates. We are only able to support the strongest applications. 

We are inviting outstanding early career researchers to apply for the Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship Scheme. If you are interested in applying for this scheme through QMUL School of History, please submit an application in one document (Word or PDF, using a 12 pt font) to history-research@qmul.ac.uk by midday on Monday 13 November 2023.

Applicants wishing to consider applying for the Early Career Fellowships are encouraged to contact a member of staff in the appropriate area of expertise to act as their mentor in advance of the internal deadline. Applications must fit both the funding scheme and the School’s research profile. Applicants are also encouraged to highlight the support of Faculty and institution‐level infrastructure, and commitment to interdisciplinary research and exchange notably through the Queen Mary Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (IHSS). To aid applicants in preparing a strong application, the School of History will hold an online training session on Wednesday 18 October 2023, 5:00 - 6:00 PM.

Because these Fellowships require an institutional contribution to match that made by the Leverhulme Trust, only a small number of exceptional applications will be supported. The School is only able to nominate a limited number of applications for consideration by a University selection panel. Candidates will be notified in December whether they have been selected to submit an application to the Leverhulme Trust.

The expressions of interest must include in a single PDF document:

  • a statement confirming eligibility for the scheme - please state in a series of bullet points how you meet the Trust’s eligibility requirements (see https://www.leverhulme.ac.uk/early‐career‐fellowships);
  • a proposed start and end date for the award;
  • a 2-page academic CV;
  • An outline research proposal including title, non-technical abstract (100 words), statement of past and current research (250 words) and 2 page (A4) project outline. The project outline should include aims, objectives, methodology and outcome (e.g. publication plans). It should make clear the scope and importance of the proposal. The methodology should be clear and explicit, comprehensible to a non-expert.
  • A statement on why QMUL would be a good institutional fit, which includes a proposed mentor for your project and how your research activities might contribute to the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences (IHSS) at QMUL. (250 words)
  • the name of your QMUL mentor, whose support you should secure in advance of your application.

Your application should demonstrate:

  • that you are eligible according to the trust’s criteria
  • the excellence of your research track record and professional track record (where relevant);
  • your fit to the School of History and relevant links to the Faculty of the Humanities and Social Sciences

Full scheme details can be found on the Leverhulme Trust Website.

All applications will be considered in an internal selection process and candidates notified by 15 December 2023.

Successful applicants will then have approximately two months to finalise their application, due 15 February 2024. They will also be invited to attend an orientation session run by The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences about the final stages of application, 11 January 2024. QMUL will then complete final institutional approvals by 22 February 2024.

If you have any questions about the internal selection process, please contact Professor Miri Rubin, Director of Research at the School of History, m.e.rubin@qmul.ac.uk.

 

 

 

We invite outstanding early career researchers to apply for the British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships. If you are interested in applying for this scheme through QMUL School of History, please submit an application in one document to our Senior Research Manager, Sarah Saines (history-research@qmul.ac.uk) by midday on 23 August 2023. 

The School offers an excellent research environment for scholars working across all periods and regions, with Fellows fully integrated into our vibrant and welcoming research community. In the most recent REF (REF2021), 86% of our research activity was classified as “world-leading” or “internationally excellent”, with the School achieving the second highest proportion of 4* outputs for History in the country.

You are strongly encouraged to identify and secure the agreement of a mentor before you submit an expression of interest. Staff profiles can be found on our website

The Expression of interest should include:

  • an explanation of the reasons for your choice of the School of History at Queen Mary as your host, which should include a proposed mentor (150 words maximum)
  • an outline of your proposed programme of research (1,500 words maximum)including consideration of method, sources, and significance
  • your planned research outputs, e.g. monograph, journal article(s), book chapter(s), digital resources, events (workshops, conferences), other (please specify) (300 words maximum)
  • a list of existing publications (1 page maximum)
  • a CV (2 pages maximum)
  • a draft sample of writing, either published or accepted for publication (article or book chapter length).

Your application should demonstrate:

  • that you are eligible according to the BA’s criteria
  • the excellence of your research track record and professional track record (where relevant);
  • your fit to the School of History and relevant links to the Faculty of the Humanities and Social Sciences

Full scheme details can be found on the British Academy website. To aid applicants in preparing a strong application, the School of History will hold an online training session on 11 July 2023, 14:00-15:00. After this date, applicants may request a link to the session recording by contacting history-research@qmul.ac.uk.

All applications will be considered in an internal selection process and candidates will be notified within 2 weeks of the August deadline. Successful applicants will then have approximately one month to finalise their outline application, with outline applications due to be submitted via FlexiGrant (the BA system) by 4 October 2023 (inclusive of referee report and approvals).

 

If you have any questions about the internal selection process, please contact the School’s Research Manager, Sarah Saines (history-research@qmul.ac.uk) or Dr Andrew Mendelsohn, our Director of Research Funding in the School of History, a.mendelsohn@qmul.ac.uk.

 

This scheme provides funding for early-career researchers from any discipline who are ready to develop their research identity. Through innovative projects, they will deliver shifts in understanding that could improve human life, health and wellbeing. By the end of the award, they will be ready to lead their own independent research programme. 

You must have completed a PhD or have at least four years' equivalent research experience. You may also have some postdoctoral experience in your proposed field of study, but generally no more than three years. You are not eligible if you have an existing tenured (salaried) post for the duration of the award.

A Wellcome Early Career Award provides a salary for the grantholder and up to £400,000 for research expenses. The award usually lasts for 5 years but may be for less. The award may be held on a part-time basis in which case the duration will be adjusted to reflect this.

More information on the scheme is available here.

The funder’s deadline is 21 February 2023,  the internal deadline is 16 January 2023.

EU-funded Horizon Europe MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships (formerly known as Individual Fellowships in Horizon 2020) are for talented researchers of any age/nationality who hold a PhD at the call deadline and have no more than 8 years of research experience after the PhD. Fellowships are designed to support research, training and mobility in Europe and beyond, and to advance skills, transfer knowledge and contribute to research and innovation. 

Fellows must move, or have just moved to the host country (less than 12 months in the 3 years before call deadline) to take up the fellowship as mobility is a key requirement.

Queen Mary is very well placed to host with 69 Horizon 2020 individual fellowships awarded to date and ranked 8th in the UK and 17th in Europe for Horizon 2020 fellowships.

To be successful, fellowships require a well-matched supervisor with a talented researcher and a structured programme of research, including training and development.

QMUL will provide support to applicants in the form of:

  • annotated guidance notes for the writing of the proposal, with up to date information and tips on evaluation trends, policies etc.;
  • coaching in proposal writing;
  • proposal reviews.

The internal deadline for the 2021 round has passed, and we are no longer accepting applications.

This scheme is not currently open to applications.

This scheme is not currently open to applications.

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