Applying for Research Fellowships

Jon Simons and team

Fellowships in Psychology

We support early‑career researchers who are considering applying for fellowships in the Department of Psychology.

Whether you already have a specific scheme in mind, or are still exploring options, we can help you navigate the process and plan your application.

How we support you

  • Identifying suitable fellowship schemes
  • Planning timelines and requirements early
  • Costing and preparing your application
  • Navigating UKRI, ERC and other funders
  • Coordinating departmental and central requirements

Applying for a fellowship in Psychology at Cambridge

  • World‑leading research with a strong collaborative and multidisciplinary approach
  • Access to a wide range of research groups, centres and facilities
  • Opportunities to engage with a vibrant academic community

Getting started

We strongly encourage applicants to contact us as early as possible. As a minimum, we normally require six weeks' notice before the funder deadline, although many fellowship schemes benefit from substantially earlier engagement.

Email: grants@psychol.cam.ac.uk

Looking ahead

We are continuing to improve how we support fellowship applicants, including:

  • Clearer guidance in one place
  • Earlier conversations around requirements
  • Workshops for early‑career researchers

Types of fellowships

List of Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in the UK

Early career fellowships

These fellowships are typically for researchers in their first or second postdoctoral position.

They are usually linked to an existing research group, with an academic supervisor in the Department. Applicants will normally need to identify and secure support from a suitable academic sponsor within the Department before an application can proceed.

Examples include:

  • Marie Skłodowska‑Curie Fellowships
  • ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowships
  • Leverhulme Early Career Fellowships
  • British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships

We can help you identify a suitable scheme and get started.

Applicants will need to contact a potential supervisor directly, and agreement to supervise is required before submission.

Mid‑career and senior fellowships

These fellowships are for more experienced researchers (typically with several years postdoctoral experience).

They often include funding to support:

  • Your own research
  • Additional team members (e.g. postdoc or research assistant)

Examples include:

  • Wellcome Career Development Awards
  • ERC Grants (ERC Starting Grants and ERC Consolidator Grants)
  • MRC Fellowships

Many major fellowship applications require departmental approval before submission through the Department's Research Strategy Committee.