Eligibility

 

Eligibility criteria

• UK IC Postdoctoral Research Fellowships must be held at one of the following eligible institutions that can show it is capable of fully supporting the research project and researcher:
  • a UK higher education institution/university or
  • a UK research organisation that is eligible to receive UKRI funding. However, organisations represented in the UK Intelligence Community for this scheme are excluded.
• The applicant must be a citizen of Australia, Canada, the EEA, New Zealand, Switzerland, the UK or the US. If you hold dual citizenship, you are eligible to apply provided that at least one of your citizenships is from one of these countries. The host institution is responsible for securing all necessary work permits and related costs for the UK IC Postdoctoral Research Fellows.
• There are no age restrictions for applicants.
• A basic security check is required as part of the UK IC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship scheme. By applying to this scheme the applicant is agreeing to be security checked prior to the start of the Research Fellowship providing the required information (full name, date of birth, nationality and current address) to the funder/relevant governmental organisation who will perform the check. If the Research Fellow does not meet or complete the security check requirement, the UK IC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship award will be withdrawn.
• The proposed research project must address one of the research topics outlined at the end of the applicant guidance notes.
• UK IC Postdoctoral Research Fellowships are aimed at early-career researchers. Applicants must have a PhD, which was awarded no more than five yearsbefore the submission deadline: Tuesday 29 April 2025. This time period includes applicants’ work experience in academia or/and in industry in the UK or/and worldwide. A margin of up to three months more than the five-year limit is acceptable. If applicants have had maternity/paternity leave or other extenuating circumstances (e.g., extended sick leave, national service, or caring responsibilities), this will be taken into consideration if the relevant dates and details are provided in the application form.
• PhD students are eligible to apply, but must have been awarded their PhD (or the PhD has been unconditionally approved) before 01 August 2025or the offer will be withdrawn.
• The applicant must not hold a permanent academic position before the start of the UK IC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship. Probationary or fixed-term lecturers are eligible to apply if the probationary or fixed-term status remains till the start of Research Fellowship.
• UK IC Postdoctoral Research Fellowships must commence between 1 October 2025and 1 January 2026. The duration of a UK IC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship is two years full-time, calculated on a pro-rata basis for part-time awards. Requests for a shorter UK IC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship are not accepted.
• UK IC Postdoctoral Research Fellows will be employed by the host institution and are required to devote all their working time to the Research Fellowship programme of work. The UK IC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship must be the Research Fellow’s only source of employment. The Research Fellow should be based at the host institution for more than 50% of the Research Fellowship. If the Research Fellow needs to work more than 50% of the Research Fellowship outside the host institution, justification must be provided in the application form (Choice of host institution).
• Applicants who have applied to this scheme before and were unsuccessful are eligible to reapply. These applications will be considered as new applications.
• Occasionally security vetting is required as part of the UK IC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship scheme, by applying to this scheme the applicant is agreeing to be vetted if it becomes necessary during the Research Fellowship. If security vetting is required and the Research Fellow does not meet the security vetting requirement or does not complete the vetting process in a timely manner, the UK IC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship award will be withdrawn.

Note: nationality restrictions and basic security checks are now required by the Government Office for Science.  This is to mitigate risks in the researchers’ relationships with UK government and to safeguard awardees. Nationality is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, however exceptions for the purpose of safeguarding national security are permitted.

We remind you also that:

• UK IC Postdoctoral Research Fellowships cannot be jointly hosted by multiple institutions.
• It is the applicant’s responsibility to contact the host institution to gain their formal approval before submitting an application.
• Any applications that are incomplete or do not adhere to the guidance will be rejected.
• Once submitted the application form cannot be edited and updated.
• As part of this grant application process your name and email address will be provided to the funder/relevant governmental organisation collaborating on the project to perform the required basic security checks.