SEDarc Postdoctoral Fellowships

The SEDarc Doctoral Training Partnership has been awarded funding from the ESRC to host four Postdoctoral Fellowships (PDFs) for October 2026 entry. The scheme is aimed at providing a career development opportunity for those in the immediate postdoctoral stage of their career, to consolidate their PhD through developing publications, their networks, and their research and professional skills.

What is on offer?

The PDF grants provide funding for 9 months full-time, or up to 18 months part-time. Part-time grants are intended for applicants whose normal working hours are part-time and not for applicants who wish to hold the fellowship and continue other employment.

Fellowships cover:

Fellow's salary costs
Indirect costs
Estate costs
Up to a maximum of £7,500 for all other costs (to include costs such as mentoring costs, travel and subsistence, conference attendance, training, and impact and engagement events, for example)

Who is eligible for a SEDarc ESRC-funded PDF?

This call is open to those who have:

1) completed their PhD in the UK at a UK Research Organisation (RO) and must be held at a RO that is part of a Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) eligible to participate in this initiative and aligned to an accredited subject area: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/esrc-postdoctoral-fellowships/

2) 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

3) Have no more than 15 months (full-time equivalent) of active postdoctoral experience. This is measured from the applicant's viva voce pass date to the application deadline of 1 June 2026.

Please note, if you have passed your viva voce, but with major corrections, you will not be eligible for this year’s call.

Permanent members of staff in an academic position with a research component are not eligible for this scheme.

If you have any queries please contact: esrcdtp@royalholloway.ac.uk or SEDarc@rhul.ac.uk

Which pathways or disciplines can I apply for?

Your proposal can be from a single discipline or a combination of disciplines, but social sciences must make up at least 50% of your Fellowship activities.

SEDarc offers Postdoctoral Fellowships across 5 interdisciplinary Pathways:

Living Sustainably
Healthy, Thriving Communities
Inclusive Economic Growth
Secure, Effective and Trusted Organisations
Transformative Technologies for Society

SEDarc PDF awards are available in the following subject areas at Royal Holloway:

Subject	Royal Holloway Department	Department Lead
Business and Management	Business and Management	Dr Gul Berna Ozcan
Cyber Security	Information Security	Dr Andrew Dwyer
Economics	Economics	Professor Andy Mountford
Geography and Environmental Studies	Geography	Dr Laurie Parsons
Criminology	Law and Criminology	Professor Jill Marshall
Politics and International Relations	Politics, International Relations, and Philosophy	Professor Jonathan Seglow
Psychology	Psychology	Professor Ryan McKay

How do I apply for a PDF?

Please read the ESRC’s documents and the SEDarc applicant guidance (see below) carefully, and ensure you are eligible for a PDF.

If you are eligible, start thinking about, and drafting, your topic and programme of work.

At the same time, consider who would be best suited to mentoring you during your PDF, and contact your mentor or the Pathway Lead listed above. The mentor would usually be based in the home institution and associated with the thematic pathway of the research. They should not normally be the applicant's PhD supervisor. A second mentor will be provided from another discipline, SEDarc partner, or sector.

** To note, new research cannot be funded through these awards.

All applicants must submit an expression of interest (EoI) form, together with a 2-page CV to SEDarc.

The EoI form can be downloaded here: SEDarc PDF EOI Form 2026

Applicant guidance can be downloaded here: SEDarc PDF EOI Applicant Guidance 2026

Stages of competition:

1) Submit your expression of interest and CV to SEDarc by 23:59 BST on Thursday 16 April 2026.

2) There will be an internal review of EoIs to select our two institutional nominees: if you are successful following this first review phase, you will be invited to complete a full, costed application by Monday 4 May 2026. Our Research Services team in Research and Innovation will assist with the costings.

3) The deadline for full applications is 17.00 BST on Monday 1 June 2026. SEDarc will then peer review the applications with a central team and make funding decisions on behalf of the ESRC, to a maximum of four awards, by 18 June 2026, subject to ratification by the ESRC.