Early Career Researchers

Early Career Researchers

A wide range of opportunities are available for researchers at the beginning of their academic career.  It is a stated aim of the Research Councils in particular to develop and enhance the research capacity of UK universities by supporting early career researchers to take the next step on the academic/research ladder.  In most instances, an early career researcher (ECRs) will have recently been awarded (or be about to be awarded) a PhD and/or will be under the age of 35.  Most of the schemes dicussed here, however, allow individuals without a PhD but with commensurate experience to apply.  They also allow older individuals who may have taken a career break for one reason or another to apply.

A wide range of postdoctoral fellowships are available and these are discussed in the section on Fellowships.

There are also a range of grant schemes aimed specifically at ECRs.  For example:

AHRC Research Grants (ECR Route) - open to those who have not acted as a Principal Investigator (PI) on an AHRC grant (excluding their small grants scheme) normally within 8 years of completing PhD or 6 years of first academic post; Value: £20,000-£200,000; Duration: up to 60 months; Deadline(s): Open.

BBSRC New Investigator Scheme - open to those who have not acted as a PI who have been in an academic (or equivalent) post for no more than 3 years but whose current contract is longer than the duration of the grant applied for.

ESRC First Grants Scheme - open to those who have not acted as a PI  and normally within 6 years of completing PhD; Value: up to £400,000; Duration: flexible; Deadline: Outline application in November, and if successful full application in April.    

NERC New Investigator Grants - open to those who have not acted as a PI and are within 3 years of becoming eligible to do so; Value: up to £100,000; Duration: flexible; Deadline: 1 Feb.

Many of the small grants schemes offered by the RCs and by charities are also suitable for ECRs and it is often suggested that ECRs consider applying for small grants before applying for the larger schemes.