The following are schemes for which the Physics department support multiple applications every year. To ensure submission of high-quality proposals, the department runs an internal selection process for all major fellowship applications. Successful candidates would be offered a permanent post at the end of the Fellowship, subject to criteria being met, for schemes like ERF, URF, FLF and EPSRC Open. At University of Liverpool, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in our physics workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, disabled people, LGBTQI+ people, and women.
Each scheme presents different requests in terms of documentation. Where not specified, a personal statement with an expression of interest, including a 1-page summary of your proposed project, complete CV, and publication list, is required from all interested candidates around 3 months before the funder deadline.
We advise to get in touch as soon as possible with Head of Department, Head of Research & Impact and Heads of each research area sending an email to Fellowship_Physics@liverpool.ac.uk to express interest and discuss fit to the Department Research strategy. We also recommend to secure, prior application, the sponsorship of a local academic faculty member in the department, who will help to provide a strategic justification for supporting your fellowship within the context of the department’s research strategy. Once internally selected, a team of academic experts will be available to work with applicants over extended periods to develop high-quality proposals. This process is particularly relevant for schemes who apply a quota on number of applications for each Department.
STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellowships
The Science and Technology Facilities Council offer approximately 10 Fellowships each year to early-career researchers in astrophysics, particle physics, nuclear physics and accelerator physics. The deadline is usually in mid/end-September. A quota system applies for each university and so the department runs an annual internal selection process for this scheme.
It is therefore essential that you contact the team in charge of Fellowships (Fellowship_Physics@liverpool.ac.uk, inclusive of all cluster leaders) OR to the STFC-contact (Prof. Monica D’Onofrio, onofrio@liverpool.ac.uk), as well as a member of academic staff with a research area similar to your interests as soon as possible for further information and guidance. The process is depicted below, with attached relevant forms.
| 10th June 2024 | Internal Expression of Interest Deadline - The department sets an internal sifting process; following the schedule suggested by STFC, applicants are asked to submit an ERF Expression of Interest by the 10th of June to Fellowship_Physics@liverpool.ac.uk. Additional documentation such as a complete CV and publication list and potential referees is desirable. Applicants should cc in their local sponsor if they have one (note: head of groups are part of the mailing list above). |
| Mid-July 2024 | Decision Taken - final decision is taken by the Research panel and communicate to applicants. The successful candidates will iterate with their local sponsor and experts in research and impact in the department to further develop their scientific case and a high-quality proposal. We will also offer advice on all costs that will need to be included, and on the support that can be provided by the Department. |
| 1st October 2024 |
Applications are submitted by the deadline. |
The Royal Society - University Research Fellowships
This scheme is for outstanding scientists in the UK at an early stage of their career who have the potential to become leaders in their field.
The deadline is on the 10th of September.
Applicants must not hold a permanent academic position, nor have previously held an independent research fellowship and must have between 3 and 8 year’s experience since your PhD at the close of the round.
The scheme is open to applicants of all nationalities. Funding is available for up to 8 years and includes the applicant's salary and funding towards research expenses as outlined in the funder guidance website.
Please read them carefully. Applications are submitted through the Royal Society's application portal - Flexigrant.
While there is no quota associated to this scheme, the department runs an annual internal selection process to ensure that applications are of high-quality and fit well within our departmental strategy. Expressions of Interest and other documents (as in STFC ERF guidance) should be sent to Fellowship_Physics@liverpool.ac.uk (inclusive of HoD, Head of Research, Head of Clusters) by no later than the 10th of June.
Note: The UoL offers a voluntary peer review and mock interview at Institutional level. That process is not a replacement for departmental approval (mandatory) but could complement the review process for further support in the final preparation stages. If interested please let us know asap and before the 3rd of June.
UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships
This scheme supports early career researchers and innovators with outstanding potential. It offers a permanent academic post at the end of a 7-year Fellowship, following a successful evaluation. The FLF scheme welcomes applications from both UK and international applicants, and you should use the person specification on the FLF website to assess and justify your suitability for the scheme. Our department supports outstanding candidates.
In this case the University runs an internal selection process to decide candidates to be supported for final applications. The case for support should make clear the long-term aims of the programme, and why they matter – while providing more specific plans and costings for the first four years.
Deadlines and timelines for round 8 (2024)
UKRI have recently issued the guidance for Round 9 of the Future Leaders Fellowships scheme which has a full application deadline of 18th June, 4pm. The University of Liverpool is strictly limited to submitting 6 applications in this round. To help facilitate this, the institutional peer review college are coordinating a demand management process to select the proposals that will go forward to full UKRI submission. The full timeline for Departmental and Institutional reviews is given below:
| 8th March | Send your expression of interest to us for brief departmental review. This will ensure green light to proceed with the Department of Physics and provison of the form to be submitted (available in the internal page of the University). |
| 14th March, 2024 | deadline for Intention to submit. Applicants to send an Intention to Submit form to peerrev@liverpool.ac.uk. Applicants must also inform their HoDs of their intention to submit. |
| 27th Marc, 2024 | Internal application form deadline. Applicants to send an internal application to peerrev@liverpool.ac.uk consisting of Internal application form; Applicant’s CV and publication template; HoD support form (submitted by HoD) |
| 29th April, 2024 | Demand management panel meets and outcome is communicated to applicants |
| May-June 2024 | Tailored support will be provided to selected applicants |
| 18th June, 2024 |
UKRI full application deadline. |
EPSRC Fellowships
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council now offers two categories of Fellowship – a postdoctoral Fellowship in a limited range of scientific areas and an “Open Fellowship” applicable across the whole portfolio of physical, engineering and energy sciences.
Interested applicants should consult the EPSRC fellowships pages for more information on expected career stage for each fellowship type and further details of when applications should be made. Applications are made through Je-S. You cannot resubmit the same project proposal should your application be unsuccessful.
Postdoctoral Fellowships
EPSRC selects which scientific areas they will fund postdoctoral fellowships in at different times so you should refer to EPSRC's list of priority areas to check whether applications are currently being accepted for your scientific area. As of January 2023 applications are currently being accepted in 'energy', 'mathematical sciences' and 'synthetic biology'. Funding is available for up to 3 years, which includes your salary, travel and subsistence and research expenses including consumables, but only equipment costing under £10k.
Open Fellowships
Funding is available for up to 5 years, which includes your salary, salary support for PDRAs, travel and subsistence, and research expenses including equipment as per EPSRCs funding rules. Open Fellowships now provide opportunities not only for traditional research Fellowships, but also enable applicants to focus on innovation, instrumentation/technique development or software engineering or to include non-technical elements to create positive change in the research community should they wish. Note that EPSRC say Open Fellowships are suitable for those who “have already been in receipt of significant funding, or have been leading in an area of technical development” and hence are most likely to have several years of postdoctoral experience.
Deadlines and timelines (2024)
There is no formal submission deadline for EPSRC Fellowships.
Please send an email to Fellowship_Physics@liverpool.ac.uk if you are willing to apply with us so that we can help in the preparation of applications.
For all Fellowships you will require a letter of support from the Head of Department which will be written in collaboration with the leader of the appropriate research area. Any equipment required will need departmental support (including funding) so please make the facilitation team aware at an early stage in the application process if you are hoping to include a request for equipment in your application.
H2020 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships
MCSA Individual Fellowships are for two years only and usually involve joining an established research group in the Department. An academic member of the Department will be needed as a host, so please contact the person whose group you wish to join. The next deadline is in September and your CV will be required at an early stage in order to gain approval to proceed with the application.
European Research Council Grants
ERC Starting Grants are open to researchers of any nationality with 2-7 years of experience since completion of PhD, a scientific track record showing great promise and an excellent research proposal. Consolidator Grants targeted more experienced researchers, whilst Advanced Grants are available for international research leaders who have demonstrated their potential for ground-breaking research. There are calls for all three schemes each year. If you think that our Department would be ideal to host your ERC application, please contact the mailing list Fellowship_Physics@liverpool.ac.uk or a member of academic staff in the relevant research area at an early stage to establish the required support.
Back to: Department of Physics