Research Fellowships 2025

Four Fellowships available

Fixed term, up to 4 years

Awards will be made in January 2025

St John’s College, in the University of Cambridge, invites applications for up to four Research Fellowship awards, tenable for up to four years from 1 October 2025. These prestigious awards offer a rare opportunity to devote yourself to independent research in a stimulating and supportive academic environment. We place great importance on the intellectual contribution our Research Fellows make to St John’s, and on creating the conditions to accelerate their progress towards outstanding academic careers.

Eligibility

We accept applications from a graduate of any university within or outside the United Kingdom, and welcome applications from all academic disciplines, to sustain a diverse community of award holders.  

Our Research Fellowship awards are for early-career academics. Successful candidates will normally either be postdoctoral researchers who have been awarded their PhD within the last two years or graduate students in the latter stages of research leading to a PhD. Candidates holding a fellowship or other postdoctoral stipend (for example, awarded by a Research Council or other similar body) may apply, noting that any stipend or other funding received will be deducted from the Research Fellowship award.

Holders of a Fellowship at a Cambridge college may not apply. Candidates who accept a Fellowship from another Cambridge college will be deemed to have withdrawn from St John’s College’s Research Fellowship competition.

We typically receive between 600 and 800 eligible applications for Research Fellowship awards. More information about our College and current Research Fellows can be found at: St John's College Research Fellowships competition 2025 | St John's College, University of Cambridge

Terms of the award and accompanying Fellowship

The award offers a research stipend of £31,396 to £33,966 pa for up to four years, and award holders are elected to a Research Fellowship for this period.  Award holders are permitted to receive additional pay for up to six hours' College or University teaching a week.

Research Fellows benefit from up to £10,000 in additional grants over their four-year tenure.  These grants support the costs of academic materials, travel expenses, computer equipment, books and, where appropriate, the expense of extended periods of research outside Cambridge. Additionally, during their four-year tenure, we offer up to £5,700 towards the costs of organising a conference or workshop in St John’s.  

Research Fellows can choose to live in College in single residential accommodation, with charges applying for services and supplies.  Research Fellows who live outside College, including those who live with their partner/family, are eligible for a housing allowance worth up to £34,800 over their four-year tenure. This allowance is paid monthly and is capped at 50% of rent paid.   Research Fellows living outside St John’s will have an office in College.   Fellowships are held on condition of residence within the University of Cambridge, i.e. within 20 miles of the centre of Cambridge.  Research Fellows are also entitled to take one meal each day in College, at College expense.

Subject to circumstances, we will consider:

1. a deferral for up to one year before the Research Fellowship award and associated Fellowship commences;
2. periods of working away from Cambridge for the purposes of research for up to one year;
3. a period undertaking a remunerated academic position that contributes to professional development (e.g. a temporary teaching position) of up to one year, during which the award holder will forgo the College stipend.

How to apply

Your application must be submitted online by 14.00 BST on 19 September 2024. Referees will have until 14:00 BST on 24 September to complete your references.

You can submit an application before getting all three references, but your application will be considered incomplete if the references are not added by the reference deadline. It is your responsibility to ensure that referees submit their references in time.

No interviews are held. Rigorous assessment of submitted written work, previous research achievements and research intentions are of primary importance. 

St John’s College policies are fully inclusive, regardless of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, gender identity or reassignment, or relationship status. 

Please note the College is unable to advise or assist individual candidates on any matters concerning eligibility or the content of their applications. You can find Candidate FAQs here

For technical enquiries or difficulties accessing the application site, contact:  sjcamrf@joh.cam.ac.uk  +44 1223 338 609

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