Post-doctoral opportunities

Post-doctoral opportunities within the School of East Asian studies.

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We are pleased to confirm that we are running 2 information sessions on key funding opportunities for Early Career Researchers in the Arts & Humanities. If you have any questions about these sessions, please contact Alex Goode (artsresearchhub@sheffield.ac.uk). Please note that the Faculty of Arts & Humanities includes the departments and schools listed here only. 

Wednesday 31st May 2023 (14:00- 15:30)- Introduction to funding opportunities for Early Career researchers

Sign up here by Tuesday 30 May. You will shortly receive a link to join the session. 

In this session, we will provide you with an overview of the main funding opportunities for Early Career Researchers, including fellowships, as well as highlighting any University selection processes. You will also be able to hear from a current Early Career Fellow at Sheffield about their experiences, right from the initial application process through to undertaking the fellowship. We will cover the following:

  1. Types of funder and remit
  2. Key schemes and basic details
  3. Things to consider before applying
  4. Top tips for your application
  5. Support available from the Arts Research Hub
  6. Questions

Wednesday 28th June 2023 (14:00- 15:30)- Introduction to the British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship & Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship schemes

Sign up here. You will shortly receive a link to join the session. 

In this session, we will focus on 2 of our most popular Early Career Fellowship Schemes; the British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship and the Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship. You will learn more about the specific timescales and support available for these schemes, as well as hearing from a current Early Career Fellow at Sheffield.

As these schemes have quite specific eligibility criteria, we would strongly encourage you to check this via the links above before signing up to the session.


The School of East Asian Studies is keen to attract outstanding early career researchers through post-doctoral fellowships and grants. With its reputation for research excellence in arts, humanities and social sciences, and its renowned early career development opportunities, The University of Sheffield can offer an excellent environment for you to establish a research career.

Details of any schemes that may be able to fund your research project can be accessed by contacting the Faculty Research Hub Manager, Alex Goode (a.goode@sheffield.ac.uk) or SEAS Manager, Mark Steele (m.steele@sheffield.ac.uk) to enquire about current opportunities.

Please include the following information:

  • Details of your proposed mentor
  • One page project outline
  • Two-page research CV

The University runs internal competitions for most major postdoctoral schemes in order to select the strongest possible applicants. Details of the specific process for each scheme will be made available following your contact with the School. For further information on support that is available, please go to the Faculty Early Career Fellowships page.

Examples of potential schemes:

Visiting Postdoctoral Application Bursary Scheme

British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme

Marie Skłodowska Curie Individual Fellowship scheme

European Research Council Starting Investigator Grant

Wellcome Trust Research Fellowships in Humanities and Social Science

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellowships

Leverhulme Early Career Fellowships Internal Application Process 2020

Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowships (ECFs) aim to provide career development opportunities for those who are at a relatively early stage of their academic careers, but who have a proven record of research. These three-year Fellowships provide an exceptional opportunity to develop as an independent researcher, and will have a significant impact on future career trajectory. The expectation is that Fellows should undertake a significant piece of publishable work during their tenure, and the project put forward should therefore not be a reworking or mere extension of the candidate’s doctoral research project.

  • Approximately 100 Fellowships will be available through the Leverhulme Trust in 2020
  • The Leverhulme Trust requires host institutions to fund at least 50% of the overall Fellowship cost
  • The Faculty of Arts and Humanities is able to support seven candidates to submit their applications to the Leverhulme Trust in 2020

If you are interested in applying, you must first check that you meet the Leverhulme Trust's eligibility criteria. These can be found here.

If you are eligible, and would like to apply to hold a Fellowship in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, please get in touch with the School Director of Research before 1 December 2020 to find out about the internal application process for the School. You will need to provide a short CV (2 pages maximum) and an expression of interest form, or any other documentation the School requires.

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