Postdoctoral Fellowships at University of Edinburgh 2025-2026

Competition for IASH Postdoctoral Fellowships is intense. We also offer targeted postdoctoral opportunities in a number of disciplines, and early career applicants may prefer to apply for these. If an application to a specific postdoctoral scheme listed below is unsuccessful, it will then be considered as part of the general pool of Postdoctoral Fellowships:

Researchers in history may be interested in the Daiches-Manning Memorial Fellowship in 18th-Century Scottish Studies.

Scholars in archaeology may apply for the IASH-HCA Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Scholars with an interest in digital arts, digital humanities, digital education, digital design and/or digital social sciences may wish to apply for the Digital Scholarship Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Researchers working in the field of contemporary Islam and Muslim culture can apply for the IASH-Alwaleed Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Scholars in public theology, including peacebuilding and the arts; theology, politics, and migration; theology and environmental ethics; and/or theology, law and justice can apply for the IASH-CTPI Duncan Forrester Fellowship.

Researchers wishing to examine specific special collections and archives held at the University of Edinburgh can apply for the Heritage Collections Research Fellowship (based on uncatalogued or barely researched collections) or for collections held at the National Museum of Scotland, we have the IASH-National Museums Scotland Fellowship.

Researchers seeking to pursue a programme of independent scholarship focused on gender and sexualities studies can apply for the GENDER.ED Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Scholars working in any area of the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences whose research engages meaningfully with the work of Stuart Hall, either in theory, method or topic, should apply for the RACE.ED Stuart Hall Foundation Fellowship.

 

• Table of Content
• About University of Edinburgh
• University of Edinburgh PhD Scholarship
• Aim and Benefits of University of Edinburgh PhD Scholarship
• Requirements for University of Edinburgh PhD Scholarship Qualification
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About University of Edinburgh

The University of Edinburgh is the sixth oldest university in the UK and the oldest civic foundation in the English-speaking world. Today, the University is home to over 45,000 students spread across five campuses around the city. These campuses also house some of the world’s most important collections, including art, musical instruments, natural history, geology, anatomy, rare books and manuscripts.  90% of their research was recently deemed world leading or internationally excellent and they have been awarded the prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize five times. As w... continue reading

University of Edinburgh PhD Scholarship

• Category PhD
• SponsorUniversity of Edinburgh
• City to study Edinburgh
• School to study University of Edinburgh
• Course to study Not specified
• Application Deadline April 25, 2025

Aim and Benefits of University of Edinburgh PhD Scholarship

• Scholarship value: Full Funding, GBP 20,000 + Other Benefits

Requirements for University of Edinburgh PhD Scholarship Qualification

Applications from both inside and outside of the University of Edinburgh are cordially welcomed by the Institute. Candidates must hold a doctorate at the time of application, preferably within the last three years though earlier graduates may still be qualified if they took long career pauses after finishing their degree; if not, you must be able to provide a transcript, testamur, or eligibility letter as part of your application; graduation is not required at the time of application). It is improper for you to have had a fellowship at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities in the past or permanent employment at a university. Applications are welcome from anyone who has held temporary or short-term appointments. We ask that you send us a brief explanation of your leave of absence from employment, along with the duration of your absence. If you have taken parental leave or any other time off from academia, this will not count against the three-year restriction.

 

Application Deadline

April 25, 2025

How to Apply

The closing date for the receipt of the next round of applications (for visits from August 2025 to July 2026) is 17:00 GMT on 25 April 2025. Applications received after that date will not be considered. Decisions will be communicated in July. Please ensure that you supply a valid email address so that you can be contacted quickly after decisions are made.

The application form

The application portal is now open - apply here.
Any additional supporting documents connected with an application should be emailed to [email protected].

References

• In addition to the application form, a minimum of two and a maximum of three confidential references are required.
• Applicants should ask their referees to email their reference to the Director at [email protected] by 25 April 2025. If references are not received by this date, your application cannot be considered.
• Referees should comment on the nature and quality of the research proposal, as well as on the qualifications of the applicant. One referee should certify the successful viva (defence) and final examination of the candidate’s PhD thesis.

Notes

• Consideration will be given to the academic record and the publications of all applicants and their capacity to disseminate their views among a community of like-minded people. Candidates must give evidence of any contact they have made with researchers at the University of Edinburgh, are required to make such contact before submitting their applications, and those who can evidence the relevance of their proposed project to the University of Edinburgh research community will be regarded favourably.  Particular weight will be placed on the quality and timeliness of the project proposed, and we encourage innovative and interdisciplinary topics and approaches.
• For information about the scope of work undertaken at the University of Edinburgh, see Edinburgh Research Explorer, or browse through the staff pages of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
• Only fully completed formal applications will be considered. It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure that all documentation is complete, and that referees submit their reports to IASH by the closing date. Candidates may like to submit a copy of any one article or publication that is thought to be especially relevant to the research proposal and Fellowship submission. It must be emphasised, however, that no such submitted publication will be returned to the candidate.
• The Institute was established in 1969 by the then Faculty of Arts to promote enquiry of the highest standards in the Humanities, broadly conceived. It began to receive Fellows in 1970, and is now located as an independent institute within the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.  Inter-departmental and inter-disciplinary study has always been encouraged.
• Fellows must make the Institute their main place of work for the duration of the Fellowship.  It is expected that Fellows will be in residence throughout the tenure of their Fellowship and will contribute fully to the life of the Institute during that time. Fellows give at least one seminar presentation during their tenure, and submit a report on their research at the end of their Fellowship. No regular teaching is required.
• Applicants looking for suitable accommodation in Edinburgh may find these links useful.

For more details visit UE website