ESPRC Postdoctoral Pathway Fellowship

Salary: £35,608 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 29 June 2026

The Role

The EPSRC have renamed the previous EPSRC DTP Doctoral Prize Fellowships as DLA Postdoctoral Pathway Fellowships (DLA PPF).

The Fellowship will include a 24-month fixed term academic salary based on Grade F, point 27, £35,608, plus a research project budget (to be calculated and requested as part of your application in discussion with your project sponsor) with the maximum budget of £15,000. Additional project funds can also be sought outside of the ESPRC DLA grant.

To be eligible for an EPSRC DLA Postdoctoral Pathway Fellowship you must have received EPSRC funding during your PhD studies. This includes those recruited via the Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) and Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs). Applicants must be in their final year and have submitted or are due to submit in 2026 their doctoral thesis, be awarded their PhD qualification by the latest start date of June 2027. This must also be your first academic position. If you currently hold a research or academic-related position with a contract of 12 months or more, you will be considered to have achieved the aims of this programme and as such will not be eligible. EPSRC funded candidates that are currently not based at Newcastle University are also welcome to apply. For full eligibility details, please read the  Guidance for applicants and academic sponsors document (see weblink below).

Candidates will be required to propose a novel research project in an area that fits within the EPSRC’s funding remit https://www.ukri.org/councils/epsrc/guidance-for-applicants/epsrc-remit/ As well as undertaking significant new work the fellowship aims to develop independent researchers with applicants encouraged to move into new areas of research and demonstrate the ability to work independently from their former PhD supervisor. This position also provides the opportunity to complete key publications resulting from the PhD, develop research networks, facilitate knowledge transfer, and deliver outreach activities.

Applicants should identify an appropriate academic member of staff, referred to as a ‘Project Sponsor.’ They will be a Newcastle University employee, and you should approach them in advance of applying to discuss your planned research proposal. Your Project Sponsor must be willing to support your project and, where appropriate, host the project in their research facilities.

Recipients of the Fellowship will also have the option of an independent mentor who can offer advice and support regarding the mentee’s research and career development throughout the duration of the award. Newcastle University is committed to providing support and development opportunities for all colleagues. We will also provide periodic review meetings with key colleagues, to discuss career development and will support you to apply for opportunities' post the fellowship.

The applicant is required to provide the following documentation via the Newcastle recruitment system:

• A brief academic CV including the names of 2 referees


• Previous qualification certificates and transcripts


• Letter of support from academic sponsor


• Complete and upload the research proposal proforma 

Further information can be found here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/sage/research/fellowships/[MP1] 

For enquiries please contact: [email protected]

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a Gold Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 29395