All STFC Fellowships are governed by grant conditions as laid out in the Research Grants Handbook unless otherwise stated. In addition, this section provides details on the Postdoctoral and Advanced schemes and the additional rules and regulations which govern the awards. It is important that you read this section carefully before making an application.
The subject chosen by you must afford scope for original work in any of the following fields: Astronomy, Solar and Planetary Science, Particle Physics, Particle Astrophysics, Nuclear Physics, Development of STFC Neutron, Laser and Synchrotron Facilities within the UK. Within a particular discipline a Fellow is able to change the original project if circumstances so dictate without reference to STFC, provided the consent of the host Institution is obtained beforehand.
You must hold the fellowship at any UK Institution acceptable to STFC. Fellowships are open to applicants of any nationality. Applications are especially welcome if you are temporarily residing overseas and intend to use the fellowship as a means of re-establishing yourself in this country. You must comply with Department of Employment requirements and hold a work permit where appropriate.
Career breaks / returners
Applications are particularly welcome from those seeking to resume a research career, following a period of absence from active research (long term illness; family or caring responsibilities; moving from a non academic employment sector) of at least two years. If the break is less than two years and the applicant does not have the right to return to their previous employer (eg due to fixed term contract) they may be still be eligible to apply. Please consult with the STFC Fellowships Office to determine eligibility. The period of absence from research will be calculated from the start of the break until 1st September 2010.
Returner applicants will be judged solely on the applicant’s track record prior to the break from research. The Fellowships Panel will look to the track record for evidence of the qualities of excellence and potential expected of a fellowship holder. Applicants may seek a Returner Fellowship on a full or part-time basis. The Postdoctoral fellowship may be held from a minimum of one year (F/T) up to a maximum of 3 years. The Advanced fellowship may be held from a minimum of one year (F/T) up to a maximum of 5 years. You should have either:
- A strong track record, or
- Demonstrated the potential for a strong research career prior to your break
Institutions are strongly encouraged to provide appropriate support for returners to research, such as mentoring or role modelling schemes.
Starting dates and period of award
Fellowships normally begin on 1 October of the year of award unless you indicate a different start date on your application. The earliest a fellowship may start is 1st June. The offer of a fellowship will not be held open for more than six months from the announced start date of the award. All fellowships must be taken up by the following 31 March.
Fellowships can be held either on a full-time basis or may be sought on a part-time basis by applicants wishing to combine their fellowship with caring responsibilities.
Part-time awards can be held at 50% or above of full-time equivalent. A part-time Fellow may not hold another part-time position in conjunction with the fellowship.
When selecting an Institution at which to hold the proposed Fellowship you should consider where it would be most appropriate to further your research career. In many cases the Fellowship offers you an ideal opportunity to change Institutions in order to gain wider experience, while in some scientific areas it may be appropriate, and indeed necessary, for you to remain at the Institution where you received your postgraduate training. If you are applying to hold a fellowship at an Institution in order to co-locate with your spouse or partner, you should make this clear in your application. Applying to hold a fellowship at a particular Institution because of spouse or partner constraints will not disadvantage a candidate.
You must provide a clear statement in your application as to your choice of Institution.
You are advised to contact your proposed host institution well in advance of the 15 October closing date, as your application must have the backing of the host institution. STFC has set a limit on the number of applications that each host department may submit; therefore it may not be possible for a host to support all intended applications.
STFC fellowships are for researchers who do not hold a permanent academic position. A fellowship applicant who secures a position prior to the offer of a fellowship award will be ineligible to hold the fellowship.
Applicants must take up the award at the host institution identified in the application; the movement of a fellow prior to taking up an award will not be permitted.
Consideration will be given to requests during the course of an award to relocate the fellowship to a different Institution for scientific or domestic reasons. The agreement of the Institutions concerned will be required before seeking prior approval from STFC. Movement between Institutions will not normally be allowed during the first year of a fellowship.
As a STFC Fellow you may apply for research grants and computing time in accordance with the normal regulations and conditions and subject to the STFC closing dates. It should be noted, however, that fellowships are made on the presumption that there are adequate resources available for the research proposed and a fellowship does not carry with it the assurance that a research grant will be awarded.
You may undertake up to a maximum of six hours teaching, including preparation, each working week (total 260 hours per annum; pro-rata for part-time awards) if the Head of Department considers it desirable and provided it does not hinder progress on research work. Apart from this and normal holidays, you must devote yourself to research and no other work may be undertaken within usual working hours. An exception is made for the time spent on the public promotion of science and other STFC-approved business.
A fellowship is awarded to enable the individual to undertake research full time. Fellows are not therefore normally considered for Committee membership, particularly in the initial years of a fellowship award.
Fellows are entitled to take maternity, paternity, adoption or parental leave in accordance with the terms and conditions of the fellow's employment. If requested, consideration will be given to allowing a fellowship grant to be placed in abeyance during the absence of the Research Fellowship for maternity, paternity, adoption or parental leave, and the period of the fellowship extended by the period of leave.
Consideration will be given to requests to continue the fellowship on a flexible or part-time basis to allow the Research Fellow to meet caring responsibilities.
Fellows are entitled to take sick leave in accordance with the research organisation's terms and conditions. If requested, consideration will be given to allowing a fellowship grant to be placed in abeyance during the absence of the Research Fellow due to sick leave, and the period of the fellowship extended by the period of sick leave.
The additional salary costs for the fellow (pro rata to their percentage FTE on the fellowship) should be claimed, as necessary, at the end of the extended period.
At the end of the fellowship you are required to submit a final report within three months of the termination date.
Subject to the provisions of Dissemination and Exploitation of Results, results should be published, acknowledging STFC support.
For statistical purposes, STFC requires Fellows to complete a short questionnaire giving details of the post taken up on completion of the fellowship.
An award may be terminated, or its conditions varied, at any time at the absolute discretion of STFC. If you discontinue the research or take up paid employment before the expiry of the award, STFC must be informed immediately; the fellowship will then be terminated on the day preceding discontinuation of research or the commencement of such employment.
At the time of making an application you must either have or expect to have a PhD. A Postdoctoral Fellowship cannot commence until the PhD thesis has been submitted.
Extensions to a Postdoctoral Fellowship will be considered only under exceptional circumstances, on a case by case basis. Under no circumstances will a second award be allowed.
Progress reports
Your Head of Department is required to submit a report confirming your progress during the first half of your award.
Break in service
If offered a fellowship you will be allowed a break in service not more than twice during the period of the award, for the periods amounting together to not more than two years, to enable time to be spent on another related activity unsupported by STFC.
Requests for breaks in service must be submitted on the appropriate form (which is available from STFC) and must be endorsed by your Head of Department. Breaks in service will not normally be permitted during the first or final years of the fellowship, unless this is on maternity or sick leave.
Where STFC agrees to a break in service, STFC will not extend the duration of the Advanced Fellowship and STFC payments to the Institution will cease for the period of the break (i.e. an Advanced Fellow taking a maximum two year break in service would receive only three years of fellowship from STFC).
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Page last updated: 18 August 2009
by Clare Heseltine
