Herchel Smith Research Fellow (Fixed Term)

Department/Location: Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics

The Managers of the Herchel Smith Postdoctoral Research Fellowships Fund invite applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship to pursue research within the general field of Pure Mathematics.  Fellows are required to pursue their research on a full-time basis in Cambridge. 

The Fellowship is intended to enable an outstanding and highly motivated scholar who has demonstrated a capacity for individual research to focus exclusively on research at an early stage in their career, to develop academic potential, and to produce work of an international standard within the field. 

The Fellowship is to be held from 1 October 2026 or by agreement with the Head of Department. The Fellowship is available for up to three years and provides an opportunity for independent research, although the holder will usually work in close collaboration with an established research group. 

In accordance with Dr Smith's will, candidature is limited to candidates who have obtained their PhD degree, or equivalent, within the last three years at any university but normally excluding Cambridge and Harvard.  Fellowships can only be offered to those with less than three years postdoctoral experience by the time the Fellowship is taken up.  In addition to holding a PhD or equivalent, candidates should provide evidence of: outstanding academic excellence; a high-quality and original research proposal; and evidence of their capabilities as an independent researcher. 

The stipend will be on the University's Postdoctoral Research Associate scale, currently between £37,694 - £46,049 per annum, with an annual research allowance of £13,000. 

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 3 years in the first instance. 

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click on the 'Apply' button above

You will need to upload:

A Curriculum Vitae, Project Summary, Project Description, and list of publications. Additional details are available on our job opportunities webpage.

REFERENCES 

Please provide contact details, including an email address of two referees. At least one of your referees should be someone who is familiar with your work in your primary research field. 

To ensure your application can be fully considered, please make sure that both of your referees are aware of your application, have been provided with your Project Description, and understand that their reference must be received BEFORE the 15 December 2025. We encourage you to contact them in advance to confirm they are able to respond promptly once contacted.

Your referees will be contacted directly by the Mathematics HR Office Administrator and asked to upload their reference through our Web Recruitment System. References form an essential part of your application and will be reviewed by the selection committee. 

For information about the Department of Pure Maths and Mathematical Statistics, please see https://www.dpmms.cam.ac.uk/.

If you have any questions about this vacancy or the application process, including references, please contact LF47183@maths.cam.ac.uk.

Please quote reference LF47183 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

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