The Sandra Dawson Fellowship

THE FELLOWSHIP

Sidney Sussex College invites applications from exceptional early-to-mid-career academics in any field of academic research and scholarship, to become the first holder of the Sandra Dawson Fellowship. Candidates should normally already hold, or have been appointed to hold, an academic position within the collegiate University. Typical applicant profiles will include recently appointed University Teaching Officers and holders of personal research grants hosted in University departments; applications are also welcome from current Fellows, Bye-Fellows or Research Associates of the College.

The Fellowship will nurture emerging academic talent while advancing the College’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion - values that reflect Sandra’s lifelong passions and professional legacy.

The Fellowship is a key achievement of the College’s Forward Together celebrations. Forward Together marks 50 years of women at Sidney, and signals our on-going commitment to diversity of individuals and ideas. This commitment is at the heart of Sidney Sussex College; it nurtures the intellectual life of our cross-disciplinary academic body, and sustains our inclusive and supportive community.

The Fellowship has a fixed, non-renewable tenure of three years. In addition to all usual privileges of Fellowship, the Dawson Fellow’s research will benefit from a special yearly Research Allowance of £5,000, additional to the Fellow’s Academic Allowance (currently £1,500 pa).

The Fellowship offers exceptional scholars space and time to explore their research interests, drawing on the outstanding resources and intellectual environment of Sidney Sussex College and the University of Cambridge. As a Named Fellowship, it will be a prestigious appointment and a catalyst for the career development of successive holders.

Potential applicants are encouraged to approach the Master, Professor Martin Burton (Master@sid.cam.ac.uk) or Senior Tutor, Mr Max Beber (SeniorTutor@sid.cam.ac.uk) to find out more about the Fellowship and the College. Applications must be submitted to MastersEA@sid.cam.ac.uk by 11:59pm on Sunday 7 June 2026, using the Application Form found at https://www.sid.cam.ac.uk/, including contact details for two referees, a cover letter and a personal statement.

Sidney Sussex College actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion, and actively encourages applications from all sections of society.

SANDRA DAWSON

The Fellowship is named in honour of Professor Dame Sandra Dawson DBE, the first woman Master of Sidney Sussex (1999-2009), on the occasion of her 80th birthday. It recognises her remarkable achievements as the first woman to lead a formerly all-male Cambridge College, while holding a succession of leadership roles in the collegiate university and beyond.

For generations of students and alumni of Sidney, and of Cambridge Judge Business School (which she led as Dean, 1995-2006), Sandra has been a profound and lasting source of inspiration and encouragement.

Her research and scholarship span organisational behaviour, leadership, and corporate governance. Professor Dawson also served as one of the University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellors (2008-2012); in 2004, she was invested as a Dame Commander of the British Empire in recognition of her contributions to higher education and management research and in 2006, she was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the International Women’s Forum in celebration of her achievements and for being an outstanding role model for women who aspire to lead in the commercial, educational, and not-for-profit sectors.

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