The British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme 2027

The School of Law at the University of Warwick welcomes applications from outstanding postdoctoral scholars to apply to The British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme, for Fellowships hosted at Warwick starting in the 2027/28 academic year. Appointments at the University of Warwick are dependent on the award of the Fellowship. The primary emphasis is on the completion of a significant piece of publishable research, and the integration of the award holder into the community of established scholars within their field. For more information on the scheme’s aims and eligibility criteria, please visit Postdoctoral Fellowship Outline Stage 2026-27 – Scheme Guidance Notes

Applications are welcomed from candidates who have a strong research profile and meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Anyone of any nationality who has a doctorate from a UK university is eligible. If an applicant does not meet the prior categories, they may be accepted if they can demonstrate ‘strong prior association’ with the UK academic community.
• They must not yet have held a permanent academic appointment.
• They must meet the British Academy’s definition of early career: there is no age criterion for these awards. Instead, eligible applicants are expected to be at an early stage of their career. This is defined as being within three years from the date of your successful Viva Voce examination this means that they must have completed, or be due to complete, their viva voce between 1st April 2024 to 1st April 2027.
• The British Academy does not allow for resubmissions for the Postdoctoral Fellowship. If you have previously applied and failed to reach the Second Stage of the competition, you are not eligible to re-apply. Previously unsuccessful applicants will only be able to submit another application if specifically invited to do so by the British Academy

HOW TO APPLY

Prospective applicants are required to identify an academic mentor within the School of Law. Candidates should approach their mentor to discuss the project at the earliest opportunity.

If you are interested in applying for a Postdoctoral fellowship to be hosted by University of Warwick and you meet the necessary eligibility criteria, then please submit your Expressions of Interest as a single PDF document to Jennifer Paterson (j.c.wilson@warwick.ac.uk) via the above 'Apply' button by 12 noon Wednesday 22^nd July 2026 for the purpose of an internal selection round:  

• A short description of their proposed project (maximum 2 A4 pages)
• A copy of their CV (maximum 2 A4 pages)
• The name of their proposed mentor at the University of Warwick
• The name of their referee (please note that referees will not need to provide a statement for the internal selection round).

If your application is shortlisted, candidates will be invited to submit their full proposal through Flexi-Grant, the British Academy’s application portal. This competition is very competitive, and the School of Law has an excellent recent record of supporting successful candidates and will provide support throughout. They will also be supported by University’s Research and Impact Services team.

For more information about this and for any other enquiries about the scheme, please contact Jennifer Paterson on the above email address. The deadline for submissions to the British Academy is Wednesday 30^th September 2026.

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