The 2026/2027 ESRC–SCDTP Postdoctoral Fellowship Call is not yet open for applications, as we are awaiting final confirmation from the funder. In the meantime, the information below outlines the expected steps and requirements for applicants and may be used for reference when preparing an application.
Introduction
The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) recently completed the application call for its prestigious 2026/2027 Postdoctoral Fellowship (PDF) scheme. This scheme is designed to support early-career researchers in consolidating their PhD achievements, developing publications, expanding professional networks, and enhancing both research and professional skills.
The ESRC PDF scheme plays a key role in our commitment to nurturing the growth of emerging scholars. Managed through our Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) across the UK, the fellowship provides a dynamic environment conducive to academic and professional development.
Application Details
Further information, including detailed eligibility criteria and guidelines, can be found in the ESRC PDF Call specification. You can also review our ESRC PDF FAQs for additional insights.
For those interested in the future fellowship calls, the “Eligible Disciplinary Pathways” can be reviewed on our Funding Eligibility.
Applicants interested in applying should contact the bid support team in each university as soon as possible. Each university will have a process cycle for handling funding applications in terms of budgeting, review, and approval. Please keep this in mind when you are considering the fellowship application to make sure you have sufficient time.
University of Brighton
For University of Brighton, we are informed that the applicant will need to email bidsupport@brighton.ac.uk before 7th of Feb 2026 to submit an expression of interest of the SCDTP fellowship scheme. This internal deadline is set at seven weeks before the funder’s deadline to allow sufficient time for institutional review and support.
University of Southampton
For University of Southampton, please contact: SCDTP <scdtp@soton.ac.uk> and Finance Research Hub <finrhub@soton.ac.uk>, as soon as possible.
If you are UoS staff with access, please create a Worktribe record (an outline) with the 4pm 25th March deadline for submission to the DTP. These will then be allocated to pre-award liaisons to support their budget and obtain approvals (normal process)
If you are not a staff, please contact your potential mentor, as an internal member of staff, will need to create the Worktribe record.
The Worktribe records need to be Outlines and Fellowships. Anything listed as “internal selection” or “CDT/DTP” will not be picked up or supported by a pre-award liaison.
We require a minimum 10 full working days between the creation of the Worktribe and submission to the funder. Anything created too close to the deadline will not be supported by a pre-award liaison, and this is the same process for any externally funded research applications.
For this call:
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- Deadline 25th March
- Submission to funder on 23rd March (D-2)
- Approvals in Worktribe on the 16th March (D-9)
- Creation in Worktribe before the 9th March (D-16)
Once chosen to proceed (awarded by SCDTP) to TFS submission, the applicants must let their liaisons know, and their records will be moved to Full Bid, and submitted in TFS by our team for the next deadline.
If application is rejected by SCDTP, please let liaisons know. So that the system record may be closed.
All preferred contact needs to be done in the Worktribe record comments section. If the applicant is external, they may email their pre-award liaison.
Applicant must contact finaward@soton.ac.uk as soon as they receive offer from TFS.
University of Portsmouth
For University of Portsmouth, please identify a mentor and contact: hssrio@port.ac.uk for Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, or FinanceBP-SAH@port.ac.uk for Faculty of Science and Health, or equivalent contacts from related faculties, as soon as possible.
University of Chichester
For University of Chichester, please contact: charles.green@chi.ac.uk, as soon as possible.
Start Date of Fellowships: October 1, 2026
Deadline to Apply: March 25, 2026
Please send your completed application to scdtp@soton.ac.uk to apply.
Please get in touch with us if you have any questions; we are pleased to assist you.
We appreciate your interest in the ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship Program.
