The 2026/2027 ESRC–SCDTP Postdoctoral Fellowship Call is now open for applications.
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 the University of Brighton, applicants will need to email bidsupport@brighton.ac.uk before 31st March 2026 to register their intent to apply.
In your email, please confirm:
- Your selected Disciplinary Pathway
- Your chosen mentor at UoB
The University of Brighton will be supporting a maximum limit of six applications in the 2026-2027 scheme which will be allocated on a first-come-first-serve basis. Once the six slots have been filled, we will not be able to support any further applications, even if there is still time remaining prior to the 31st March deadline.
University of Southampton
For University of Southampton, please contact: SCDTP <scdtp@soton.ac.uk> as soon as possible.
If you are UoS staff with access, please create a Worktribe record (an outline) with the 4pm 1st June 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 1st June
- Submission to funder on 28th May
- Submitted for Approvals in Worktribe before the 21st May
- Creation in Worktribe before the 13th May
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 updated.
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 the equivalent contact in the relevant Faculty, as soon as possible. For the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Expression of Interest/Intention to Apply (ITA), as referred to in the advertisement, should be submitted to the Faculty by your mentor no later than the week beginning 16 March 2026. As each Faculty may operate differently, internal deadlines for other Faculties may vary.
University of Chichester
For University of Chichester, please contact: charles.green@chi.ac.uk, as soon as possible.
Start Date of Fellowships: 1 October 2026. Full-time fellowships must finish by 30 June 2027. For part-time awards, the duration should be pro rated based on the fellow’s time commitment.
Deadline to Apply: 1 June 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.
