The 2027 to 2028 ESRC SCDTP Postdoctoral Fellowship Call is now open.
Introduction
The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Postdoctoral Fellowship (PDF) scheme supports researchers in the immediate postdoctoral stage of their career, helping them build on their PhD through new publications, wider networks, and stronger research and professional skills.
The ESRC PDF call runs nationwide through the UK’s Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs), and we’re pleased to take part as the South Coast DTP.
Key Dates
Fellowships start on 1 October 2027. Full-time fellowships must finish by 30 June 2028; part-time awards are pro-rated to the fellow’s time commitment.
Deadline to apply: 23 March 2027
This is the date by which SCDTP needs to receive your completed application, once you have been through your chosen university’s own process.
Application Details
Before you apply, please check the ESRC PDF Call specification and our ESRC PDF FAQs for full eligibility criteria and guidance.
Not sure which pathway your fellowship falls under? Review the “Eligible Disciplinary Pathways” on our Funding Eligibility page.
Applications must be submitted directly to the SCDTP Partner University where you plan to hold the fellowship. Each university runs its own review and approval process, so we’d encourage you to contact their bid support team as early as possible to make sure you have enough time. Once you’ve applied through your university, please also send a copy of your completed application to SCDTP at scdtp@soton.ac.uk by 23 March 2027, so it can be processed for review.
Full instructions and contact details for each SCDTP partner university (Brighton, Chichester, Portsmouth and Southampton) are set out below.
For contact details relating to the scheme itself, please see the ESRC website and call specification: https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/esrc-postdoctoral-fellowships/.
University of Brighton
The University of Brighton will support up to four applications to the SCDTP Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme 2027/28.
As demand is expected to exceed the number of applications we can support, we will run an internal selection process to identify the four candidates who will be invited to develop full applications.
Interested applicants must submit an outline application for internal review by the UoB DTP Deputy Director (Employability) by 8 January 2027. Details of the outline application requirements are provided below.
To be considered, applicants must submit the following to Bid Support (bidsupport@brighton.ac.uk) by Friday 8 January 2027:
- Confirmation of their viva voce date
- Confirmation of their selected disciplinary pathway and UoB mentor
- Project Title
- Project Summary (max. 550 words)
- List of main objectives of the fellowship (max. 250 words)
To assist with writing your Project Summary and Objectives, please refer to guidance in the ESRC PDF Call Specification and Application Form (available on the SCDTP webpage).
Candidates will be notified of the outcome of their outline application by 26 January, and the selected four candidates will then begin full stage application development.
If you have any queries, please email bidsupport@brighton.ac.uk. No new applications will be considered after the 8 January 2027 deadline.
University of Chichester
For University of Chichester, please contact: charles.green@chi.ac.uk, as soon as possible.
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 Tuesday 16 January 2027. As each Faculty may operate differently, internal deadlines for other Faculties may vary.
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 23 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:
- Deadline 23 March
- Submission to funder on 19 March
- Submitted for Approvals in Worktribe before the 9 March
- Creation in Worktribe before the 2 March
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.
Please read through the links for more detailed information and documentation regarding the Call. If you have any specific questions along the way, please contact the Disciplinary Pathway Coordinator at the partner university that you wish to apply under.
For the application to the university, please contact the team listed above for the funding preparation and application. If you have more specific question for us, we’re happy to help, just email us at scdtp@soton.ac.uk with your specific query.
Thank you for your interest in the ESRC SCDTP Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme.
