British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships

Guidelines for History Faculty applications

The Faculty of History at the University of Oxford expressions of interest from suitably qualified applicants for this year’s British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme, for awards to be taken up in autumn 2027. The scheme is designed to “offer opportunities for outstanding early career researchers to strengthen their experience of research and teaching in a university environment which will develop their curriculum vitae and improve their prospects of obtaining permanent lecturing posts by the end of the Fellowship. The primary emphasis is on completion of a significant piece of publishable research”. Further details can be found on the British Academy website . There are strict eligibility requirements and potential candidates are advised to check these carefully.

Faculty of History Application Process 2026

Due to the volume of applications we usually receive for this scheme, the Faculty of History will be holding an Expression of Interest competition to select applications for support through to the British Academy’s own deadlines. Full details of this process can also be found in the History Faculty’s Guidance for Applicants document available below. The Faculty’s internal deadline for this process is Wednesday 15 July 2026.

By this date, applicants must ensure the following documents are submitted via email, in Word or PDF format, to rf@history.ox.ac.uk. We will be unable to accept any incomplete applications or those received after the internal Faculty deadline.

• A draft application using the Faculty’s template EoI form, available for download below. This form follows the headings and word limits of the BA’s outline stage form.
• Candidates may also provide a statement of any circumstances which they feel may have impacted on their research track-record, or career breaks for reasons such as maternity leave, illness, family commitments occurring after the date of the viva voce examination. Such statements will be treated in confidence and made available to the Faculty’s Research Director, but not circulated more widely. 
• Your chosen Faculty mentor must also have sent their 400-word statement of support to rf@history.ox.ac.uk by Wednesday 15 July 2026. Guidance for prospective mentors, on the scheme and application process, is also available from the Research Office – candidates are invited to notify the Research Office of their chosen mentor so that we can forward this to them. Candidates should have the agreement of a member of the Faculty to act as a mentor before submitting their application, but should not expect any input, beyond the statement of support, into their expression of interest

The Faculty of History’s internal selection will be rigorous, and we will only put forward the strongest applications. Please note that in the interest of fairness, we will be unable to accept any incomplete applications or those received after the internal Faculty deadline.

Scheme Eligibility Criteria

• The applicant must be a researcher from the humanities and social sciences and be based at an eligible university or research organisation for the duration of the Fellowship. Suitable institutions include any UK university or recognised research organisation based in the UK.
• British citizens and any nationals from the EEA are eligible, regardless of where their doctorate was obtained. 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.
• Eligible applicants are expected to be at an early stage of their career. Applicants are expected to have completed their Viva Voce examination between 1st April 2024 to 1st April 2027. Please check last round's scheme guidance notes for further information regarding exemption from this criterion. Please note, the scheme guidance notes will be updated ahead of the upcoming round.
• The applicant must already be of postdoctoral status at the time when the Research Awards Committee meets.