Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowships and British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships for 2026-27

9 April 2025

The UCL Institute of Archaeology is supporting applications for Marie Sklodowska-Curie and British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships with an internal deadline of 10 July 2025 for consideration of applications.

Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships

Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships are provided to excellent researchers, undertaking international mobility either to, or between, EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries, as well as to non-associated Third Countries.

The goal of MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships is to enhance the creative and innovative potential of researchers holding a PhD and who wish to acquire new skills through advanced training, international, interdisciplinary and inter-sectoral mobility. Through the implementation of an original and personalised research project, MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships aim to foster excellence through training and mobility and to equip researchers with new skills and competences in order to identify solutions to current and future challenges.

Applications are made jointly by the researcher and a beneficiary in the academic or non-academic sector. Please note this year's call was originally due to open on 9 April but has been delayed to 8 May. The deadline of 10 September 2025 for final submissions to the EC remains.

Application process

It is essential that applicants make contact in advance with a relevant member of Institute of Archaeology academic staff who should agree to be their mentor and jointly complete their draft application, using the templates for this year's competition which will be available via the EC Funding & Tenders website next month (link below). Applicants will be required to confirm their eligibility, in terms of research experience and mobility, following the criteria set out there. Mentors will be required to provide a statement of support for the application by 10 July 2025.

Completed applications (PDF download from the EC submission system) should be submitted by email to Jo Dullaghan, Institute of Archaeology Research Administrator (j.dullaghan@ucl.ac.uk), by the 10 July deadline. Applications should not be submitted in the EC submission system at this stage. Late or incomplete applications or those without the agreed support of a mentor will not be considered.

Deadlines

UCL Institute of Archaeology deadline: 5pm on 10 July 2025
MSCA-PF-2025 EC deadline: 4pm (UK time) / 5pm (Brussels time) on 10 September 2025

Further details

Resources

British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships

The British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship is for outstanding early career researchers in the humanities and social sciences. The scheme provides funding to cover the costs of a 36-month fellowship at a UK host institution, and enables the award holder to pursue an independent research project, towards the completion of a significant piece of publishable research. Applicants must be of Early Career Status, meaning they must apply within three years from the date of their successful viva voce examination (i.e. with a viva between 1 April 2023 and 1 April 2026). Applicants may only apply once in the three years they are eligible.

The 2025-26 call is due to be published on 2 July 2025, with a deadline for outline applications of 1 October 2025.

Applicants must be either a UK/EEA national, or have completed a doctorate at a UK university. Applicants who do not fall into one of these categories must demonstrate a 'strong prior association' with the UK academic community. Full eligibility criteria are given on the British Academy website (link below) - applicants are required to confirm their eligibility to apply to the scheme.

Application process

This year's BAPDF call is due to open on Wednesday 2 July 2025. For the Institute of Archaeology review, applicants must complete the online application form in Flexi-Grant, a PDF of which should be emailed to Jo Dullaghan, Institute of Archaeology Research Administrator (j.dullaghan@ucl.ac.uk), by latest 5pm on Thursday 10 July 2025. A word document based on the online form is available here for reference and to initially prepare a draft application. Applications should not be submitted in Flexi-Grant at this stage.

Prospective applicants are required to identify a suitable mentor in the Institute of Archaeology and work together on the application with them. Mentors are required to submit a statement of support by the 10 July deadline indicating how applications meets the criteria given below. Late or incomplete applications or those without the agreed support of a mentor will not be considered.

Deadlines

UCL Institute of Archaeology deadline: 5pm (UK time) on 10 July 2025
British Academy deadline (incl. Referee Statement & Institutional Approval): 1 October 2025

Further details

British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme

Criteria for review

Taking into account the specific criteria for each scheme, the Institute of Archaeology review stage will assess draft applications on the quality of the individual applicant appropriate to their career stage (such as peer-reviewed publications), ambition of the research proposal (e.g. is it intellectually exciting, innovative), feasibility of the research proposal (e.g. consideration of risks and mitigations, contingency plans), fit of the project with the applicant’s existing experience and with current Institute of Archaeology research.

Following the Institute of Archaeology review, selected candidates will then be mentored through the application process by UCL and Institute of Archaeology staff.