Marie Sklodowska-Curie and British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships for 2024-25

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.

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 shortly be available via the EC Funding & Tenders website (link below). Applicants will be required to confirm their own 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 11 July 2024.

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 internal deadline and to whom any queries may be addressed. Applications should not be submitted in the online submission system at this stage.

Deadlines

• UCL Institute of Archaeology deadline: 5pm on 11 July 2024
• MSCA-PF-2024 EC deadline: 4pm (UK time) / 5pm (Brussels time) on 11 September 2024

Further details

• Horizon-TMA-MSCA-PF-2024: Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships
• UKRO MSCA and Mobility  

UKRO-MSCA Webinars

• MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 Call Information Webinar: Session 1

  14 May 2024, 10am-12pm (online), Register to attend: Webinar Registration - Zoom

• MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024 Call Information Webinar: Session 2

  15 May 2024, 10am-12pm (online), Register to attend: Webinar Registration - Zoom

• Recordings: MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2023 webinars

British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships

The British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship is a three-year fellowship 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 2022 and 1 April 2025). Applicants may only apply once in the three years they are eligible.

The 2024-25 call is due to be published in July 2024, with an expected deadline for outline applications in early October 2024.

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 own eligibility to apply to the scheme.

Application process

For the Institute of Archaeology review, applicants must complete the attached application form, based on the online application form in Flexi-Grant, which should be emailed to Jo Dullaghan, Institute of Archaeology Research Administrator (j.dullaghan@ucl.ac.uk), alongside a CV (max 2 pages, A4) by latest 5pm on Thursday 11 July 2024.

Prospective applicants are required to identify a suitable mentor in the Institute of Archaeology and work together on the application with them. Mentors are also required to submit a statement of support by this 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 11 July 2024
• British Academy deadline (incl. Referee Statement & Institutional Approval): to be confirmed, a date in early-mid October is expected
• Any queries may be directed to Jo Dullaghan (j.dullaghan@ucl.ac.uk)

Further details

• British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme

Joint Faculty Briefing 

The Faculties of Arts & Humanities and Social & Historical Sciences at UCL will hold an informational briefing for those considering applying to the British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship at UCL, as well as for those currently at UCL thinking of applying elsewhere. The briefing will present an overview of the funding scheme and application process, as well as tips for writing a successful application. A current British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow will also share their advice and experience of applying.
Date: Tuesday 11 June, 11am-12pm, on Zoom 
Registration: https://forms.office.com/e/p5pcQdrtei
Contact: Luis Rego (l.rego@ucl.ac.uk)

Criteria for review 

Taking into account the criteria for both schemes, 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.