SSCR Post-Doctoral Research Fellowships

The NIHR SSCR Post Doctoral Research Fellowships scheme is now closed for applications. 

Through this funding,  Post-Doctoral Researchers can develop independent careers in in social care research.

Deadline for applications: Friday 8th May 2026 (17:00, BST).

• Aims

  The NIHR SSCR is offering Post-Doctoral Research Fellowships to support researchers committed to developing independent careers in social care research.

  These Fellowships will enable applicants to

  • undertake their own research projects
  • publish findings
  • develop new methodological skills
  • prepare for future funding opportunities.

  Fellows will also benefit from training, mentoring, and integration within SSCR’s vibrant research community and will become NIHR Academy Members.

  These Fellowships are intended for researchers at post-doctoral level who are developing an independent trajectory in social care research. Applicants will typically have completed a PhD and have some experience of contributing to research projects, publications, or related activities, but will not yet be established as independent research leaders.

  While this Fellowship call is led by the NIHR School for Social Care Research (SSCR), applicants are encouraged from outside the SSCR membership institutions. SSCR  welcomes proposals that engage with the wider NIHR infrastructure where this is appropriate to the research aims, for example through links with NIHR Applied Research Collaborations (ARCs), Health Determinants Research Collaborations (HDRCs), Incubators, or other NIHR-funded programmes and networks. Such links are not mandatory but should be clearly justified where proposed.

• Fellowship Remit

  Fellowship projects must align with the NIHR remit as well as the School for Social Care remit, which includes research that:

  • Improves outcomes for people using adult social care and their carers.
  • Strengthens the evidence base for care delivery, organisation, and workforce support.
  • Addresses inequalities in access, quality, or outcomes in social care.
  • Involves service users, carers, and communities as partners in research design and delivery.
  • Has clear potential for impact on policy, practice, and the wider social care system.

• Fellowship Details

  Fellowships will be available for up to 24 months full-time, but requests for part-time at minimum 3 days a week (0.6 FTE) will be considered.

  Applicants must be hosted by a UK HEI for the duration of their fellowship and have a dedicated supervisory team led by a senior academic with a background in social care research.

  Fellowships should begin no later than December 2026 and must be completed by January 2029.

  Funding of up to £200,000 can be requested to fund the fellow’s salary, plus research, conference, travel, training, and public & practice involvement costs. Supervision costs are not funded. The award does not fund Indirect/Estates costs but will fund an overhead amount of 30% of salary costs.

• Eligibility

  To be eligible for funding, applicants must: 

  • Hold a PhD (or have submitted their thesis for examination at the time of application)  in social care, social policy, or a relevant discipline.
  • Have a demonstrable track record of research excellence and commitment to social care research
  • Be a UK citizen or have confirmed right to work in the UK for the duration of the award

• Assessment Criteria

  Your application will be assessed using the following criteria as part of the shortlisting process:

  Applicant

  • Demonstrable academic excellence (e.g., academic prizes or commendations, high quality peer reviewed publications, grant capture, etc)
  • Commitment to a career in social care research and potential to develop as a future leader in social care
  • Experience in relevant research methods, dissemination, and collaboration.
  • Strong communication and organisational skills.
  • Knowledge of SSCR remit and priorities

  Project

  • Relevance to SSCR’s priorities and social care practice.
  • Clear aims, appropriate design, and methodological rigour.
  • Involvement of people with lived experience of social care.
  • Consideration of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI).
  • Feasibility and potential for meaningful impact within the timeframe.

• Timeline

  February – April 2026	Applicants work with supervisory team to develop and complete the application form.
  Friday 8th May 2026	Deadline for completed applications (17:00, BST).
  May 2026	Proposals reviewed by assessment panel. Shortlisted candidates are invited to interview.
  17th & 18th June 2026	In-person interviews take place.

• FAQ

  Can I propose an award duration longer than 24 months if my Fellowship is part-time?

  • The award should be 24 months full-time as standard, but requests for part-time at minimum 3 days a week (0.6 FTE) will be considered. If part-time, the proposed duration of the award should also be a maximum of 24 months. The awards can end no later than January 2029. 

  If I can apply for a visa that affords me the right to work in the UK based on the success of my Fellowship application, am I eligible to apply?

  • To be eligible for the fellowship scheme, your right to work in the UK must be confirmed for the duration of the funding. The exact details of how you obtain this confirmation are subject to the employment processes of your Host Institution.

  Can I apply for this scheme as well as the Dementia Programme Post-Doctoral Fellowship Scheme due the previous week?

  • Yes, applicants are welcome to apply for both schemes, if eligible, but they are expected to acknowledge and understand the schemes have different remits/guidance and reflect this in their applications accordingly.

  Are there any restrictions on the number of mentors, supervisors, or collaborators that I can include in my proposal? 

  • Minimum requirements are outlined in the fellowship application form and additional supervisors can be added. The roles/numbers of supervisors and collaborators will be dependent on the fellowship plans and applicants can list all relevant persons for their award. Please note the maximum funding amount of £200,000 and that supervisor time will not be funded.