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Research Fellowships

Recent opportunities:

The Cambridge Philosophical Society Henslow Fellowship at Clare Hall

Tenable from October 2023

Clare Hall is pleased to announce that it has been selected as a host college for a three-year Cambridge Philosophical Society Henslow Fellowship for 2023. This fellowship is sponsored by Cambridge’s oldest scientific society, the Philosophical Society. The selected candidate will become a stipendiary Research Fellow of Clare Hall. Clare Hall, one of the two University of Cambridge postgraduate-only colleges, is now accepting applications for consideration.

The subject of research associated with the Fellowship should be within the scope of the purposes of the Society, which in this case are within the fields of Natural Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science and Clinical Sciences. The aims of the Philosophical Society are “to promote research in all branches of science and to encourage the communication of the results of scientific research.”  To read more about case studies of previous Henslow Fellows, please click here

The fellowship is funded for a maximum period of 36 months, with stipulations in place in case of maternity/paternity leave requirements or request for intermission. As of October 2022, the annual stipend is £23,326, and is to be reviewed in June 2023.

There is some accommodation available on a charged rental basis for single persons, couples and families in the College.  All Fellows qualify for an allowance of free meals. Research Fellows have no college teaching duties. They are, however, members of the College Governing Body, and may serve on other College committees.  Research Fellows are required to live in Cambridge during Full Term but leave may be granted to work away if necessary.

Henslow Fellows are asked, at the end of their Fellowships, to provide a report on the research that they have undertaken during the course of their tenure. Once selected, the Fellow will be invited to participate in the Philosophical Society’s academic, social, and grant-making bodies.

The successful candidate is expected to be a graduate student who has recently completed or who is about to complete their PhD, or a researcher with some initial post-doctoral experience.  (As a minimum, the thesis must be submitted by the closing date for applications.)  There is no restriction on age, sex or previous standing, except that candidates may not already have held a Research Fellowship at a college of either the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge, and preference may be given to candidates who are at a relatively early stage of their research career.  Applicants should have no more than five years of postdoctoral experience.

Applications will be examined by the College Fellows in the Sciences, a representative of the Cambridge Philosophical Society and external expert readers. The final choice, however, will be approved by the Governing Body, and the research proposal should therefore be written so as to convey to the non-specialist something of the interest and importance of the topic.  Short-listed candidates may be asked to submit further written work for consideration, and the final round of candidates will be called for interview.

In the case of laboratory-based subjects, each applicant will be asked to also provide a statement from the proposed Head of Department that adequate space, finance and facilities are available to support laboratory costs.

Applications must include the following documents in PDF and must be made online using the following link.

The closing date for receipt of applications is 21 November 2022 and for references is 28 November 2022. Interviews are to be held during the week of the 13 February 2023, with decisions communicated by the end of the month.

The College will NOT solicit references. It is therefore applicants’ responsibility to insert the email address of referees allowing adequate time for their response before their deadline of 28 November.  The referees will be contacted automatically by the on-line Fellowship Application System, CASC once the application is submitted by the candidate.

For informal enquiries, please direct to fellowship@clarehall.cam.ac.uk.

Clare Hall is an equal opportunities employer.


Clare Hall Research Fellowship Competition in the Sciences

For Fellowships from October 2023

Clare Hall is a graduate College, founded in 1966, with about twenty each of Official Fellows and Research Fellows, fifteen Professorial Fellows, forty Visiting Fellows, and two hundred Graduate Students. The President, Professorial Fellows, Official Fellows and Research Fellows comprise the Governing Body.  Members and their families are welcome participants in the social life of the College, which is informal.  There is some accommodation available on a charged rental basis for single persons, couples and families in the College.  All Fellows qualify for an allowance of free meals.

The College proposes to elect up to four NON-STIPENDIARY Research Fellows in the Sciences for a period of three years, tenable from 1 October 2023.

Research Fellowships are primarily intended to provide opportunities for scholars at an early stage of their academic careers with up to 5 years post-doctoral research in any area of the Sciences, to establish and pursue their research in a supportive academic environment.

During their tenure, Research Fellows have no college teaching duties other than to pursue their research. They are, however, members of the College Governing Body, and may serve on other College committees.  Successful candidates are expected to be graduate students who have recently completed or who are about to complete their PhD, or those with some initial post-doctoral experience.  (As a minimum, the thesis must be submitted by the closing date for applications.)  There is no restriction on age, sex or previous standing, except that candidates may not already have held a Research Fellowship at a college of either the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge, and some preference may be given to candidates who are at a relatively early stage of their research career.  Research Fellows are required to live in Cambridge during Full Term but leave may be granted to work away if necessary.

Non-stipendiary Research Fellows will be expected to demonstrate that they have adequate financial support from other sources.  Small grants for research expenses may be made available on application to the Bursar.  Accommodation, if available, will be on a charged rental basis, but there is an allowance of free meals.

Applications will be examined by the College Fellows in the Sciences and by the Fellowship Committee. The final choice, however, will be made by the Governing Body, and the research proposal should therefore be written so as to convey to the non-specialist something of the interest and importance of the topic.  Short-listed candidates may be asked to submit written work for consideration, and the final round of candidates will be called for interview.

Applications must include the following documents in PDF and must be made online using the following link.

The closing date for receipt of applications is 21 November 2022 and for references is 28 November 2022. Interviews are to be held during the week of the 13 February 2023, with decisions communicated by the end of the month.

The College will NOT solicit references. It is therefore applicants’ responsibility to insert the email address of referees allowing adequate time for their response before their deadline of 28 November.  The referees will be contacted automatically by the on-line Fellowship Application System, CASC, once the application is submitted by the candidate.

Enquiries: fellowship@clarehall.cam.ac.uk

Clare Hall is an equal opportunities employer.


Clare Hall Research Fellowship Competition in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

For Fellowships from October 2023

Clare Hall is a graduate College, founded in 1966, with about twenty each of Official Fellows and Research Fellows, fifteen Professorial Fellows, forty Visiting Fellows, and two hundred Graduate Students. The President, Professorial Fellows, Official Fellows and Research Fellows comprise the Governing Body.  Members and their families are welcome participants in the social life of the College, which is informal.  There is some accommodation available on a charged rental basis for single persons, couples and families in the College.  All Fellows qualify for an allowance of free meals.

The College proposes to elect up to four NON-STIPENDIARY Research Fellows in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences for a period of three years, tenable from 1 October 2023.

Research Fellowships are primarily intended to provide opportunities for scholars at an early stage of their academic careers with up to 5 years post-doctoral research in any area of the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, to establish and pursue their research in a supportive academic environment.

During their tenure, Research Fellows have no college teaching duties other than to pursue their research. They are, however, members of the College Governing Body, and may serve on other College committees.  Successful candidates are expected to be graduate students who have recently completed or who are about to complete their PhD, or those with some initial post-doctoral experience.  (As a minimum, the thesis must be submitted by the closing date for applications.) There is no restriction on age, sex or previous standing, except that candidates may not already have held a Research Fellowship at a college of either the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge, and some preference may be given to candidates who are at a relatively early stage of their research career.  Research Fellows are required to live in Cambridge during Full Term but leave may be granted to work away if necessary.

Non-stipendiary Research Fellows will be expected to demonstrate that they have adequate financial support from other sources.  Small grants for research expenses may be made available on application to the Bursar.  Accommodation, if available, will be on a charged rental basis, but there is an allowance of free meals.

Applications will be examined by experts in the fields concerned and by the Fellowship Committee. The final choice, however, will be made by the Governing Body, and the research proposal should therefore be written so as to convey to the non-specialist something of the interest and importance of the topic.  Short-listed candidates may be asked to submit written work for consideration, and the final round of candidates will be called for interview.

Applications must include the following documents in PDF and must be made online using the following link.

The closing date for receipt of applications is 21 November 2022 and for references is 28 November 2022. Interviews are to be held during the week of the 13 February 2023, with decisions communicated by the end of the month.

The College will NOT solicit references. It is therefore applicants’ responsibility to insert the email address of referees allowing adequate time for a response before their deadline of 28 November. The referees will be contacted automatically by the on-line Fellowship Application System, CASC, once the application is submitted by the candidate. The College is unable to pay expenses incurred in attending interviews.

Enquiriesfellowship@clarehall.cam.ac.uk

Clare Hall is an equal opportunities employer.


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My time at Clare Hall was perfect. The College has not only been my home away from home for three years, but it has also been a supportive network that believed in, and supported, my work and personal discovery. For this experience I am forever grateful.
Dr Keri Wong
Betty Behrens Research Fellow
The vibrancy of the intellectual life in college and in Cambridge in general is of course exceptional. I look back at the year I lived at West Court fondly. Not to mention, a group of us, then Research Fellows, still see each other regularly, having formed strong friendships.
Dr Marianne Hem Eriksen
Non-stipendiary Research Fellow