"EPSRC Postdoctoral Pathway Research Associate"

The Role

This scheme offers up to 6 months follow-on funding to EPSRC-funded research students after they have submitted their PhD.

The EPSRC Postdoctoral Pathway scheme (formerly known as Doctoral Prize scheme) is intended to help universities retain and recruit the best PhD students receiving EPSRC support to increase the impact of their PhD, and to improve retention of the very best students in research careers. Awards can comprise between three and six months salary (at Grade 7 SP 30) and some research support costs for an EPSRC-funded student following the submission of their PhD thesis (typically within 12 months). It is a requirement for the student to be previously funded by EPSRC (directly or as part of an EPSRC CDT, iCASE award or prosperity partnership). Students may have studied in Durham or elsewhere for their PhD, but should identify a project at Durham that constitutes a new and discrete body of work that progresses and exploits the outcomes of their doctoral work or enables research activity that makes a clear contribution to their career goals.

Longer awards may be possible if supported by leveraging funds from industry or a third party that enable duration beyond 31st March 2026, but all funding from this scheme must be spent before the end of March.

Applications should be submitted by the student with support from the proposed academic supervisor, who may be in any of our EPSRC remit departments. Each of our unique and award-winning departments is ranked among the best in the UK and globally. We take pride in conducting groundbreaking research, providing educational excellence and recruiting the best from across the world.

These posts are fixed term for 3 - 6 months. EPSRC Postdoctoral Pathway funding is available from 01/10/2025 to 31/03/26 only.

The post-holder is employed to work on research/a research project which will be led by another colleague. Whilst this means that the post-holder will not be carrying out independent research in his/her own right, the expectation is that they will contribute to the advancement of the project, through the development of their own research ideas/adaptation and development of research protocols.

Successful applicants will, ideally, be in post from 1st October 2025 and no later than 1st January 2026.