At The University of Manchester, research fellows are supported as a host institution to pursue ambitious ideas and build independent careers within a globally recognised Faculty of Science and Engineering. Our researchers work at the forefront of discovery across research specialisms in artificial intelligence, health, quantum and digital, sustainability and fundamental scientific research, contributing to solutions to major global challenges.

You can explore the full breadth of our expertise on Research Explorer.

Research fellowships are highly competitive funding opportunities that support individuals to pursue independent or specialist research, funded by a range of external organisations and in some cases, by The University of Manchester. They are typically aimed at postdoctoral and early-career researchers, as well as established academics seeking to develop advanced research programmes.

This page brings together fellowship opportunities in the Faculty of Science and Engineering and sets out why Manchester as your host institution is an excellent place to hold a fellowship, alongside the benefits, support, research environment and collaborative culture available to fellows.

Applying for research fellowships hosted at Manchester

The sections below outline the fellowship schemes we host and how we support you at every stage of your application and award.

If you are planning to apply for a research fellowship hosted by the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE), we encourage you to engage with us early. Our Research Development and Innovation team provide specialist, fellowship-aware guidance to help strengthen proposals and ensure alignment with departmental and Faculty research priorities. International applicants are also encouraged to review our guidance for overseas candidates and visa requirements.

Successful applicants may be eligible for relocation support. International applicants can also explore our Researcher Development at Manchester information for further details about developing your research career at Manchester.

Explore fellowship opportunities in Science and Engineering

Check departmental requirements before applying, as departments may have their own processes when selecting fellowship candidates for certain schemes.

We host and support a wide range of fellowship schemes tailored to different career stages.

This page focuses on postdoctoral and early-career research fellowships. FSE also supports fellowship funding schemes for established researchers.

If you are interested in a fellowship call not listed below, please contact FSE's Research Development and Innovation team.

 

Department

Why apply for a fellowship at Manchester?

The Faculty of Science and Engineering is home to over 1,500 researchers across the School of Engineering, the School of Natural Sciences and more than 20 interdisciplinary research centres and institutes. Research fellows from over 70 countries have chosen FSE as the place to grow their research careers.

We actively support high-quality applicants in securing prestigious awards from UKRI and its councils (EPSRC, BBSRC, NERC, STFC) as well as funders including the Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering and the European Commission.

FSE also offers and funds the University's Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw Fellowship, supporting outstanding early-career scientists and engineers to establish independent academic careers.

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What are the benefits of receiving a fellowship hosted at Manchester?

Fellowship holders in the Faculty of Science and Engineering benefit from a joined-up package of support designed to help you establish independence, deliver ambitious research and grow into a research leader with global reach.

From day one, you are supported not only to pursue your research, but to build the skills, networks and profile needed for long-term success.

  • Research excellence at scale

    An environment built for ambitious research, where scale and collaboration accelerate discovery.

    • The UK’s largest science and engineering facilities in any UK institution
    • Almost 900 highly skilled technical specialists
    • Advanced research IT and national compute access.

    Manchester offers a research environment designed for fellows working at scale. You will be embedded within a Faculty where interdisciplinary collaboration is routine, supported by extensive technical expertise and specialist infrastructure. Our dedicated highly skilled Technical Services teams support open and rigorous research, advanced computing, safety and regulatory compliance, enabling fellows to focus on discovery, innovation and leadership, with operational demands handled by expert teams.

  • Structured career development for independent researchers

    Career support designed specifically for fellowship holders.

    • Protected time for independent research
    • Access to mentoring and coaching
    • Leadership and academic progression pathways.

    Career development at Manchester recognises fellows as independent researchers. Support is structured and tailored to your career stage, helping you build independence and prepare for long-term academic leadership.

    Through the University’s training and development provision, including Faculty Academic Development Programmes, fellows strengthen research excellence, teaching and professional skills for themselves and their team. A welcome meeting with the Fellows Community team provides tailored guidance, alongside cross-Faculty events that build networks and collaboration. Contact us to arrange a welcome meeting.

  • Impact, innovation and translation

    Clear pathways to impact, supported from first idea to real-world application.

    Fellows receive expert support to develop and evidence research impact, from public engagement to commercialisation. Through Unit M and The University of Manchester Innovation Factory, researchers can access tailored advice, industry connections and innovation pathways that support translation at every stage of the research lifecycle.

    Our Internationalisation team supports fellows to build global research connections through institutional partnerships and strategic networks, strengthening international collaboration, visibility and long-term programme growth.

  • A research culture with purpose

    A values-driven environment where responsibility, inclusion and impact matter.

    • Top 10 globally for sustainability impact
    • Strong commitment to EDI and accessibility
    • Internal funding to grow ideas and collaborations.

    Manchester’s research culture is underpinned by a commitment to social responsibility, inclusion and real-world impact. Fellows join a supportive, interdisciplinary community that values responsible research practices and meaningful engagement beyond academia. Dedicated internal funding streams help researchers develop ideas, build collaborations and strengthen independence in ways that align with global challenges.

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Research environment and world-leading facilities

Our world-leading schools, institutes and facilities are shaping the future of fundamental and applied research, through to impact and innovation.

From artificial intelligence to particle physics, to unlocking advanced 2D materials, our world-leading fundamental research is laying the foundations of future innovation and transformative solutions that address global challenges in health, technology and sustainability.

At Manchester, your research ambitions can thrive. Our schools, departments and institutes are dedicated to excellence, collaboration and interdisciplinarity. Supported by world-leading facilities and technical staff, this makes FSE the ideal environment to grow your fellowship and deliver meaningful impact.

More than £1 billion has been invested in campus facilities over the last decade, including the Nancy Rothwell Building – a home for engineering and materials research – and the James Chadwick building and industrial hub for sustainable engineering.

You can learn more about our world-leading facilities in our Tomorrow Labs online brochure.

Research communities in science and engineering

In FSE, fellows join vibrant research communities that span the frontiers of science and engineering. From quantum materials to sustainable chemistry, robotics, advanced manufacturing, environmental science and beyond, our departments and institutes are home to world-leading teams tackling some of the most significant global challenges.

Fellows become part of these communities from day one, contributing to ambitious projects and collaborating with specialists across disciplines.

Our research institutes and facilities

Our Faculty is home to a wide range of national and internationally recognised research institutes and major facilities. Together, they form part of Tomorrow Labs, the largest collection of science and engineering facilities at any UK institution, supported by hundreds of highly skilled technicians working across research and core infrastructure to help translate ideas into impact.

Below is a selection of flagship institutes that illustrate the breadth and depth of our research environment. Explore the full portfolio on our Research and Institutes page.

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Collaboration drives discovery

At Manchester, you’ll join a community of world-leading researchers where collaboration is at the heart of our success. Guided by our principles of academic freedom and collective innovation, we bring together expertise across disciplines, departments and global partnerships.

Our collaborative research has driven major breakthroughs, from Ernest Rutherford splitting the atom to Tom Kilburn and Freddie Williams’s development of the Baby, the world’s first stored programme computer. This tradition continues today, with FSE researchers pioneering the UK’s first high-energy proton beam therapy service, contributing to the world’s largest radio astronomy project (the Square Kilometre Array) and revolutionising the diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease, with many more pioneering breakthroughs still unfolding.

Some of our celebrated colleagues include:

  • Professor Patrick Cai (Chemistry) leads innovate work in synthetic genomics that is shaping global Sc2.0 efforts and advancing large‑scale genome engineering infrastructure. His work has won millions in grant funding from the likes of ARIA, ERC, Wellcome, EPSRC and BBSRC.
  • Professor Hugh Coe (Earth and Environmental Sciences) is an internationally recognised atmospheric scientist whose leadership in major air‑quality and climate field studies, extensive contributions to aerosol research, and award‑winning scholarship (including 2022 Vilhelm Bjerknes Medal) continue to shape understanding of pollution and its climatic impacts.
  • Professors Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov (Physics and Astronomy), who were awarded the Noble Prize in 2010 for their discovery of graphene that reshaped materials research worldwide.
  • Professor Danielle George CBE (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) is Chief Scientific Advisor for National Security at GCHQ. An expert in radio frequency engineering and microwave communications, she contributes to billion-pound international research collaborations like SKA and ALMA. Her contributions to science communication have been recognised by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society.
  • Professor Carole Goble CBE (Computer Science) is internationally recognised for her work on semantic web, metadata, ontologies, distributed computing and workflow management systems, and Virtual Research Environments for scientists. She is a global thought leader for open research, having co-authored the FAIR principles for scientific data  and for FAIR Computational workflows.
  • Professor Sarah Haigh (Materials) is a leading materials scientist pioneering advanced TEM methods. She is Director of the University's Electron Microscopy Centre and former Director of the bp International Centre for Advanced Materials, an academic-industrial collaboration set up with $100 million investment from bp and focused on research towards net zero.
  • Professor Ian Hall OBE (Maths) was awarded an OBE for his services to public health, to epidemiology and to adult social care, particularly during Covid-19. He has played a vital role in national disease response through participation in bodies like SAGE and SPI-M.
  • Professor Abbie Jones (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering) is a leading expert in nuclear graphite engineering. Her internationally recognised work on graphite behaviour in Advanced Gas‑cooled Reactors (AGR), major leadership in UK and IAEA programmes and over £10 million in research funding from research funders and government underpin advances in nuclear‑materials safety and innovation.
  • Professor Carly McLachlan (Civil Engineering and Management) is Director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at Manchester. Her work advances policy‑relevant climate research, shaping city‑level carbon budgets, strengthening stakeholder engagement in energy transitions and leading work on local climate action and sustainable systems transformation.
  • Professor Rahul Nair (Chemical Engineering) is one of the world’s foremost graphene membrane scientists. He was awarded a Blavatnik Award for Young Scientists in 2024 for his work developing novel membranes based on two-dimensional (2D) materials that opens the possibility of affordable desalination and the reliable production of drinking water worldwide.

We provide dedicated mentoring, training and professional development designed to help you establish your independence and become a future leader. 

Industry engagement and innovation

We are experts at taking research from lab to market, bridging the gap between fundamental research and commercial impact through The University of Manchester Innovation Factory.

Our innovation hubs, including the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre, Henry Royce Institute and Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Catalyst, drive collaboration with industry to solve global challenges and deliver real-world impact.

Alongside this, our dedicated policy unit, Policy@Manchester, connects our researchers and their work to the heart of local, regional and national government, ensuring research informs policy and decision-making.

A specialist innovation unit, Unit M, has been created to unleash the University’s full innovation potential. Acting as a front door for companies to collaborate with us, Unit M supports growth and innovation and helps solve real-world problems to create a positive future for all. It is also a driving force behind the University’s £1.7 billion innovation district, Sister, which will be a global hub for the regional science and technology community.

From Manchester, for the world: read our strategy to 2035.

Ready to apply to hold a research fellowship at Manchester?

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Frequently asked questions

Further questions? Get in touch

Fellowship scheme questions

For queries about eligibility, funding or scheme-specific processes, contact the scheme’s fellowship team.

Manchester-specific queries

For questions about internal processes, departmental support or preparing your application: