Deadline: December 11, 2017
Applications are invited for the Commonwealth Rutherford Fellowships 2017-2018. The Fellowships are for highly skilled researchers from other Commonwealth countries to spend one or two years at an eligible UK university or higher education institution conducting postdoctoral research.
The purpose of the Fellowships is to support world-class research and innovation, and to contribute to the UK’s research base by attracting high-calibre international candidates and encouraging links and collaboration. These fellowships are funded by the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) through the Rutherford Fund, with the aim of attracting global talent and supporting the UK’s research base. Up to 50 fellowships are available.
Eligibility
Applicants must:
- Be a citizen of or have been granted refugee status by a Commonwealth country other than the United Kingdom, or be a British Protected Person;
- Be permanently resident in a Commonwealth country other than the UK, and not based in the UK at the time of application
- Be available to start your fellowship in the UK before March 31, 2018
- Have been awarded your PhD no more than ten years prior to 1 November 2017
- Not have previously held a Commonwealth Scholarship or Fellowship awarded by the CSC
Selection Process
Your application will be considered by the CSC’s selection committee in competition with other candidates and according to the following selection criteria:
- Personal and academic background
- Quality of the proposal
- Impact potential
Application
- You must make your application directly to the CSC using the Electronic Application System (EAS). Information on how to use the EAS. All applications must be submitted via the EAS by 12.30 (GMT) on December 11, 2017 at the latest.
- You must provide the following supporting documentation, which must be received by the CSC by 12.30 (GMT) on December 13, 2017 in order for your application to be eligible for consideration:
- References from at least two individuals. One of these referees must be your PhD supervisor; without a reference from this person (except in exceptional circumstances) your application will be ineligible;
- PhD certificate;
- Supporting statement from your proposed supervisor in the UK;
- Copy of your passport showing your photograph, date of birth, and country of citizenship.
- You must ask three referees to submit a reference on headed paper by email to [email protected] as soon as possible. Your EAS number must be included in the subject line of each email. You must also include the name and email address of each of your three referees in your application. When you submit your application, each referee will receive an email reminding them to submit their reference by the deadline above, in case they have not already done so; this email will include a link to your application, which they can view.
- You must also ask your proposed supervisor in the UK to submit a supporting statement on headed paper by email to [email protected] as soon as possible. This statement should confirm that they:
- Are willing to host you in their department for a period of one or two years from a date no later than 31 March 2018
- Have approval from their head of department and relevant university authorities to make an offer to host a postdoctoral researcher
Your EAS number must be included in the subject line of the email. You must also include the name and email address of your proposed supervisor in your application. When you submit your application, your proposed supervisor will receive an email reminding them to submit their statement by the deadline above, in case they have not already done so; this email will include a link to your application, which they can view.
For more information, visit Commonwealth Rutherford Fellowships.
