Post-Doc Funding for Philosophers, including interdisciplinary Philosophy of Science

The Philosophy Department at Bristol strongly encourages post-doctoral applications and aims to support a flourishing and simulating post-doctoral research group. Bristol Philosophy has a wide range of research excellence, including one of the leading Philosophy of Science departments in the UK, with an unrivalled range including General Philosophy of Science, Philosophy of Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Cognitive Science/Psychology, Neuroscience, and Social Science. We also encourage innovative interdisciplinary post-doctoral proposals that involve another department. Interested candidates are encouraged to consult the list of staff research interests and contact potential mentors/sponsors of their projects, or the Head of Department, Prof. James Ladyman, to discuss the best way forward.

Some funding possibilities follow. Watch this space for updates, especially re: GWR (see end of list).

The AHRC (Arts and Humanities Research Council), support post-doctoral research in higher education institutions throughout the UK. Through this research programme they provide funding for doctoral students in the arts and humanities. The website is: www.ahrc.ac.uk (Research).

The British Academy funds research at postdoctoral level in all branches of enquiry, within the humanities and social sciences. BA Postdoctoral Fellowships are designed to enable outstanding recently post-doctoral scholars to obtain the experience of research and teaching in the university environment, which will strengthen their cvs and improve their prospects of obtaining permanent posts at the end of the fellowship. They are available to younger scholars who have not yet held a permanent/established teaching post in an institution of higher education, and who are British or have some connection with UK academia (e.g. have a UK PhD or have had a temporary job in the UK). The next application deadline is 28 February 2007. The website is: http://www.britac.ac.uk/funding/guide/pdfells.html. Eligible candidates must state in the appropriate section of Annex D the grounds on which they claim eligibility in terms of association with the UK academic community. There are three particular groups of people who are directly eligible: British citizens; anyone of whatever nationality who has obtained (or expects to have obtained by 30 June 2004) a doctorate from a UK university; and an EEA (European Economic Area) national who, although not having obtained a doctorate from a UK university, is already resident in the UK and employed in a temporary academic post. It is unlikely that anyone who does not fall into one of these categories will be accepted as eligible.

The Leverhulme Trust offers awards for those with a proven record of research (PhD or equivalent). All fields are eligible and in 2005 30 fellowships were awarded by the trust. The maximum value for a fellowship is £25,000. The website is: www.leverhulme.org.uk (Grants and Awards). Checkout the Leverhulme Early Career Fellowships. Eligible applicants should be or have recently been a member of the UK academic community and intend to remain so.

ESRC postdoctoral fellowships are open to anyone from any country. See http://www.esrc.ac.uk/ESRCContent/postgradfunding/posdoctorial_fellowship_scheme2.asp.

The ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council) and MRC (Medical Research Council) have developed a joint Research Studentship and Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme to fund research of interest to both councils. Applicants are invited from any sub-discipline of the social or medical sciences; this could include philosophy of science projects. Access is through either of the Research Councils websites: www.esrc.ac.uk (Funding Opportunities/Joint Funding Opps/Other Research Councils) or www.mrc.ac.uk (Funding/Fellowships and Studentships/ESRC and MRC Interdisciplinary Research Studentships and Post Doctoral Fellowships). It seems all documentation from applicants must be returned to the ESRC as opposed to the MRC.

For post-doc work in philosophy of mathematics or in dynamical approaches in philosophy of science (general or special) it may be worth investigating support for mathematical sciences by the EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) The website is: www.epsrc.ac.uk; an advanced search of Post-Doctoral Fellowships should bring up the necessary sources.

The Wellcome Trust provide funding to four key disciplines, including Biomedical Science. This covers the Neuroscience and Mental Health stream, including cognitive neuroscience. The trust offers grant schemes such as Research Project Support, as well as Fellowships and Studentships. The website is: www.wellcome.ac.uk (Funding/Biomedical Science/Neuroscience and Mental Health). Here one might be considering post-doctoral work based in either a science department or the philosophy department, but officially interdisciplinary and jointly supported, with aspects of philosophy of neuroscience, neuropsychology, or psychiatry. This could include work in imaging or with a clinical aspect that tests, among other things, predictions made by certain philosophical models, or runs experiments suggested by philosophical work. Interested candidates are encouraged to approach pairs of potential philosophy/science mentors to hammer out ideas for interdisciplinary post-doctoral projects.

Worth considering for interdisciplinary work including philosophy of biology/animal minds is the Primate Society of Great Britain. They provide a list of funding bodies for post-docs, as well as useful employment info. The website is: www.psgb.org (the link is Student Information/Post-Doctoral Funding and Jobs).

A consortium of southwest universities (Exeter, Bristol and Bath) has recently won a £14 million research award for a set of activities under the heading Great Western Research (GWR). This will fund a total of 145 new researchers across five areas and across the three universities, comprising 15 postdoctoral Research Fellows and 130 postgraduate research students. The project will run from 2005 to 2010.