EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellowship

Job Posting Title:  EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellowship 

Grade and Salary: Grade 7 - £37,694 - £47,389

Contract Type: Full Time, Fixed Term (1-2 years)

Rewards and Benefits: 33 days annual leave, plus 9 buildings closed days for all full time staff (Part time workers should pro rata this by their FTE). Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.

About our Organisation 

Heriot-Watt University has established a reputation for world-class teaching and leading-edge, relevant research, which has made it one of the top UK universities for innovation, business and industry. 

Heriot-Watt University has five campuses: three in the UK (Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Orkney), one in Dubai and one in Malaysia. The University offers a highly distinctive range of degree programmes in the specialist areas of science, engineering, design, business and finance. Heriot-Watt is also Scotland's most international university, boasting the largest international student cohort. 

Dependent on area of research, successful candidates will be a staff member within one of our five Schools: 

• Engineering and Physical Sciences 

• Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society 

• Mathematical and Computer Sciences 

• Social Sciences 

• Textiles and Design 

The Opportunity 

EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellowship roles are funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council as part of Heriot-Watt University’s Doctoral Training Partnership award.

The EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellowship scheme is intended to help universities recruit and retain the very best newly qualified doctoral (e,g PhD, EngD) students, and help them launch careers in research. The Fellowships target the top 10-15% of EPSRC-funded students. 

All Fellowship projects must lie within the EPSRC remit. Consideration should be given to the alignment of the area of research with one of the following Heriot-Watt Global Research Institutes or Frontier Research areas: 

• The National Robotarium (Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and Data Science) 

• Net Zero (technologies that will enable decarbonisation to deliver net zero) 

• Health and Care Engineering /Medical Technology 

• Photonics and Quantum 

• Smart construction 

• Mathematics  

Further information on the above can be found at Heriot-Watt’s research web pages 

Applications with leverage from an industrial or third sector partner/s are encouraged. 

Successful applicants will be expected to take their research to the next level and undertake new research. An outline of eligibility requirements, the application process and deadlines is detailed below. 

Key Duties and Responsibilities  

As a Fellowship, the needs and aims of an individual project will form the duties and responsibilities for the successful candidate. 

Education, Qualifications & Experience:  

The Fellowships are funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council as part of Heriot-Watt University’s Doctoral Training Partnership Award. The criteria below is that specified by EPSRC in their award terms.  

Eligibility Essentials 

• All Fellowship projects must lie within the EPSRC remit. Successful applicants will be expected to take their research to the next level and undertake new research. 

• The fellowship must commence by latest March 2026 and should be 12 or 24 months.  (The funding available is for an estimated 2 FTE positions) 

• Applicants must have received EPSRC studentship funding and have submitted their doctoral thesis on or after 1st October 2022.  

• The Fellow must have submitted their thesis for examination prior to the start of the award and no earlier than 1st October 2022. Candidates who have not yet submitted their thesis at the time of application are still eligible, but they must have submitted their thesis prior to the Fellowship start date, and the supervisor’s letter of support must clearly state the expected submission date. Where the viva exam has not taken place before the start of the Fellow