Major Postdoc Fellowships

Looking for a way to fund your postdoc? Here is a list of several external scholarships you can apply for. They are organized regionally based on both citizenship requirements and country of study.

The UK

• UK Research Councils- The UK Research Councils is one of the largest sources of PhD funding in the UK. They are comprised of seven smaller research councils, each focused on a different field. UK citizens and residents can apply for full PhD studentships worth a minimum of £19,037 for tuition, fees, and living expenses. EU citizens are eligible for an award to cover their tuition costs.
• Commonwealth Rutherford Fellowship- Up to 50 fellowships are available for highly-skilled Commonwealth citizens who are doing one- to two-year postdocs the UK.
• Schmidt Science Fellows- This new fellowship was established in 2018 in partnership with the Rhodes Trust. Applicants are nominated by their PhD institution to complete 11-month postdocs in the natural sciences, engineering, math and computing in the US or UK. Fellows receive a stipend of $100,000 for living expenses.
• The Gen Foundation- The Gen Foundation provides grants of £500-£5,000 to applicants from any country studying natural sciences, particularly good sciences/technology in any country.
• The Newton International Fellowship- The Newton Fund aims to support the best postdoc researchers from around the world by providing funding for them to work at a UK research institution for two years. Grants are worth up to £24,000 per year and can be renewed
• Marshall Sherfield Fellowships- This fellowship enables American scientists and engineers to undertake postdoctoral studies for one to two years at a UK university.

North America

• National Institute of Health-The NIH has various funding opportunities for American citizens or permanent residents studying in the US at the postdoc level.
• Fulbright Program- Run by the US Department of State, a Fulbright grant offsets the cost of tuition, travel, and living expenses for US citizens conducting research at an institution abroad.
• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada- Canadian citizens and permanent residents are eligible to apply for SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowships which are worth $40,500 a year for up to two years.
• Canadian Institute of Health Research- Canadian citizens and permanent residents are able to apply for a CIHR Fellowship worth $60,000 a year for up to five years.
• Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada- Canadians studying either in Canada or internationally and international students studying in Canada are eligible to apply for these competitive awards. NSERC has several postdoctoral fellowships including some for industry postdocs.
• Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship- A Banting Fellowship recognizes top-tier postdoctoral talent (either Canadian or international) with $70,000 per year for two years. Applicants must be nominated by their university. 70 fellowships are awarded annually.
• Conacyt- Conacyt awards scholarships to Mexican students doing graduate studies in Mexico or abroad.
• Hunt Postdoctoral Fellowships- Awarded by the Wenner Gren Foundation, this fellowship supports the writing-up of already-completed anthropological research. The fellowship is open to applicants of any nationality and successful applicants will receive $40,000 for twelve months of continuous writing.
• IVADO Postdoctoral Scholarship Program- This program supports researchers from all over the world who are coming to HEC Montréal, Polytechnique Montréal, Université de Montréal, McGill University or the University of Alberta for postdoctoral work. If their research is in data science and data-driven innovation they are eligible to apply for this scholarship worth $70,000 per year for two years.
• American Council of Learned Societies- This is the leading private institution that supports doctoral and postdoctoral work in the humanities. They offer several fellowships for US citizens and well as other open to international applicants.
• IIASA-Mexico CONACYT Postdoctoral Fellowship- This fellowship provides funds for up to three postdocs from Mexico to come work at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Austria for a year.
• Mexican Government Program for International Student- This program provides full funding for international student doing postdocs in Mexico
• TWAS-CONACYT Postdoctoral Fellowship- A fellowship that enables students from developing countries to work at a Mexican institution for up to three years.

South America

• BEC.AR UK Scholarship- This program offers up to 15 scholarships a year for students studying in STEM fields to do short stays at a UK university.
• FAPESP Postdoctoral Fellowships- This fellowship provides two years of funding to researchers of any nationality working at a Brazilian institution in the state of São Paolo.
• Eureka SD Scholarship- This Erasmus Mundus project promotes the mobility of South Americans and EU nationals researching sustainability.
• Fundación Carolina- The foundation offers funding for Latin Americans to do short-term postdocs in Spain.

Europe

• German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)- DAAD is the world’s largest funding body for international exchange. They provide scholarships for international postdocs coming to Germany.
• Alexander von Humboldt Foundation- Students who have completed their doctorate in the last four years are eligible to apply for a Humboldt Research Fellowship to carry out up to two years of research in Germany.
• Georg Forster Research Fellowship- This fellowship provides funding for postdocs from developing or transition countries to carry out a research project in Germany for up to two years. Fellows are paid €2,650 per month.
• Marie Sklodowska-Curie European Fellowship- Junior researchers of any nationality can apply for funding to carry out a research project at a European host institution for one to two years.
• The Finnish Cultural Foundation- Finnish citizens and those living and working in Finland can apply for support for research, artistic work, and projects in science, arts, and culture. Their work must have a strong connection to Finnish culture.
• Hans Werthén Foundation- The foundation awards around 15 scholarships of 100,000-200,000 SEK each year to support a year of postdoctoral research in science, technology, leadership, economics or law. Successful candidates have previous research or private sector experience.
• Fondazione Luigi Einaudi onlus- The foundation offers many grants to Italian students studying economics, political sciences, and history.
• The Wallenberg Foundation Postdoctoral Scholarship Program at Stanford University- This program brings outstanding young Swedish scientists to Stanford for one- to two-year postdocs in any scientific field.
• The Wallenberg Foundation Postdoctoral Scholarship Program at the Broad Institute- This program brings outstanding young Swedish scientists to the Broad Institute for one- to two-year postdocs
• The Wallenberg Academy Fellows Program- This program provides generous financial support for young researchers working at Swedish universities. The program is open to researchers in all fields and of all nationalities. Applicants must be nominated by their university.
• Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship for Foreign Scholars- These scholarships are awarded to researchers in any discipline planning to come to Switzerland for postdoc work.
• Postdoc.Mobility-This two year grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation support Swiss nationals or legal residents with two years of funding for postdoc work abroad.
• Branco Weiss Fellowship- Postdoctoral researchers whose work departs from mainstream research in their field can apply for this grant of CHF 100,000 per year to work anywhere in the world. Research must be in science, engineering, or social sciences. The grant is renewable for up to five years.
• Emmy Noether Programme- This programme is for postdocs with at least two years of previous experience. Successful applicants will lead a junior research group in Germany for six years.
• Novo Nordisk Foundation- The foundation’s postdoc fellowships for research abroad are for Danish researchers studying bioscience and basic biomedicine. The fellowship offers the opportunity to research outside of Denmark for three years followed by up to a year in at a Danish institution.
• Visby Programme Scholarships- This scholarship enables postdocs from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia or Ukraine to research in Sweden for up to a year.
• The Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship- This program allows highly qualified applicants from any discipline to pursue a postdoc in Ireland for one to two years.
• NWO Talent Programme - Veni- This grant from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research is aimed at researchers have recently earned their PhD. It provides three years of funding for researchers from all fields.
• Swedish Research Council International Postdoc Grant- This grant is aimed at those who have earned their PhD from a Swedish university and will be pursuing a postdoc abroad. It provides 18-36 months of funding at 1,050,000 SEK per year.

Africa and the Middle East

• Islamic Development Bank Scholarship Programme- The Islamic Development Bank provides scholarships for promising students from member countries pursuing postdoctoral studies in sustainability. The scholarship includes full tuition fees and a living allowance.
• The Dan David Prize- Each year the Dan David Prize selects three topics to fund research in. Doctoral and postdoctoral students working in these areas can apply for one of 20 scholarships worth $15,000 USD. 10 scholarships are awarded to students at Tel Aviv University and 10 are awarded to students studying at any university.
• Oriental Institute of Beirut Postdoc Fellowship- This fellowship is open to those with a doctorate in middle east studies or Islamic studies. They can apply to be a visiting fellow at the Oriental Institute of Beirut for 12 months and receive a monthly stipend of €1,900.
• African Centre for Migration & Society- This organization offers two fellowships a year for postdocs from Sub-Saharan Africa conducting research in the mobility, politics, and transformation of Sub-Saharan Africa.
• African Postdoctoral Training Initiative- This program offers young African scientists a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in global health at the NIH. They are also expected to lead research programs afterwards in their home country so are supported for an additional two years at a 50% salary.
• Sultan Qaboos Cultural Centre- This fellowship is open to American citizens or researchers affiliated with an American university and offer up to $51,000 for a year of research in Oman.
• The American Institute for Maghrib Studies- This institute offers grants for American citizens conducting primary research in Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco, or Tunisia.
• L’oréal-Unesco For Women in Science Middle East Fellowship- Six fellowships are awarded each year to young, Arab women from Yemen and GCC countries conducting research in the physical sciences and life sciences in a GCC country.

Asia

• China Scholarship Council- The council provides financial aid to Chinese student studying abroad and foreign students studying in China.
• Charles Wallace Trusts- These trusts help nationals of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Burma pursue education and training in the arts, heritage, and the humanities in the UK. The grants are usually £500-£600 and help cover funding gaps.
• J. N. Tata Endowment- This is a one-time loan scholarship of Rs. 1,000,000-10,000,000 to Indian students at the start of their full-time postdoc. Applicants must have completed their undergraduate degree at an Indian university.
• Japan Society for the Promotion of Science- JSPS offer five different postdoc programs to bring researchers from all disciplines to Japan. Applicants must not be Japanese citizens or permanent residents.
• TWAS-CSIR Postdoctoral Fellowship Program- This program brings young scientists from developing countries (other than India) to India for up to a year.
• TWAS-DBT Postdoctoral Fellowship Program- This program brings foreign scientists from developing countries to conduct biotechnology research in India.
• TWAS-SN Bose Postdoctoral Fellowship Program- This program brings foreign scientists from developing countries to conduct physical sciences in India.
• Tübitak Postdoctoral Scholarship- The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey offers postdoctoral scholarships for Turkish citizens working in Turkey or abroad in the fields of natural sciences, medical sciences, social sciences, humanities, engineering, and technological sciences.
• Türkiye Research Fellowship Program- This research fellowship is open to international researchers working on collaborative research projects in the social sciences, humanities, or sciences in Turkey.

Australasia

• Discovery Early Career Researcher Award- Awarded by the Australian Research Council, this scheme provides funding for up to 200 early-career researchers each year.
• Human Frontier Science Program- The postdoctoral fellowships help early-career researchers move into a new area of study within biological and life sciences in a new country.
• New Zealand Postdoctoral Fellowships- These fellowships from the Royal Society Te Ap?rangi allow New Zealanders or New Zealand residents to undertake full-time STEM postdocs at a New Zealand research institution.
• LEARN Postdoctoral Fellowship for Developing Countries- This fellowship enables a scientist from a developing country to study agriculture greenhouse gas in New Zealand for up to two years.
• The Marsden Fund Fast Start Grant- The fund awards emerging researchers NZD $100,000 per year for three years.
• The Ian Potter Foundation- This foundation funds large-scale research projects with grants of AUD $100,000+.