Herchel Smith Research Fellow (Fixed Term)

Overview

The Managers of the Herchel Smith Postdoctoral Research Fellowships Fund offer a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship position focused on research within the general field of Pure Mathematics. The position is hosted by the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. This full-time, fixed-term opportunity is designed to support an early-career scholar in focusing exclusively on independent research, developing academic potential, and producing international-standard work.

The Fellowship is available for up to three years. While it provides an opportunity for independent research, the holder usually works in close collaboration with an established research group on a full-time basis in Cambridge.

Who can apply

Candidates must have obtained their PhD degree, or equivalent, within the last three years at any university, normally excluding Cambridge and Harvard. Applicants must have less than three years of postdoctoral experience by the time the Fellowship is taken up.

Requirements

Applicants must hold a PhD or equivalent degree and provide evidence of outstanding academic excellence, a high-quality and original research proposal, and capabilities as an independent researcher.

What you get

The stipend follows the University's Postdoctoral Research Associate scale, offering a salary of £38,448 to £46,970 per annum. Additionally, an annual research allowance of up to £13,000 is provided.

How to apply

Applicants must apply online and submit a maximum two-page curriculum vitae outlining their academic career, qualifications, and publication list, excluding papers in preparation. Required documents also include a one-page project summary indicating research areas of interest near the top, a detailed project description related to the department's research interests, and a publication list indicating up to four strongest papers or preprints with hyperlinks.

Candidates must also provide contact details and email addresses for two referees, ensuring at least one is familiar with their work in the primary research field. Referees must be notified in advance and provided with the project description, as their references must be received before the referee deadline.

Key dates

The closing date for applications is 2026-12-07. References must be received before 2026-12-14. Online interviews are expected to be conducted in mid-January. The Fellowship is held from 1 October 2027 or by agreement with the Head of Department.