Opportunities

Reasons to work with us

For job opportunities and fellowship applications, including deadlines and procedures, see below.  For PhD opportunities, please follow the Students tab.

We aim to make the Department a welcoming and supportive environment for everyone. As well as helping you realise your potential and advance your career, we recognise and value the need to maintain a healthy work/life balance.

Equality, Diversity and Disability Support

Information about how the College strives to create a welcoming and equitable workplace: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/equality/

Family friendly policies

Information about how the College promotes a family-friendly workplace: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/human-resources/benefits/supporting-you-and-your-family/

Health and Wellbeing

Information about how the College promotes mental and physical health and wellbeing:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/health-and-wellbeing/

People and Organisational Development / Post Doctoral and Fellows Development Centre

Information about how the College provides development activities:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/staff-development/

Juno Transparency and Opportunity Committee

The Committee aims to address the under representation of women and minorities in university physics, and to create a welcoming and inclusive environment in the Department.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/physics/about/juno/

Further information

Life in London - https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/living-in-london/

About Imperial https://www.imperial.ac.uk/about/

Job opportunities 

Positions will be advertised on this site and on College employment pages

Should you have any queries about the application process please contact the Astrophysics Group Administration office via astro@imperial.ac.uk.

Fellowship opportunities

Considering a Research Fellowship with Imperial Astrophysics? We're delighted you're exploring this opportunity—and we’re here to support you throughout the process.

To give your application the best chance of success, we encourage early engagement with an academic staff member in your area of research interest. This initial conversation will help you assess whether Imperial is the right environment for your goals and allow us to explore alignment and sponsorship. Fellowship applications are a collaborative effort, and early discussions allow us to provide tailored support from the start.

To maintain the high standards and competitiveness of our submissions, Imperial Physics runs an internal selection process for most fellowship schemes. If you and your prospective sponsor agree to move forward, they will guide you through the internal selection process and help you prepare the necessary documentation. Where there is a Research Community quota (always for Royal Society URF and STFC ERF) the Particle Physics Community, in turn, runs its own pre-selection process ahead of the Departmental deadlines. Please note that we are unable to consider requests received after our internal deadline—early engagement is essential.

If your nomination is approved, you will receive structured guidance and support throughout the application process, including feedback, review, and coordination with Research Services. Internal submission deadlines are set ahead of funder deadlines to ensure institutional approval time, and you will be advised of these dates in advance.

Successful applicants will be offered appropriate office or laboratory space, access to shared departmental facilities, and dedicated mentorship—typically provided by your internal sponsor or another experienced academic—to support both your research and professional development.

A Welcoming and Inclusive Research Culture

We are committed to fostering a welcoming, collaborative, and inclusive environment for all researchers. We actively encourage applications from individuals who are underrepresented in physics, including those who identify as female, Black and other minority ethnic researchers, disabled researchers, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. We also welcome candidates returning from a career break or those seeking flexible or part-time fellowships due to personal or caring responsibilities. If you experience any barriers during the application process, please let us know so we can make appropriate adjustments.

Additional Support

The Early Career Researcher Institute provides a wide range of support services for fellowship applicants applying through Imperial—from application development to mock interviews. We strongly encourage you to make use of these resources in addition to the support provided by your Research Community. For more information, visit: Early Career Researcher Institute – Fellowship FAQs.

Calls

ERC Starting Grants 2026

Status: Open – internal deadline 24 July 2025

ERC Starting Grants support early-career researchers to establish independent research programmes at the frontiers of knowledge. The scheme offers up to €1.5 million over five years, with an additional €1 million available for major start-up costs, equipment, or relocation from a third country.

Imperial Physics applicants must commit at least 50% of their time to the grant and are expected to take on a small teaching load.

Key Facts:

• Duration: Up to 5 years (full-time)
• Eligibility: Researchers who defended their PhD between 2 and 7 years before 1 January 2026 (extensions available for career breaks)
• Department quota: None
• Nomination deadline: 24 July 2025
• Nomination process: Complete the Imperial Expression of Interest form, including your CV and publication list, and email it to phys-ra@imperial.ac.uk, copying your proposed sponsor

Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellowship (Managed by Imperial)

Status: Closed – next round expected to open in Summer 2025

This two-year postdoctoral fellowship, supported by Schmidt Futures, enables researchers to apply artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to scientific challenges across the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics. Fellows join a cross-disciplinary cohort and receive structured training in AI methods, alongside mentorship and research support within their Imperial host Community.

Two career stages are supported:

• Research Associate level – for applicants more recently out of their PhD
• Research Fellow level – for those with several years of postdoctoral (or equivalent) experience, including supervision responsibilities. Experience may come from either academia or industry.

Key Facts:

• Duration: 2 years
• Eligibility requirements: None
• Department quota: None
• Nomination deadline: Not applicable – applicants apply directly via Imperial’s Talentlink system, but you must have secured an internal sponsor at Imperial before doing so.
• Nomination process: None

Imperial College Research Fellowships (ICRF)

Status: Open – internal deadline 11 August 2025

The ICRF is a prestigious four-year fellowship supporting outstanding early-career researchers in establishing independent careers at Imperial with up to £30,000 for research/travel (up to £45,000 in justified cases) For the 2025 round, the Department of Physics is only supporting applications under the ‘AI in Science’ theme, co-funded by Schmidt Sciences.

Key Facts:

• Duration: 4 years
• Start Date: Between 1 August and 1 December 2026
• Eligibility: ≤4 years post-PhD (viva date) by 18 August 2025 excluding career breaks
• Department quota: None
• Departmental approval deadline: 11 August 2025
• Imperial deadline: 18 August 2025
• Application method: Submit final draft “Research Proposal and Budget” form to phys-ra@imperial.ac.uk, copying sponsor, once returned apply online via Imperial Jobs, search for NAT01920

MSCA European Postdoctoral Fellowships

Status: Open – internal deadline 27 August 2025

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie European Postdoctoral Fellowships are prestigious, EU-funded awards supporting talented researchers in developing independent careers through advanced training and international mobility. Fellowships last 12 to 24 months and are open to researchers of any nationality, provided they meet the mobility rule. Please note that we are not hosting Global Postdoctoral Fellowships.

Key Facts:

• Duration: 12–24 months
• Eligibility: Doctoral degree + no more than 8 years’ full-time research experience; must not have resided or worked in the UK for more than 12 of the 36 months before the call deadline
• Department quota: None
• Nomination process: None
• Departmental deadline: 27 August 2025
• Call deadline: expected 10 September 2025
• Application method: By 27 August at the latest email phys-ra@imperial.ac.uk with your supervisor copied to confirm your intention to apply and set up your application on the EU portal and complete Part A

Royal Astronomical Society Fellowships

Status: Open - nomination deadline 1 September 2025

The RAS Research Fellowship enables outstanding candidates to pursue independent research in astronomy, solar system science, geophysics, or closely related fields.

The Norman Lockyer Fellowship specifically supports researchers focusing on astronomy, including solar system and planetary science.

Fellowships are awarded on a three-year cycle (for fellowships beginning the following year):

• RAS Research Fellowships: 2021, 2024, 2027
• Norman Lockyer Fellowships: 2022, 2025, 2028

Key Facts:

• Duration: Up to 3 years, starting 1 October in the year of the award (or within 6 months thereafter)
• Eligibility: Applicants must hold a PhD awarded after 1 October three years before the start of the fellowship, or have passed their viva by the deadline and be awarded their PhD before the start date (exceptions may apply in cases of maternity leave, career breaks, illness, etc.)
• Department quota: five
• Nomination deadline: 1 September 2025
• Nomination process: Complete the Imperial Expression of Interest (EOI) form, including your CV and publication list, and email it to phys-ra@imperial.ac.uk, copying your proposed sponsor

Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 Research Fellowships

Status: Open - nomination deadline 23 October 2025

The Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 awards Research Fellowships to support early- career scientists and engineers of exceptional promise. These prestigious fellowships are open to candidates in any branch of the physical or biological sciences, mathematics, applied science, or engineering.

Key Facts:

• Duration: 3 years
• Eligibility: Recent PhD holders or those completing their PhD in the year of application; normally with no more than 3 years of postdoctoral experience
• Department quota: Five
• Nomination deadline: 23 October 2025
• Nomination process: Complete the Imperial Expression of Interest form, including your CV and publication list, and email it to phys-ra@imperial.ac.uk, copying your sponsor

Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowships

Status: Open – nomination deadline 21 August 2025

The Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship supports excellent early-career scientists who require flexible working arrangements due to personal circumstances such as parental or caring responsibilities or health conditions. The fellowship provides up to 8 years of funding to help establish an independent research career. The Fellowship is open to researchers across all areas of the Royal Society’s scientific remit.

Key Facts:

• Duration: Up to 8 years
• Eligibility: Early-career researchers with up to six years of research experience post-PhD (excluding career breaks) needing flexible support due to personal circumstances
• Department quota: None
• Nomination deadline: 21 August 2025
• Nomination process: Complete the Imperial Expression of Interest form, including your CV and publication list, and email it to phys-ra@imperial.ac.uk, copying your sponsor

Royal Society University Research Fellowship (URF)

Status: Open – Astrophysics nomination deadline TBA

The Royal Society University Research Fellowship supports outstanding early-career researchers in the natural sciences who have the potential to become leaders in their field. The scheme offers up to 8 years of funding, enabling awardees to build an independent research career in a UK institution.

Applications are coordinated through the relevant Research Community who are allowed to support up to six nominations each. Applicants must engage with their sponsor well in advance of the Departmental deadline.

For Astrophysics requests please contact an academic in your area of interest and work with them to complete the Imperial Expression of Interest form, CV, and publication list to be submitted for Community review by TBA. The selected nominations will be forwarded to the Department for their 13 June deadline.

Key Facts:

• Duration: Up to 8 years
• Eligibility: Early-career researchers with between three and eight years of research experience, excluding career breaks.
• Department quota: 15
• Research Community quota: Up to six nominations each

STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellowship (ERF)

Status: Open – Astrophysics nomination deadline TBA

The Ernest Rutherford Fellowship, funded by STFC, enables early-career researchers to establish independent research careers in the STFC core science areas: astronomy, solar and planetary science, particle physics, particle astrophysics, cosmology, nuclear physics, and accelerator science. The scheme provides funding for up to 5 years to support ambitious scientific research at UK institutions.

Applications are coordinated through the relevant Research Community who are allowed to support up to six nominations each. Applicants must engage with their sponsor well in advance of the Departmental deadline.

For Astrophysics requests please contact an academic in your area of interest and work with them to complete the Imperial Expression of Interest form CV, and publication list to be submitted for Community review by TBA. The selected nominations will be forwarded to the Department for their 13 June deadline.

Key Facts:

• Duration: Up to 5 years
• Eligibility: Early-career researchers in STFC core science areas with a PhD and clear leadership potential
• Department quota: TBC by STFC
• Research Community quota: Up to six nominations each

UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships (FLF)

Status: Closed (last deadline 3 March 2025)

The UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships (FLF) scheme supports talented early-career researchers and innovators across all disciplines to transition to or establish independence. Fellowships provide long-term, flexible funding for ambitious and challenging research and innovation projects.

Imperial operates a managed selection process for this highly competitive scheme.

Key Facts:

• Duration: Up to 7 years (initial 4 years with possible extension)
• Eligibility: Early-career researchers and innovators from any discipline or sector
• Nomination process: Coordinated through Imperial’s selection process