The Jacobsen Fellowships - Jacobsen Fellowships

What you get

You will receive a salary of paid research post worth about 48,000 EUR per year (from 41,164 GBP, including the London allowance) for up to three years. This is a paid postdoctoral position, not a scholarship (a fixed grant): You will be paid in accordance with the UK academic research pay scale, starting at point 29 in grade 7 and rising to point 31 in the third year, with your employer’s pension contributions covered. You will conduct research in any area of philosophy under the overarching theme ‘The personal and impersonal nature of life in the universe and of the human person’, which the selection panel interprets broadly enough to cover almost any philosophical topic. Your place of work is the Institute of Philosophy at Senate House, University of London, and you will be supervised by one of its constituent colleges (UCL, King’s College London, LSE or Birkbeck). To be retained in the second and third years, you will need a favourable interim report. The post was funded by a donation from Mr Jens Jacobsen.

Who can apply

• Degree: You hold a PhD or have substantially completed your doctoral thesis by the start of the scholarship.
• Career stage: You are a early-career researcher and are at the start of your career following your PhD.
• Field of study: Philosophy, in every field.
• Where you work: They are conducting research in London at the University of London and its affiliated college.
• Nationality: Any nationality can apply.

How to apply

You can apply via the University of London’s careers portal (jobs.london.ac.uk) or by email to the Institute of Philosophy. The deadline for applications is 30 April, and successful applicants will be notified in the first week of June. Applications from people of Black, Asian or other ethnic backgrounds are particularly welcome.

How realistic are your chances?

This is a single, prestigious postdoctoral post in the field of philosophy, which consequently attracts top-calibre applicants from across the discipline and ensures genuine competition. As only one fellowship is available and the topic is broad in scope, your chances depend more on the quality of your research proposal and the standard of your doctoral work than on whether you fit into a narrow niche. A completed PhD or one nearing completion, together with a concise research plan suitable for review by the selection panel, are the factors that set applicants apart from the rest.