Lucy Cavendish College at the University of Cambridge is inviting applications for its Junior Research Fellowship 2027, offering early career researchers an opportunity to pursue research in Cambridge for three years while receiving a £36,498 annual stipend, a £4,500 research allowance and a generous meal allowance.
The fellowship is open across selected areas of English, History, and Physical or Environmental Geography, with particular encouragement for research focused on African and Indian literature and history, as well as climate change, environmental change and natural hazards.
Applications must be submitted online by 5pm GMT on Friday, 30 October 2026.
The Junior Research Fellowship is offered by Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge, and is designed for early career researchers who are at the beginning of their academic careers.
The fellowship will run for three years, with the expected start date of 1 October 2027. It is a full-time fixed-term fellowship, although the College is willing to consider applications to hold the fellowship on a part-time basis.
The fellowship is not renewable.
The successful fellow will be expected to engage actively in research and research dissemination while participating fully in college life.
Who Can Apply?
The fellowship is specifically intended for early career researchers.
Applicants must have recently obtained their PhD, with no more than 18 months having passed since the PhD was awarded, or have their viva scheduled, provided their degree will be awarded by the beginning of the fellowship.
There is also an important institutional eligibility condition. Candidates must not hold or have previously held a stipendiary research fellowship at another institution in the UK.
Applicants should therefore carefully assess all eligibility requirements before preparing their submission.
Eligible Research Areas
Lucy Cavendish College is inviting applications in three broad subject areas.
English
Candidates may apply with research focusing on:
- The Medieval period
- The Early Modern period
- Literature from the African continent
- Literature from the Indian sub-continent
- Literature written in English or translated into English
The inclusion of African and Indian literature makes this particularly relevant to researchers whose work explores literary traditions, histories and cultural production connected to these regions.
History
Applications are welcomed in modern global history.
Researchers working specifically on African or Indian history are particularly encouraged to apply.
This provides an opportunity for early career historians whose research examines global historical processes, regions, societies or connections involving Africa or India.
Physical or Environmental Geography
The fellowship also welcomes researchers working in physical or environmental geography, particularly research focused on:
- Climate change
- Quantitative approaches to environmental change
- Natural hazards
Researchers using quantitative methods to investigate environmental challenges may therefore find this fellowship especially relevant.
Fellowship Salary and Benefits
The financial package is one of the key attractions of the Cambridge Junior Research Fellowship.
The successful fellow will receive a £36,498 annual stipend.
In addition, the fellowship includes a £4,500 allowance for research activities and a generous meal allowance.
The College is also willing to discuss holding the fellowship on a part-time basis, potentially providing flexibility for suitable candidates.
Limited opportunities may be available for small-group teaching within the College. Teaching is optional, and fellows who undertake teaching will receive an additional payment for the teaching delivered.
What Will Fellows Do?
The primary purpose of the fellowship is to enable the successful candidate to undertake research and research dissemination.
Beyond their research activities, fellows are expected to participate fully in college life and become part of the academic community at Lucy Cavendish College.
The opportunity to engage with researchers and the wider Cambridge academic environment can provide valuable intellectual and professional development for scholars at an early stage of their careers.
Application Requirements
The initial application should include three main components:
1. CV
Applicants must submit an up-to-date academic CV outlining their qualifications, research experience, publications and other relevant achievements.
2. Research statement
Candidates must provide a maximum 1,000-word or two-page description of their research and explain how they would contribute to college life.
3. Two referees
Applicants must provide the contact details of two referees.
Candidates should ensure that their research statement clearly communicates the significance of their work while demonstrating how they would contribute to the intellectual and wider community of Lucy Cavendish College.
What Happens After the Initial Application?
Long-listed candidates will be notified before the end of November 2026.
Those selected for the next stage will be asked to submit a piece of previously prepared written work of up to 10,000 words.
The written work may be a:
- Book chapter
- Thesis chapter
- Published article
Candidates can also provide a maximum of 500 additional words explaining the context of the submitted work.
Short-listed candidates will subsequently be invited to interviews, which are scheduled for February 2027.
Cambridge Fellowship Deadline
The application deadline is:
30 October 2026 at 5pm GMT
Applicants should submit their applications through the CASC system before the stated deadline and ensure that their referees’ details are entered correctly.
Apply for the Cambridge Junior Research Fellowship
Applicants can also review the official fellowship details and further particulars before applying.
Final Thoughts
The Lucy Cavendish College Junior Research Fellowship 2027 presents a highly competitive opportunity for recently qualified PhD researchers seeking to develop their academic careers at the University of Cambridge.
With a £36,498 annual stipend, £4,500 research allowance, meal allowance and a three-year fellowship period, the opportunity could be particularly attractive to early career researchers in English, History and Physical or Environmental Geography.
Researchers working on African or Indian literature and history, as well as climate change, environmental change and natural hazards, should pay particular attention to this call.
With applications closing at 5pm GMT on 30 October 2026, eligible researchers should begin preparing their CV, research statement and referee details well ahead of the deadline.
