Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Postdoctoral Fellowship in Physics at Imperial College London Imperial College London in United Kingdom

The Department of Physics at Imperial College London is inviting Expressions of Interest for the Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship, a prestigious postdoctoral opportunity supporting early-career scientists who require flexible working arrangements due to personal circumstances such as caring responsibilities or health conditions. This fellowship is designed to help researchers establish independent research careers within the broad remit of the natural sciences, with a particular focus on physics and its diverse subfields as represented by Imperial’s research communities: Light, Matter, Physics of Particles, Physics of the Universe, and Space, Plasma and Climate.

The Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship offers up to £1.87 million in funding over eight years, including salary, research expenses, equipment, support for a new PhD studentship, and relocation/visa costs. The scheme is open to applicants of any nationality, and those requiring a visa are eligible for the UK Global Talent Visa. The fellowship provides significant flexibility, including part-time options, parental and sick leave, and financial support for childcare during conferences and research visits. Imperial Physics is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion, and actively encourages applications from researchers of all backgrounds, especially those traditionally underrepresented in physics.

Eligibility requirements include having up to six years of research experience since PhD (excluding career breaks), not holding a permanent or proleptic post, and not having previously held an equivalent independent research fellowship. Applicants must demonstrate a need for flexible support due to personal circumstances. The internal Expression of Interest (EOI) deadline at Imperial Physics is 16 July 2026, with the funder’s deadline on 28 October 2026. The application process involves identifying a relevant Research Community, making early contact, securing a sponsor from the academic staff, and submitting an EOI form with a CV and publication list to the department’s fellowships team.

Imperial Physics offers a supportive environment for fellows, with opportunities for professional development, networking, and engagement in a vibrant, international research community. For more information, applicants are encouraged to explore the department’s research communities and staff profiles, and to review the full call details on the Royal Society and Imperial College websites.