Prospective postdoc

About the project

Queen’s University Belfast is a member of the Russell Group of UK research-intensive universities, with an established international reputation for research excellence and societal impact across a broad range of disciplines.

Based in Belfast, Queen’s provides access to strong interdisciplinary research communities, high-quality research facilities, and structured support for postdoctoral researchers through the Postdoctoral Development Centre and the Fellowship Academy. Together, these create an environment that supports both research excellence and career development.

Research positions are advertised throughout the year on the University’s vacancies page. Prospective applicants are advised to review current opportunities regularly. These include postdoctoral positions (typically advertised as Research Fellow), Research Assistant roles, Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) positions, and technical specialist posts.

Join as a Vice-Chancellor's Fellow

Illuminate: The Vice-Chancellor's Fellowships is a Queen's internal fellowship scheme. It aims to recruit, develop and nurture outstanding researchers who will deliver world-leading research aligned to current research strengths at Queen’s. Successful Fellows will join a strong and talented team of researchers on a three-year scheme with a career pathway to a permanent academic post upon successful completion of the Fellowship. Fellows will benefit from membership of a dedicated Fellowship Academy, designed to provide targeted development and support for researchers with outstanding potential, including a Fellows’ Network and bespoke mentoring. Applications to the Illuminate scheme are currently closed, with the next phase of applications expected to open in 2026.

Join with your own External Funding

A range of national and international funders offer postdoctoral fellowship schemes that support early-career researchers in developing research independence through a defined programme of work. Applicants may apply to these schemes with Queen’s as the proposed host institution. In doing so, candidates are required to identify an academic sponsor at Queen’s who is willing to act as mentor and provide an appropriate research environment. Applications must also receive support from the relevant School and Faculty in line with institutional approval processes. Where an applicant has support from a School, additional guidance and support is available from the Research Development team to strengthen the proposal prior to submission.

Support for Fellowship Applicants

Applicants supported by a School may access guidance from the Research Development team, including feedback on draft applications and advice on internal approval or selection processes where applicable.

For selected externally funded independent research fellowships, Queen’s provides an enhanced support package. This may include additional financial support and, in some cases, fully-funded PhD studentships. Applicants who wish to be considered for this enhanced support must notify Research Development of their intention to apply to the relevant scheme at an early stage and in advance of the relevant funder deadline. Early engagement is required to confirm eligibility and the level of institutional support available.

All externally funded fellowship holders at Queen’s are granted membership of the Fellowship Academy . The Fellowship Academy provides structured development support, including access to a Fellows’ Network, a mentorship programme, and a range of professional learning opportunities delivered through workshops, online learning, and peer-based development activities. Fellows are supported to review and plan their ongoing personal and career development, including areas such as research funding strategy, publication planning, and research leadership.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) are collaborative roles that enable researchers to work at the interface between academia and industry. As a KTP Associate, you would deliver a defined innovation project in partnership with an external organisation while receiving academic support from Queen’s.

KTP roles provide experience of applying research expertise in a business context and can support career development in academia, industry, or beyond.

Queen’s University Belfast is recognised nationally for its performance in the Knowledge Transfer Partnership programme and has received multiple KTP awards for the quality and impact of its partnerships.

Find out more about KTPs at Queen's

You can also sign up to be notified when a KTP is advertised in your discipline.

Research areas