Castles and Coprolites

It's fair to say that in order to be competitive for most permanent academic posts in the UK (and elsewhere), you're likely to need to complete a postdoc after you finish your PhD. But postdocs aren’t just a stepping stone, they’re a chance to define your research identity, build collaborations, and (let’s be honest) keep the lights on while you publish your thesis work. The best fellowships give you time, resources, and freedom to explore big ideas and really grow into independence. I have written recently about the differences between PDRA posts and Fellowships , which you may find helpful if you are not familiar with the difference between these. This post is looking specifically at Fellowship opportunities.  Back in 2018, I wrote a post about postdoctoral funding for archaeologists, which became one of the most read items in the entire blog. The advice in that post still stands, but a lot has changed since then, new schemes have emerged, old ones have evolved, and the ho...

It's that time of year when many recent PhDs and ECRs are thinking about their next career move. I am currently fielding a number of enquiries about this, from people interested in working with us in the NEMCAS lab , and it made me realise yet one more thing that is not always made clear to people early on in their academic careers. The word postdoc is used to generally to describe roles that a researcher undertakes after their PhD, but it's a broad label that actually conceals important distinctions. The biggest distinction is between a postdoctoral research associate (PDRA) employed on someone else's grant, and an independent research fellow holding their own funding. Both have PhDs, both are researchers. Both may publish papers, supervise students, and contribute to major discoveries, but the relationship they have to the research itself is fundamentally different. A PDRA is employed to work on a project that has been conceived, designed, and funded under the leadership ...

Following a discussion elsewhere on the interwebs, I thought it might be useful to create a list of postdoc funding opportunities in the UK, distinguishing between those which are open to UK, EU and international applicants. All of these fund various aspects of archaeology, though some are more geared towards science than others so you will need to make sure your topic fits the remit. Having been a reviewer for several postdoc applications, I should emphasise that all of these are extremely competitive, and the best thing you can do to increase your chance of success is to have a plan for building your CV during your PhD, beyond the 'minimum' requirements. For all of these awards the criteria center on supporting individuals who show ability to become independent researchers, and that means you have to provide evidence that you are heading in that direction. So what sort of evidence are reviewers looking for? This includes most obviously, making sure that you have published...

I don't really do 'advice' posts that often, but I was inspired to do this after a recent 'mini interview' I did for the Chronicle of Higher Education on what it's like doing multiple postdocs in the humanities. The resulting article is all a bit more doom and gloom than I was expecting, so I thought I would do my own version here that focuses on the positives. Disclaimers. 1. The Chronicle article I assume is for a US audience, and it's worth pointing out that there is  a terminology difference. Postdocs in the UK, at least in my field, are not really training positions, but contract research jobs. You may get some additional training but that's not the main purpose, and you're expected to be able to do the job from day one. 2. Also I am an unusual case in many ways, as I sit right in the middle of the sciences and humanities, and actually for the scientists in my field it's the norm to do multiple postdocs and fellowships.3.  And my case is ...