Melbourne Postdoctoral Fellowships
Critical Dates
- Thursday 6 April 2023
Program opens via SmartyGrants
- 3:00pm (AEST) Wednesday 26 April 2023
Information Webinar (register here)
- 3:00pm (AEST) Monday 15 May 2023
Eligibility exemption requests due via SmartyGrants
- 3:00pm (AEST) Monday 26 June 2023
Full applications due via SmartyGrants
Referee written testimonials due via email to res-devschemes@unimelb.edu.au
- October 2023
Fellowship Offers
Faculty Expression of Interest (EOI) deadlines also apply. Please see 'How to Apply' for further information.
Overview
The Melbourne Postdoctoral Fellowships are a leading institutional researcher development scheme. Launched as a supportive initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Melbourne Postdoctoral Fellowships scheme provides career development and research-focused opportunities for early career researchers across the University. Melbourne Postdoctoral Fellowships are available to University of Melbourne PhD graduates and academic staff currently employed at the University of Melbourne (fixed-term or casual) who may have graduated with a PhD from another university .
The objectives of the 2024 Melbourne Postdoctoral Fellowships scheme are to:
- attract and retain talented recent doctoral graduates from the University of Melbourne in areas that are a research priority for the University;
- retain researchers who have the potential to build and lead interdisciplinary collaborative research activities inside and across Faculties; and
- promote research that aligns with institutional research strategies and research priorities in Faculties.
Prospective applicants must discuss their interest in the scheme with the relevant Faculty at the University of Melbourne, prior to submitting their application. Application processes vary between different faculties. Applicants must adhere to Faculty Expression of Interest processes and timelines in order to be considered for award.
Funding
Jointly funded by Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) (DVCR) strategic funding and Faculties, each Fellowship will be awarded at Academic Level A6 in the University Salary Band plus oncosts and superannuation as per the terms and conditions of employment for University staff set out in the applicable University of Melbourne enterprise agreement. Salary funding for the Melbourne Postdoctoral Fellowship is split 2:1 (DVCR : Faculty). DVCR strategic funds will also fund an additional single allocation of $25,000 for the Fellow’s research project costs over the full term of the Fellowship.
The default term of the Melbourne Postdoctoral Fellowships is for three years (at 1.0FTE) of research-focused activity.
Eligibility
For the 2024 Melbourne Postdoctoral Fellowships, applicants must have been awarded their PhD between:
- 1 November 2020 and the full application due date - Eligible;
- 1 November 2018 and 31 October 2020, and had a period of significant research career interruption between 1 November 2018 and the full application due date - Eligible to apply, must complete Part B3 of the full application.
- 1 November 2012 and 31 October 2018 and there are exceptional circumstances - Not currently eligible. May complete Eligibility Exemption Request to determine eligibility prior to completing the full application.
Applicants must have graduated or have met the requirements to graduate with a PhD from the University of Melbourne, or from another university where they are current (fixed term or casual) employees of the University of Melbourne.
An applicant may only ever be awarded one Melbourne Postdoctoral Fellowship. Applicants to this scheme cannot apply for the McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme.
Applicants must not have been awarded a competitively funded research fellowship from any institution since the award of their PhD.
How to apply
Review faculty/school processes
You must ensure that you have completed any additional submission requirements specific to your Faculty/School and that you have an academic contact within your proposed Faculty who is willing to support your application. This contact must be listed in your application form.Faculty Contact Instructions Architecture, Building and Planning Matthew Scamporlino (abp-research),
abp-research@unimelb.edu.auDraft Smarty Grant Application Exported into PDF Format due to abp-research@unimelb.edu.au no later than Monday the 15th of May 2023. Arts Jeanette Wrench (Arts Research Office), arts-staffresearch@unimelb.edu.au EOI deadline: 5pm, Monday 17th April 2023. Faculty of Arts academic contact form deadline: 5pm, Monday 17th April 2023. Business & Economics Alex Campbell, +61 3 8344 5792, fbe-research@unimelb.edu.au EOI due by Wednesday 10 May 2023 Engineering and Information Technology FEIT Research Services, FEIT-research@unimelb.edu.au EOI due by 9am, 1 May 2023 Education Alex Burns, mgse-grants@unimelb.edu.au EOI deadline 3pm Monday 15th May 2023. Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences Tim Crockett, 8344 4637, mdhs-grants@unimelb.edu.au EOIs due: 9:00AM AEST, Monday 15th May 2023
EOI: Applicants must complete the MDHS EOI form via SmartyGrants before the due date to be considered.Law Mas Generis 8344 9983 or Averyl Gaylor 8344 8046, law-research@unimelb.edu.au EOI deadline 11.59pm Monday 24 April 2023 Science Patrick O'Duffy, science-internalfunding@unimelb.edu.au EOI due by 3pm 1 May 2023 Fine Arts & Music Adelene Auyong, fineartsmusic-research@unimelb.edu.au EOI deadline End of day, 24 April 2023. Academic contact
Make sure you have an academic contact within your proposed host Faculty/School who is willing to support your application. Your proposed host Faculty/School can advise you as to how best to get in touch with an appropriate academic contact.
Review the funding guidelines
Read the Melbourne Postdoctoral Fellowship guidelines.
Complete the Eligibility Exemption Request form if applicable
If applicable, complete the Eligibility Exemption Request on SmartyGrants by the Eligibility Exemption Request due date.
An Eligibility Exemption Request is only applicable if due to exceptional circumstances you do not meet all the eligibility criteria in the Funding Guidelines. Eligible applicants may submit an application without an Eligibility Exemption Request.
Complete the application form
Complete the application form. Your faculty research office contact (listed above) can advise you of the HoD/HoS approvals process for this fellowship.
Submit the application
Submit your application via SmartyGrants by the due date and time.
Supporting documents
Documents for 2024:
- 2024 Melbourne Postdoctoral Fellowships scheme Guidelines
- 2024 Application form
- 2024 Eligibility Exemption Request
- 2024 FAQs
- 2024 Career interruption calculator
- 2024 Webinar Recording
Please contact res-devschemes@unimelb.edu.au for documents in alternate accessible formats.
Contacts
- Please refer to the program guidelines and FAQs (linked above) before submitting inquiries