A marine biology student on a dive. The British Ecological Society fellowship is open to all BES members doing a PhD in a UK university
  • Applications are now closed

About the scheme

Fellowships offer great opportunities to PhD students, to gain an insider’s view of how Parliament works. During the three-month Fellowship, successful candidates hone their ability to communicate scientific issues to a wider audience, by writing policy briefs for MPs and Peers. Fellows work closely with people across the UK Parliament and get to see how select committees, all party parliamentary groups and libraries work.

POST fellows have in the past:

  • Produced POSTnotes, POSTbriefs, or contributed to other briefing reports.
  • Helped select committees in ongoing inquiries.
  • Organised briefing events on their topic of interest.

Fellowships will start in September/October 2022 or January 2023, subject to final agreement between the applicant, POST, and the applicant’s supervisor and University. Fellowships are also conditional to security clearance. We are currently building our capacity to ensure that all work can be carried out remotely.

Who is eligible?

We are seeking applications from current doctoral students who are BES members studying for a PhD in a UK university, in their second, third, or fourth year of your full-time PhD or part-time equivalent, at the time of the application.

How to apply

It is important that you download and read the application pack before applying, as it contains more details on the role, application process, and assessment criteria.

Download the application pack

Applicants should submit:

  • A completed application form.
  • An approval form, which has been completed by your PhD Supervisor and Head of Department.
  • A two-page briefing on a topic that you think would be of current interest to Parliamentarians. The briefing should be completed using the briefing template and should not contain your name or any other identifying details. We want you to use the briefing template and ensure your work is not identifiable to make the process as fair and unbiased as possible. Please see the application pack for the two-page briefing assessment and some tips for writing it.

Download the two-page briefing template

Download the approval form

Please email your two-page briefing and completed approval form to Daniela Russi, Senior Policy Manager at BES (Daniela@britishecologicalsociety.org).

Applications will undergo an initial sift based on the two-page briefing.

Applications completed by 23:59 on Monday 13 June 2022. Late applications will not be accepted. A panel consisting of BES and POST personnel will assess the applications. Interviews will be held on week commencing 30th June 2022.

Any queries relating to the application process should be directed to Daniela Russi, Senior BES Policy Manager. You can also email POST to discuss general aspects of the scheme. Please note that neither the BES nor POST can advise on the strength or weaknesses of individual proposals.

Funding

The successful applicant will receive a £6,000 award to cover their living costs while undertaking the three-month fellowship. Computing, email, and other facilities necessary for the project will be supplied by POST. £5,000 will be paid on at the start of the fellowship, and the remaining £1,000 on completion.

Frequently asked questions

What is a POST fellowship? Who can apply for it? Who pays for it? We have put together a page with answers to some of the most frequently asked questions we get about POST fellowships.

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