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­­­About the scheme 

POST and Midlands Innovation are offering two 13-week fellowships to PhD students registered at participating Midlands Innovation institutions, whose PhD is related to either the social sciences, or life sciences, health sciences and medicine. 

Successful applicants will be based in UK Parliament, supporting its use of research evidence. 

Most fellows assist POST in providing briefing material for parliamentarians on emerging science topics. Work may include: 

  • Producing a POSTnote (a briefing document to help inform the work of MPs and Peers) or contributing to a longer briefing report. 
  • Assisting a Select Committee in an inquiry. 
  • Organising a seminar to inform or disseminate research. 

PhD Fellows are encouraged to interact closely with people and activities in the two Houses of Parliament, including Select Committees, MPs and Peers, their support services, All-Party Parliamentary Group meetings and the wide range of other activities at the Palace of Westminster. 

The fellowship can be carried out full-time for 13 weeks or part-time over a longer period, working a minimum of 20 hours per week. 

Two fellowships are available. 

Successful applicants will start their fellowship in January 2027, with the start date to be agreed between the applicant, POST, Midlands Innovation and the applicant’s supervisor. 

You can read about a previous Midlands Innovation Fellow’s experience here.  

Who is eligible to apply? 

The fellowship is open to those registered at a participating Midlands Innovation institution whose PhD study is in either the social sciences or life sciences, health sciences and medicine. 

Participating Midlands Innovation institutions: 

  • University of Birmingham 
  • University of Leicester 
  • Loughborough University 
  • University of Warwick 

Please note that PhD students from other Midlands Innovation partners (Aston University, Cranfield University, Keele University and University of Nottingham) are not eligible to apply for this Fellowship. 

Applicants must have completed their first year by 30 January 2027. 

Applicants must not have submitted their thesis for examination before the start of the Fellowship in January 2027 so that their University can pay the stipend while the applicant is still registered as a student. The start date in January can be agreed with the applicant’s PhD Supervisor and POST once a place is offered. 

This opportunity is also open to self-funded PhD students. For self-funded PhD students, the applicant’s university will determine an appropriate cut-off date for eligibility. Self-funded applicants should contact their university to establish eligibility. 

Successful candidates will be required to complete pre-employment checks. This includes security vetting to Counter Terrorist Check (CTC) level. All successful candidates are required to pass these checks before an offer can be confirmed. 

Full eligibility criteria, including important details about security clearance, can be found in the application guidance document (see below). 

How do I apply? 

It is important that you download and read the application guidance before applying, as it contains important details about the role, the application process, and our assessment criteria. 

Download the application guidance 

Applicants should submit: 

  • A completed online application form (link below). 
  • A two-page briefing on a topic that you think would be of current interest to Parliamentarians. Your briefing should be written in the provided briefing template. Please see the application guidance document for tips. 
  • An approval form which has been completed by your PhD Supervisor, and Head of Department or Studentship Grant Holder. 

You complete the application form and upload your completed briefing and the approval form via our portal. 

Apply via our portal here 

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

The deadline for applications is 23:55 on Sunday 31 May 2026.  

Interviews will be held on Tuesday 7 July 2026. 

We are hosting an optional online information session about the Fellowship on Wednesday 13 May 2026 from 15:00-16:00. Please register via this link. 

What are the funding arrangements? 

The opportunity is funded by Midlands Innovation. Successful candidates will receive a stipend payment comprised of: 

  • A one off stipend payment of £8,128.50 
  • Or, for clinical academic PhD candidates only, funding will be provided to match a 13-week PhD stipend extension 

The payment will be made after security clearance has been granted, approximately one month before the start of the placement. 

Full details of the funding arrangements can be found in the application guidance document. 

What if I have other questions? 

If you would like more information about POST or our fellowships, please see our FAQs. 

If you have a question about the fellowship that is not answered in this guidance or our frequently asked questions page, please contact Jenny Chapman (postfellowships@parliament.uk). 

If you have a question about funding, please contact Sarah Alton on behalf of Midlands Innovation (Sarah.Alton@nottingham.ac.uk). 

Photo by: Jamie Street via Unsplash