Elizabeth Gardner Fellowship
Application details.
The Elizabeth Gardner Fellowship
The School of Physics and Astronomy is pleased to invite applications for the 2026 Elizabeth Gardner Fellowship. This four-year Fellowship specifically supports early-career, postdoctoral researchers from backgrounds that are under-represented in the School’s academic community (e.g. gender, minority ethnicity, disability, disadvantaged circumstances, etc.).
Elizabeth Gardner Fellowships honour the outstanding achievements of Dr Elizabeth Gardner (1957 - 1988). Dr Gardner studied Mathematical Physics at the University of Edinburgh, graduating with first class honours, and was awarded the Tait Medal, Robert Schlapp Prize, and the Class medal. After studying for a PhD at the University of Oxford, she later returned to the School of Physics and Astronomy in 1984 as a Research Fellow. Her works on the optimal storage of neural networks have been selected as two of the most influential papers in the 50th anniversary of Journal of Physics A.
The Fellowship aims to provide a supportive and collegial environment for early-career researchers to develop their research and submit proposals to secure external research funding (e.g. a 5-year Research Fellowship, such as a Royal Society University Research Fellowship; an Ernest Rutherford Fellowship; or a European Research Council fellowship) and, where appropriate, other external research resources such as telescope/facility time.
Application Procedure:
All applicants should apply online submitting an up-to-date CV as well as the information listed below. The application process is quick and easy to follow, and you will receive email confirmation of safe receipt of your application. The online system allows you to submit a CV and other attachments (please note, no cover letter is needed and you can ignore the option to upload one).
When applying, it is essential that you include the following:
• Detailed CV including the names and contact details of three referees (As our system only has the functionality to add 2 referee names, the third named referee will be requested separately at a later stage).
• 2-page outline of a proposed research programme (font size at least 11pt)
• An outline on no more than one page of your career trajectory and any external factors that have affected your ability to work during this time. Also include a brief statement with regards to the under-represented groups you identify with and identify the Institute (ICMCS, IPNP or IfA) within the School you wish to be associated with.
Applications from national, international and internal applicants are all encouraged and we welcome informal queries regarding any aspect of the Elizabeth Gardner Fellowship. These should be directed to the Director of EDI, Dr. Yanyan Gao (yanyan.gao [at] ed.ac.uk), or the Director of Research Prof. Sadegh Khochfar (sadeghk [at] roe.ac.uk).
Your skills and attributes for success:
- Educated to PhD level in an appropriate subject
- Postdoctoral experience within a research environment
- A track record of high-quality research outputs
- Ability to lead and/or take responsibility for independent research; developing research objectives, projects and proposals for individual and collaborative research
- Interest in an area of research of strategic priority to the School
Key dates to note
The closing date for applications is the 20.4.2026.