Economic History Society Early Career Research Visiting Fellowship

The Economic History Society, in conjunction with the Institute of Historical Research, offers up to four one-year postdoctoral Fellowships in economic and/or social history, tenable at the Institute from 1 October 2024. Fellows will not be required to be resident in London but should participate in the activities of the Institute, by regular attendance at and presentation of papers to appropriate seminars – including the Fellows’ Seminar - and by giving information and help to fellow scholars working in the same field.

ELIGIBILITY 

The Fellowships will be awarded to postdoctoral candidates who have recently completed a doctoral degree in economic and/or social history, or who will have submitted their thesis for examination by 1 October in the academic year in which the Fellowship is to be held. The Fellowships are open to candidates who are British citizens and/or holders of a degree from a British university. It is the intention of the Economic History Society to promote work of a kind that might be published in the leading refereed academic journals in economic and/or social history. Fellows will be expected to pursue research in economic and/or social history at an advanced level with a view to publication. 

These awards cannot be held in conjunction with any other substantial maintenance grant, nor can they be used to fund a sabbatical year for the holder of a permanent academic position. Fellows may engage in teaching or other paid work for up to six hours per week. 

It is important that applicants demonstrate that the research proposed in their applications is in the field of economic and/or social history. 

FURTHER PARTICULARS 

The Economic History Society’s objective in awarding the Fellowships is to further research in economic and/or social history by enabling new researchers to strengthen their research record with a view to following a career which will enable them to undertake high-quality research in the field. The Power and Postan Fellowships are also supported financially by the Power and Postan Fellowships trusts administered by the London School of Economics. Candidates may be asked at the interview what difference a fellowship would make to their prospects of sustaining research in economic / social history in future. 

Holders of fellowships should acknowledge the Society’s financial support in publications which result from the Fellowship. 

The Society seeks to encourage research across a broad range of economic / social history. 

WHAT WE OFFER 

IHR Fellows are welcomed into a progressive and supportive academic environment, consisting of a cohort of approximately 20 doctoral or early career Fellows, academic staff, and Senior Fellows. Fellows will be offered mentorship by the IHR’s academics and other staff across the School of Advanced Study. This will include help in planning the future, through: career advice; assistance with applications for jobs, postdocs and fellowships; mock interviews; and guidance with publication plans and research grant applications. Augmenting our close connections across academia, the IHR’s extensive partnerships will be open to those Fellows who are interested in working in sectors outside of the academy. Fellows will have the support of our Fellowships Officer throughout the fellowship. At the IHR they will have access to our world-renowned Wohl Library, our electronic resources, and our extensive seminar and events programme.

Our Fellows’ seminar programme provides an opportunity for each Fellow to present their research in a collegial atmosphere, before their peers, senior historians, and others. Fellows have free access to the IHR’s research training courses (https://www.history.ac.uk/study-training/research-training), and are offered a number of exclusive, tailored training workshops.  

STIPENDS 

The Fellowships will be worth £22,000 if you are affiliated with an institution based outside of London or £24,000 if you are affiliated with an institution based in London. The stipend will be payable in four instalments through the Institute. 

In addition, the Economic History Society will fund travel costs for each Fellow for up to four visits to the Institute of Historical Research during the period of their Fellowship, subject to the provision of receipts and the Society’s standard procedures for funding travelling expenses within the UK. Fellows are eligible to apply to the Economic History Society’s Research Fund for Graduate Students to support minor research costs and conference attendance. Details of the scheme are available at: https://ehs.org.uk/award/research-fund-for-graduate-students/ 

AFFILIATION 

Fellows must be affiliated with a British university for the duration of their Fellowships. In this context, ‘affiliation’ means an informal arrangement whereby Fellows will have access to academic staff who are familiar with their area of research and with whom they can discuss their work. This does not need to be arranged during the application process, although, if called for interview, candidates should be able to suggest likely institutions. 

It is the responsibility of Fellows to ensure that the university with which they are affiliated provides the support that they require. 

VISAS 

Fellows, if they do not have the right to reside and study in the UK, will require a visa, and must ascertain what category of visa is most suitable for them. 

The University of London is licensed to issue sponsorship certificates for Tier 5 visas. If Fellows need to enter the UK under a Tier 5 visa, they should apply for a sponsorship certificate through the IHR Fellowship Office, which they can then use in their visa application to the Home Office. Further details of visa categories can be found at https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa 

DEADLINES 

• Complete applications must be received at the Institute of Historical Research no later than 31st January 2024. Incomplete applications or applications arriving after this date will not be considered. 
• Before completing your application you will need to create an account in the online application system. It can take up to 24 hours for new accounts to be approved (and approvals are not made over the weekend) so please ensure you create your account well in advance of the competition deadline. 
• Interviews will be held week commencing 08th - 12th April 2024 

 APPLICATION FORMAT 

• Hard copy applications will be deemed ineligible. Only applications made using the IHR’s online application system will be considered. 
• Applications for which the requested supporting documents (one-page CV, thesis summary and research proposal) are not uploaded will be deemed ineligible. 
• Applications that do not receive their full complement of two supporting letters of reference will not be considered. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that their referees supply letters in support of the application. 

REFERENCES 

Once an application has been short-listed , a standard email will be sent automatically to the addresses supplied by the applicant in the ‘Referees’ section of the online application form. This will provide the referees with a link to the online system, where they can upload their reference letter. These letters must be uploaded to the online application system directly by the referee, not by the applicant. Applicants may arrange instead for a portfolio of generic references to be sent by their university, where such a service is offered.  

It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that his/her referees supply letters in support of the application, and it is strongly advised that referees are contacted well before the application is submitted. Short-listed applications which do not receive their full complement of two supporting letters of recommendation by the deadline set by the Fellowships Office will not be considered. 

FINAL REPORT 

Within three months of the end of the Fellowship period (i.e. before 1 July 2025 ), each Fellow will send to the Institute of Historical Research (by email) a written report on the Fellowship experience, detailing the activities undertaken during the period of their Fellowship and an outline of future career plans. 

SELECTION POLICIES 

The EHS is committed to promoting diversity and the interview panel will be chosen accordingly. Panel members will assess the quality of applications with reference to the following criteria: 

• The academic record of the candidate as exhibited by CV and references; 
• The importance of the proposed research to the applicant’s field and its prospects for publication in a leading academic journal or monograph series in economic and/or social history; 
• The prospects for completing research within the time projected and funds awarded; 
• All other considerations being equal, the candidate’s likely contribution to the academic life of the IHR. 

THE SCHOOL OF ADVANCED STUDY 

Applicants are strongly advised to investigate the resources that are available to them within the University of London, and particularly at the School of Advanced Study, to which the IHR belongs. Details can be found at www.lon.ac.uk and www.sas.ac.uk 

APPLICATION CONTENTS

As well as completing the ‘Personal Details’, ‘Education’, ‘Academic contribution’, ‘Referees’, and ‘Equal opportunities’ sections of the form, applicants should upload the following three documents: 

• A one-page CV, listing any educational details, publications, research papers and other relevant academic information not submitted elsewhere in the application. 
• A summary of the doctoral thesis (no more than 750 words). 
• A postdoctoral research proposal with timetable for completion (no more than 1,000 words). This should include a clear statement indicating how the proposal contributes to the existing literature on economic and/or social history. 

Applicants to the Economic History Society Fellowships do not need to upload the sample of written work which is requested in the ‘Upload documents’ section of the online application form. 

 EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION 

We welcome our duties under the Equality Act 2010, as part of our commitment to ensuring equality of opportunity for all. 

The University was founded upon the principles of equality and established to provide education on the basis of merit. Since then we have amended our Statutes to include the following statement from the University of London Statutes: 

"The University shall not discriminate against any person on the grounds of race, nationality, ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, religion, social background or political belief. (21.1)" 

We are committed to preserving and promoting fellowship opportunities to individuals whose lives are incompatible with the normal established patterns of work. This could be due to personal or domestic circumstances, physical or mental disabilities. 

Flexible fellowship requests could include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Part-time working 
• Temporary suspension of the fellowship 

We will give consideration to all fellows’ requests for flexible terms, whether the request is for a permanent, short-term or trial adaptation in the terms. 

Please see further details of the University of London’s Diversity and Inclusion policy and strategies here: https://london.ac.uk/about-us/equality-diversity-and-inclusion 

1 Nov 2023 09:00 AM (GMT)

31 Jan 2024 11:59 PM (GMT)