Back Magdalen College Fellowship by Examination 2024

This competition is intended for early career researchers and is a three year stipendiary academic research post. The College proposes to elect up to four Fellows by Examination (elsewhere known as Junior Research Fellows) in 2024. The Fellowships are tenable for three years. A successful candidate would normally be expected to take up their Fellowship on or before 1 October 2024.

This competition closed at UK Time 12.00 noon on Thursday 12 October 2023. If you have a user account registered with this competition, please go to the My Account page to view your data.

Competition Details

Eligibility Requirements

  • Applications are encouraged from candidates from all countries and all universities. Applications are particularly welcome from women and from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates, who are under-represented in academic posts in Oxford.
  • Applications for this year's competition will be considered in all academic subjects except the following: Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Classics, History (including Medieval History 370AD - 1400AD, History, Early Modern 1400AD - 1800AD and History, Modern, post 1800AD), Linguistics & Philology, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Medicine & Biomedical Sciences and Music.
  • Candidates should hold, or be close to completion of, a doctorate. If a candidate has not formally submitted their doctoral thesis at the time of application, they will be expected to do so before taking up the post. All successful candidates will already have demonstrated outstanding promise in their research.
  • Those who formally submitted their doctoral thesis for viva voce examination before 1 July 2022 are not eligible unless they have since had a career break (e.g. a period of parental leave, family commitments, or illness) or there are other exceptional circumstances. No applicant who has been appointed to a permanent academic post in an institution of higher education at any time in their career will be eligible.
  • Please view the Eligibility Requirements for further details. The Fellowship Administrator is unable to answer queries relating to your eligibility; please follow the instructions.

Further Details

  • A research proposal of maximum 2,000 words must be submitted as part of the application. It should outline the research the applicant has completed or is currently completing, explain why this research is original and important, and describe the research they propose to undertake if elected to a Fellowship.
  • Applications, including full contact details for two referees, must be submitted online by UK Time 12.00 noon on Thursday 12 October 2023. Applications not submitted by the deadline will not be accepted. Referees' reports must be submitted online by 12.00 noon on Tuesday 17 October 2023. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
  • The appointment will be subject to proof of the candidate's highest qualification achieved evidenced by the original degree certificate.
  • Following the initial offer of the position, appointment will be subject to (a) satisfactory completion of a medical questionnaire, and (b) provision of proof of the right to work in the UK.
  • If the chosen candidate requires a UK visa, HR and the University Staff Immigration Team will discuss visa routes and will provide advice and assistance with an application.
  • If a person appointed to one of the posts is a migrant sponsored under the UK's new points-based migration system, we are required to retain the applications for all shortlisted candidates until six months after we have ceased sponsoring the migrant in question.
  • Candidates invited for interview from the UK who come from outside Oxford will be accommodated overnight, if necessary. Candidates currently resident abroad may be interviewed by Teams.

Written Work

  • A sample or samples of your original research must be submitted as part of your application. Such samples must be submitted as PDF files.
  • Submitted work should be a maximum of 25,000 words in total, including all footnotes and bibliography. It may consist of any or all of the following: published papers, the whole or part of a thesis or dissertation for a higher degree, or material especially prepared for the application. Candidates should submit what they judge to be their best and most significant original research to date. It is preferable but not essential that submitted written work be related to the research the candidate proposes to do if elected. Where a submitted paper is joint-authored, candidates must append a statement making clear the extent of their contribution to the research. Submitted work should be written in English. Where the submitted work is originally published in another language, both the original and a translation should be submitted.
  • Candidates in science subjects who require laboratory facilities must ensure that these would be available to them in Oxford during the period of the tenure of the Fellowship. They must have the written approval of the Head of Department for the University laboratory in which they need to work before the closing date for applications. Any candidate who may require substantial access to the central University computing services will also require the approval of the Director of Computing Services.

Fellowship Details

  • The job title is Fellow by Examination.
  • Skills and experience required: research experience at doctoral level in an academic subject. Candidates should be able to manage their own independent research and should have excellent communication skills.
  • Main duties and responsibilities: Independent research in an academic subject. The basic obligation of a Fellow by Examination is to engage full-time in research and its dissemination. The successful candidate will be expected to propose, plan and manage a high quality programme of original research; publicise the outcomes of that research through the presentation of papers and publications; and contribute to the communal life of the college. The Fellow may, with the leave of the Governing Body, engage in teaching and, if teaching, would normally be expected to give priority to the College's own teaching needs.
  • Fellows are required to prepare and submit an annual report to the Fellowship Committee, which will be reported to the Governing Body. The report should describe research progress for the academic year, including any publications and conference presentations, and highlight any contributions made to the communal life of the College.
  • Fellows by Examination are expected to have their main residence in the Oxford area, and their research base must be in Oxford.
  • Each Fellowship is tenable for three years at a stipend currently starting at £26,131 per annum, subject to an annual cost of living award. This stipend is subject to deduction if a scholarship or similar funding from another source is held concurrently by the Fellow by Examination. The Fellow is a member of the Governing Body of the College for the first two years of appointment. For all three years of appointment, the Fellow is entitled to: free lunches and dinners in College; a research allowance to cover reimbursement of expenses (of up to £2,500 per annum); and partnered accommodation in College free of charge (tax liabilities will apply) or, alternatively, a taxable housing allowance currently set at £16,560 per annum. Flats are suitable for couples only; the college does not accommodate children of any age. Locations of the flats vary but all are on the main site or very close to it. The allocation of a flat is for the length of the Fellowship unless a Fellow indicates a wish to move out of residence in accordance with the prevailing regulations. Fellows who decide to live out of College may have use of shared office space in College.
  • Fellows by Examination are entitled to join the University's Superannuation Scheme
  • Fellows by Examination can benefit from flexible working conditions.
  • All employees of the College are entitled to the College's enhanced benefits for Maternity, Adoption, Shared Parental and Paternity Leave from day one of employment with no qualifying period. The College provides for maternity leave on a basis that exceeds the statutory provisions: women are eligible for 26 weeks' maternity leave on full pay, followed by 13 weeks of leave on Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) and 13 weeks of unpaid maternity leave. Similar arrangements are available for Adoption Leave and Shared Parental Leave. Paternity Leave is also available. Magdalen College has a priority claim on four places in the University nurseries.
  • Please note that all elements of the employment are subject to the right to work in the UK.

Application Timetable

  • The application process begins on Monday 4 September 2023. Please note that all communication with applicants will be via email.
  • Applications must be submitted through the website by UK Time 12.00 noon on Thursday 12 October 2023. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
  • The deadline for submission of two references' reports is UK Time 12.00 noon on Tuesday 17 October 2023. The references should be submitted by referees directly through the online system.
  • Interviews will be held on 1 February 2024.
  • Elections to Fellowships will be made shortly after interviews.
  • Successful candidates will normally be expected to take up their Fellowships on or before 1 October 2024.






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