The Mildred Blaxter Postdoctoral Fellowships are run by the Foundation for the Sociology of Health and Illness, a UK charity. They support early-career researchers whose PhD from a UK university is in the sociology of health and illness.
Fellows spend a year at a UK university of their choice, with a mentor, publishing from their thesis and/or building a related new programme of work, aiming to compete for larger fellowships and grants.
Benefits & funding
- Full salary for one year at the host’s usual non-clinical postdoc scale, including on-costs and London weighting where it applies; 0.5 FTE over two years only if that is your normal work pattern.
- Up to £6,000 for research costs, conferences, travel, PPI payments, training and short placements, plus up to £1,000 for mentor costs.
- Fellows are expected to hold no other posts or consultancies during the award.
Eligibility
- PhD in the sociology of health and illness awarded by a UK university, or thesis submitted with a confirmed viva date; the fellowship starts only once the PhD is awarded.
- Monograph and journal-style theses qualify; a PhD by Publication does not.
- Normally no more than two years’ active post-PhD experience at application (pro rata for part-time); exceptions for cases such as maternity leave or long illness.
- Any nationality; fellows must be based at a UK university and live in the UK throughout, apart from research trips abroad.
- One application per person, ever; Foundation trustees cannot apply.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Application process
- 1Secure a host department at a UK university and a mentor, normally employed there.
- 2Complete the Foundation’s Word application form, signed by the mentor, the head of department and a university finance officer.
- 3Name two external referees; at least one must be your thesis’s external examiner (or, if not yet examined, a supervisor or upgrade-panel examiner).
- 4Submit online between 14 and 30 October 2026 (23:59 UK time); declare other postdoc fellowship applications and withdraw if one succeeds.
Program timeline
Submission window opens
14 October 2026
Application deadline
30 October 2026, 23:59 UK time
Normally within eight weeks of the deadline
Decisions