Addison Wheeler Research Fellow in North East

Overview

We welcome applications from candidates with disabilities, neurodiversity and long-term health conditions, and we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the recruitment and interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, adjustments will be made to support people within their role.

If you are unable to complete your application via our recruitment system or would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments to support you in the application process, please get in touch with us on e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk

Job Details

Job Description – Addison Wheeler Research Fellow (26000103)

Addison Wheeler Research Fellow

Job Number: 26000103

Institute of Advanced Study

Grade 7: £38,784 to £46,049 per annum

Fixed Term – Full Time

Contract Duration: 3 years

Working Arrangements: 9am to 5pm

Closing Date

Closing Date: 26-Mar-2026, 11:59:00 PM

Disclosure and Barring Service Requirement: Not Applicable.

As one of the UK’s leading universities, Durham is an incredible place to define your career. The University is located within a beautiful historic city, home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and surrounded by stunning countryside. Our talented scholars and researchers from around the world are tackling global issues and making a difference to people\\\’s lives.

We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things in the world. Being a part of Durham is about more than just the success of the University, it’s also about contributing to the success of the city, county and community. Our University Strategy is built on three pillars of research, education and wider student experience, but also on our keen sense of community and of inspiring others to achieve their potential. We want our University to be a place where people can be free to be themselves, no matter what their identity or background. Together, we celebrate difference, value one another and are each responsible for creating an inclusive community that is respectful and fair for all.

Prospective applicants must hold a doctoral degree at the time of application, and have gained it no earlier than 1 September 2020. They are expected to demonstrate an outstanding track record of prior achievement and a high degree of preparedness to undertake a novel and ambitious programme of independent research.

To apply, you must first secure the agreement of a Durham academic department to propose your candidacy and of an academic staff member within that department to act as your mentor. This agreement should be sought well in advance of the deadline below as departments may need time to select candidates to support ahead of the deadline.

The project undertaken during the fellowship should complement and strengthen the host department’s research activities, and aim to make ‘a significant contribution to knowledge, enabling us to make better use of our life here on Earth’, in accordance with the terms of the bequest that funds the scheme.

Addison Wheeler Fellows will be employed in the University on a non-renewable fixed-term contract and appointed at a point on the Grade 7 scale commensurate with their experience only. Starting salaries will be in the range £38,784 – £46,049 p.a. Fellows have access to additional funding to facilitate research activities such as fieldwork and conference attendance.

The fellowship scheme is administered on behalf of the University by the Institute of Advanced Study. For further details, please consult the ‘Further Particulars\’ and accompanying documentation here.

Application deadline: 12 midnight GMT on 26 March 2026.

Working at Durham

A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University:

• You’ll receive 30 days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year – a total of 42 days per year. The University closes between Christmas and New Year.
• We offer a generous pension scheme, and as a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS).
• No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have ample parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies. You can also take advantage of our cost-effective and environmentally friendly Tusker Car Benefit Scheme, allowing you to lease a brand-new electric or hybrid vehicle with savings on tax and National Insurance.
• We have a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities.
• We provide wide-ranging health and wellbeing support including discounted membership for our state-of-the-art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.
• Our on-site nursery is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and you can access holiday camps for children aged 5-16.
• Our family-friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).
• We offer all staff the opportunity to take part in volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community.
• You can access exclusive discounts via our benefits portal including money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, eating out and days out at various attractions.
• Various salary sacrifice schemes are also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits.
• If you are moving to Durham, you may be eligible for help with removal costs, and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools. If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest-free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas.

Discover more about our total rewards and benefits package here.

We welcome and encourage applications from those who are currently under-represented in our work force, including people with disabilities and from racially minoritised ethnic groups.

If you have taken a career break or periods of leave that may have impacted on the volume and recency of your research outputs and other activities, such as maternity, adoption or parental leave, you may wish to disclose this in your application. The selection committee will take this into account when evaluating your application.

The University has been awarded the Disability Confident Leader status. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role.

Contact Information

Department contact for academic-related enquiries

Should you wish to discuss informally matters relating to the Addison Wheeler Fellowships please contact IAS Manager, Linda Crowe ( ias.manager@durham.ac.uk ).

Contact information for technical difficulties when submitting your application

If you encounter technical difficulties when using the online application form, we prefer you send enquiries by email. Please send your name along with a brief description of the problem you’re experiencing to e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk

Alternatively, you may call 0191 334 6801 from the UK, or +44 191 334 6801 from outside the UK. This number operates during the hours of 09.00 and 17.00 Monday to Friday, UK time. We will normally respond within one working day (Monday to Friday, excluding UK public holidays).

How to Apply

Before applying, you are expected to obtain the agreement of a Durham academic staff member to act as your mentor and propose your candidacy. It is important that you allow sufficient time to discuss your application with the staff member concerned, as they will need to consult with the departmental Head of Research, who will have to write a supporting departmental statement. Please be aware that departments often receive multiple enquiries from prospective applicants and are unable to propose all of them for consideration by the university Selection Committee.

It is also vital at this stage to alert your prospective departmental host if:

(i) the proposed programme of research raises any ethical concerns, as these would need to be considered and addressed before your candidacy can be approved.

(ii) the proposed programme of research is dependent on securing permission from or the co-operation of external bodies (e.g. an archive, an industry partner), as the offer of a fellowship will be contingent on such approvals being received.

If the host department invites you to proceed with an application, you should submit the following documents through the Durham University online application system under vacancy reference:

· A letter of application which includes:

(i) a brief outline of the proposed research project in simple, non-technical language comprehensible by non-specialists (no more than 200 words)

(ii)a statement of how the research will satisfy the stipulation of the Addison Wheeler bequest—‘to encourage efforts for increased knowledge of people and their make-up so as to enable them to make better use of their life here on Earth’

(iii)an explanation of why you believe yourself to be a suitable candidate for a fellowship.

· A statement outlining the programme of research that you plan to undertake if appointed to a fellowship. It should describe the objectives, methodology and projected outcomes (e.g. publications), and enable the assessment panel to judge the project’s originality and significance. The statement should run to no more than two pages of A4 and be typed in Arial font size 11 with margins no smaller than 2cm.

·The names and contact details of two academic referees. You must arrange for your referees to submit their references to addisonwheeler.recruitment@durham.ac.uk by midnight GMT on 26 March 2026.Late references will not be considered, and applications will be deemed incomplete and not taken further.

We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to make sure you have not missed any of our updates.

Candidates who are not short-listed will be informed within ten days of the short-listing meeting. The University Selection Committee will elicit the opinions of external subject specialists on the research proposals of the short-listed applicants.

Interviews of short-listed candidates will be held in June 2026 and will be carried out by web conference.

When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.

We welcome applications from candidates with disabilities, neurodiversity and long-term health conditions, and we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process.

We will make adjustments to support the recruitment and interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, adjustments will be made to support people within their role.

If you are unable to complete your application via our recruitment system or would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments to support you in the application process, please get in touch with us on e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk