The University of Edinburgh pre-application demand management process for the ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship competition. The University of Edinburgh is part of a consortium entitled the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science (SGSSS) and applications for the Postdoctoral Fellowship (PDF) are managed through them.Pre-application demand management processTo manage the extremely high volume of applications we receive we are introducing a pre-application demand management process. Any candidate who wishes to apply for the PDF to be held at Edinburgh must engage with this and be nominated by their Unit of Assessment (UoA). Failure to do so will result in their application to the SGSSS Stage 1 HEI review process being rejected immediately.Not all UoAs are accredited at Edinburgh please see the list at the end to check which Unit of Assessment you can apply to at Edinburgh. The Demand Management process will select 2 nominees per UoA who will be allowed to submit to the SGSSS Stage one HEI review which has a deadline of 18 January 2027.To engage with the Demand Management process you must submit the following documents by 1 December 2026 to the contact listed below.Demand Managed Outline Application to comprise of:Case for support (4 sides of A4) minimum font size 11, including (except for Law, see table below)Abstract/summary of progressResearch-related achievementsPlanned programme of activitiesPlease justify your choice of mentorKey milestonesCV (2sides of A4) minimum font size 11Mentor Confirmation – email confirming that an appropriate academic has agreed to act as the mentor during the PDF if successful To be submitted to appropriate School depending on UoA being applied to.Please note that if nominated to apply to the SGSSS Stage one HEI review, the application documents are different to those above. Please read the instructions from the SGSSS carefully.We do not offer a matching service to find a suitable mentor, you should consult the Edinburgh Research Explorer to find academics in a suitable area and contact them directly. Alternatively, we recommend that you ask your current supervisor for a personal introduction to academics in relevant areas.Unit of AssessmentProcessAnthropology and Development StudiesEmail ssps.research@ed.ac.uk clearly marked with which UoA is being applied to.Business and Management StudiesEmail research@business-school.ed.ac.ukEarth Systems and Environmental Sciences Email researchorg.geos@ed.ac.uk Economics and Econometrics Email diego.battiston@ed.ac.uk Education Email MHSES-REI-Service@ed.ac.uk marked for the attention of Li-Xuan Teo and clearly showing which UoA being applied to.History Email hca-research@ed.ac.uk Law Email Law.research@ed.ac.uk with the following: a 2-page narrative CV, a summary of the proposed research (500 words), details of the main objectives of the Fellowship (250 words) and a short statement explaining why Edinburgh Law School is the most appropriate host for the Fellowship (250 words). Modern Languages and Linguistics Email Melissa.McLaughlin@ed.ac.uk clearly marked with which UoA is being applied to.Politics and International Studies Email ssps.research@ed.ac.uk clearly marked with which UoA is being applied to.Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience Email Melissa.McLaughlin@ed.ac.uk clearly marked with which UoA is being applied toSocial Work and Social Policy Email ssps.research@eda.c.uk clearly marked with which UoA is being applied to.Sport and Exercise Sciences, Leisure and Tourism Email MHSES-REI-Service@ed.ac.uk marked for the attention of Li-Xuan Teo and clearly showing which UoA being applied to.Sociology Email ssps.research@eda.c.uk clearly marked with which UoA is being applied to. Further informationESRC postdoctoral fellowships - UKRI websiteScottish Graduate School of Social Science - ESRC Postdoctoral FellowshipsIf you have further queries please contact, Charis Wilson, Senior Research Funding Specialist, Edinburgh Research Office: charis.wilson@ed.ac.uk This article was published on Thursday 12 November 2026
