Research Careers
Students and researchers considering or wishing to further an academic career may find the following resources helpful, for positions both here in Oxford and elsewhere.
In addition, Oxford Earth Sciences hosts an annual Fellowship Information Day for graduates and postdoctoral researchers interested in continuing an academic career. Registrations for the 2019 event on Thursday 2nd May are currently open and more details can be found on our Events Page.
If you are looking for information on our research projects at postgraduate level, please see our Graduate Pages.
Oxford Guidance
Oxford Research – Our external site offers a useful start for potential applicants wishing to find out more about the opportunities and support offered to researcher in the University.
UAS Research Support website – An internal site, with signposts funding, training, IP, Knowledge Exchange and offers access to the Research Professional database of funding opportunities. NB: Some of this information may not be accessible to IP addresses outside Oxford.
MPLS Research Resources – Links to training and research support provision within the Maths, Physics and Life Sciences division.
University Careers Service – A range of online resources and guides about academic careers.
Oxford University: Apprise – Support for doctoral researchers in their academic and professional development.
Oxford University: Vacancies – Current job opportunities within Oxford University.
Oxford University Gazette – Vacancies within colleges which don’t appear on the main www.ox.ac.uk/jobs site, including stipendiary and non-stipendiary Junior Research Fellowships, and some non-Oxford vacancies (including some Cambridge college vacancies)
Academic Societies
Geological Society – The Geological Society of London provides a network of expertise for members, and also has a handy online portal for geoscience jobs.
Challenger Society – The Challenger Society for Marine Science is the main academic society representing the UK academic marine research community, with members in universities, research institutes and regulatory agencies in the UK and worldwide.
Royal Astronomical Society – The Royal Astronomical Society exists to promote geophysics and planetary science, as well as astrophysics. In 2016 Philip England was awarded the Gold Medal. Grants are available for students, as well as Paneth trust internships, and the Society supports post-doctoral fellowships where possible.
AGU – Geoscience job vacancies in the US and beyond.
EGU – Geoscience job vacancies in the EU and beyond.
EAG – Geochemistry job vacancies in the EU and beyond.
Fellowship schemes
L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science – The L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science programme recognises the achievements and contributions of exceptional females across the globe, by awarding promising scientists with Fellowships to help further their research.
NERC Fellowships – These include a range of independent funding, including schemes for people who have taken time out of their careers.
Royal Society – As well as specific schemes such as University Research Fellowship and Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowships, the Royal Society have some good information on juggling family and career, taking career breaks and alternative routes through academia: https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/diversity-in-science/
Newton International Fellowships – Support for international researchers wishing to work in the UK.
Leverhulme Trust – Offer a range of Studentships, Early Career Fellowships & Research Fellowships.
Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships – Fellowships can support researchers looking to move abroad, or work in industry.
Junior Research Fellowships – College Fellowships (JRFs) offer a stipend and accommodation allowance, as well as the opportunity to participate in College life. Applications are through a joint scheme with Merton, Christ Church and St John’s, with a deadline in November. For affiliation to Earth Sciences please contact the Head of Administration and Finance and for fellowship or grant funding enquires please contact the Research Facilitator.
Careers Sites
Vitae – Information about issues concerning postgraduate research students and research staff, as well as listings of free events running nationwide (e.g. skills courses, conferences, careers days). The careers section is specifically tailored to researchers and covers everything from planning your career to job searching and the recruitment process, for both academic and non-academic careers.
Jobs.ac.uk – Academic and other university jobs and careers advice.
Science Careers – Science career information.
Times Higher Education – Weekly higher education news, including jobs.
Guardian: Higher Education – General news and information about Higher Education, working in HE and insightful articles and blogs on a variety of topics, including careers.
RCUK career case studies – career stories of researchers who have progressed within and beyond academia, across all subject areas funded by RCUK.
Academia.edu – professional networking for academics.
Nature.com – Nature journal job vacancies.
New Scientist Jobs – New Scientist magazine job vacancies.
Chronicle of Higher Education – News/jobs at US universities.
Academic Jobs EU – Research and academic jobs in Europe.
Higher Ed Jobs – Higher education jobs in the US.
Global Academy Jobs – Research and academic jobs at all levels from around the world.
National Postdoctoral Association
University Affairs – Academic careers advice and jobs in Canada.
CareerEdu – Lists international academic jobs.
Please note this is not an extensive list of resources. The department is not responsible for external sites suggested in this list. If you know of other resources which could usefully be added to this page (or content which is not useful in the context of Earth Sciences), please email communications@earth.ox.ac.uk
