Frequently Asked Questions

Thank you for your interest in the NUAcT Scheme and Newcastle University.   We are currently planning our recruitment strategy for 2025. Calls are likely to be more targeted than in previous years, linked to Newcastle University’s strategic growth ambitions and NUPAcT (partnership) fellowships.  We advise keeping an eye on our website for details of future calls and following us on X.  You can also register for job updates on the Newcastle University Job Site.

The NUAcT Fellowship scheme is looking for researchers who have a PhD (or equivalent experience) and who have already started to generate a strong track record of research outputs or activity. Applicants will have their own original and ambitious research proposal along with plans of how to sustain their research in the longer term.

We are particularly keen to find people who are motivated to work across disciplinary boundaries, who enjoy collaborating with and developing others, and who are interested in helping us to grow an inclusive and diverse research culture.

There is no preference for internal or external candidates. Candidates who hold open-ended contracts, e.g. Lectureships, and are still at the early career stage, can apply. This scheme is not for ‘established’ academic staff.

All applicants MUST complete the expression of interest and have contact with the team to confirm eligibility prior to applying for this role.

Medical and Dental applicants are expected to be at post Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) level. 

Applicants are expected to have completed and hold a relevant PhD, although we recognise that equivalent experience may suffice in some disciplines.

There is no maximum or minimum amount, but we would expect to see some post-doctoral research experience, whether in academia or in another sector, that enables you to demonstrate your ability to develop and lead your own research programme, and show a compelling track record of research achievements for your career stage. If you have a significant amount of post-doctoral experience, you will need to make clear to the selection panel why now is the right time for you to take this step in your research career.

Yes, we welcome applications from international candidates. The University will support international new starters with visa applications and we can help with relocation costs.

For the Clinical Academic posts you must have the relevant licence to practice in the UK (see candidate pack for full details).

If you hold a junior early career research fellowship (typically 1-3 years in length) where you perhaps maintain a significant degree of supervision and/or sponsorship from another academic, and where transition into a permanent academic position would not be expected, then you would be eligible to apply. Fellows who already hold an equivalent fellowship, where the transition to an academic position at the end would be expected (typically 5+ years in length) will not be considered for the NUAcT scheme. Transferring your Fellowship to Newcastle is possible, but you would need to first check with your funder.

It’s difficult to be too specific – we have deliberately not included hard criteria such as minimum no. of years post PhD because peoples’ career trajectories vary for all sorts of reasons. However, broadly speaking applicants who have held open-ended Faculty positions for a significant period or who have been a PI on a number of grants would no longer be considered ‘early career’ stage. Applicants who have held postdoctoral positions for a relatively high number of years (>7) need to demonstrate why this is the right time for them to transition to independence.

Different people will choose different routes to develop their academic career and all routes are equally valued at Newcastle. NUAcT will suit those who want to benefit from a period of protected time to focus on a research programme, but this is not for everyone. NUAcT is an additional investment by the University to create extra posts and grow our total number of researchers, so NUAcT Fellowships do not replace Lectureships.

The focus of a NUAcT fellowship is on research, however you will be expected to undertake some research-led teaching (at undergraduate and/or postgraduate levels) as part of your career development. We are looking for fellows who are keen to take-up teaching opportunities and develop their teaching skills as they work towards becoming full academic members of staff (formal training leading to HEA qualification is available). You will discuss how you would like to balance your research and other academic activities across your fellowship in the first few months as you write your Fellowship plan.

Yes, fellowships are flexible and we can accommodate part-time working. Fellowships will automatically be extended following periods of parental or extended leave and to accommodate part-time working. Additional support is available to those returning to their fellowships from periods of extended leave. We offer additional mentoring and a Returners’ Support Programme offering research expenses to accelerate you back into your career.

NUAcT Fellowships are five year fixed-term positions that will offer an open-ended contract at the end subject to a formal review. Fellows will undergo a formal review 3-4 years into their contract. This review will assess their research excellence, progress towards establishing their academic careers, and contributions to research-led teaching and academic citizenship.

Upon a successful review, Fellows will be offered open-ended contracts at either the Lecturer or Senior Lecturer level. Advancement to the Senior Lecturer level requires review through Newcastle University's standard promotions process. Fellows can apply for promotion to Reader or Professor during their fellowship, and if promoted, they will transition to an open-ended contract once the promotion takes effect.

Recruitment will open in the last autumn 2024.

Carefully follow the guidelines in the Candidate Briefing Pack when preparing your application – only applications that include ALL of the requested documents will be assessed. Once you have all parts of your application ready you should apply via Newcastle University’s online recruitment portal. All selection panels will follow the same process and use the same evaluation criteria.

The application deadline is listed on the relevant page under 'apply'. The application window closes at 11.59pm on the closing date.

There is no need for applicants to include a letter of recommendation however you will be asked on the online recruitment system to provide details of two referees who can be contacted.

Yes, previous applicants can apply but the panels would expect to see meaningful changes to previous applications.

Newcastle University delivers research and teaching through three academic faculties (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences and Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering) which are split into Schools and Research institutes – these are the ‘host units’ where NUAcT Fellows will be based. You can find out more about the host units here.

Fellows can start their contract within a few weeks of receiving an offer. However, start dates can be flexible to take into account existing commitments. This can be discussed with the NUAcT team and your host unit.

EDI (an abbreviation for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) means ensuring that everyone, regardless of their race, colour, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, age, physical or medical condition, marital and familial status, and sexual orientation is treated fairly, is valued and has the same opportunity. At Newcastle University we aim to create a positive, supportive culture for everyone to reach their potential. EDI activities will directly address this aim through e.g. proactively supporting under-represented groups, discovering and addressing barriers that under-represented groups face, challenging and tackling inappropriate behaviour, systems or processes or researching underlying factors that underpin inequality (these are examples only – EDI activity can come in all shapes and forms!).

EDI is different from outreach and engagement, although in some cases can be embedded in outreach or engagement activity. Find out more about Newcastle University's EDI activity here.

At Newcastle University we are committed to building a welcoming and empowering research culture. Everyone should have the freedom and opportunity to succeed.  As part of your application we ask candidates to fill out a cover sheet part of which should describe how they can contribute positively to our workplace culture. It would be helpful to include examples of previous relevant activity if you can. We are looking for candidates who can demonstrate a genuine interest and commitment to becoming strong advocates and role models, and who can be proactive in helping us to develop a welcoming, supportive and inclusive environment at all levels within the University.  Evidence can also be woven into your proposal and description of the PhD student project.

Examples include open research practices & embracing best practices and finding new ways of working to improve the quality and reach of research. Find out more about the Universities Research Culture activities here.

Applicants are required to submit the details of two referees via the online e-recruitment system. Referees are only contacted if an offer of a Fellowship is made and will not be contacted at any other point in the process.

No, supplementary documents, appendices or any additional documentation will not be forwarded to selection panels for review. For information on what documents to include in your application please refer to the ‘how to apply’ section of the Candidate Briefing Pack. Applications must include all documents listed, and all documents must adhere to page limits, word limits and format requirements.