Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships: Call for Expressions of Interest

The Department of Education is inviting Expressions of Interest from suitably qualified candidates for the prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships, which are open for applications.

The Fellowship provides between 12 and 24 months’ funding for outstanding early career researchers who wish to carry out their research activities abroad, acquire new skills and develop their careers. The grant provides an allowance to cover your living, travel and family costs.

Applications are joint submissions between the Fellow and their proposed host Department and supervisor. A key objective of the Fellowships is career development and skills acquisition so planned training must be addressed in the application alongside research objectives.

Please read the guidance on the Marie Sklodowska-Curie website carefully before submitting an Expression of Interest. The Fellowships are funded as part of the Horizon Europe programme.

You must have the agreed support from a senior member of the Department to act as your mentor/ supervisor, and your proposed research project should align with the Department’s research strategy and strengths. The Department supports applications for European Fellowships (EFs); we are unable to support applications for Global Fellowships (GFs).

Eligibility

Applicants must:

• Have a PhD degree at the time of the deadline for applications.
• Have a maximum of 8 years’ experience in research, from the date of the award of their PhD degree. Years of experience outside research and career breaks will not count towards the above maximum, nor will years of experience in research in third countries for nationals or long-term residents of EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries who wish to reintegrate to Europe.

• Comply with mobility rules: they must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the UK for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the call deadline (Sept 2026).

Expression of interest process 

Applicants should complete this Expression of Interest form, and send a short Curriculum Vitae (maximum 2 sides of A4, font size 11) and Case for Support (maximum 2 sides of A4, font size 11) by 17 June 2026. We will also require a letter of support (max. 1 page) from your proposed mentor within the Department of Education, University of Oxford. The letter must be sent by the deadline to research.facilitation@education.ox.ac.uk.

All Expressions of Interest will be assessed against the criteria from the Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships funding call.

Deadline for Expressions of Interest: noon on Wednesday 17 June 2026.

Applicants will receive confirmation from the Department by early July if they are to be invited to submit an application in full. The funder deadline for applications is 5pm (CEST) on 9 September 2026.

If you have any questions about your application, please email research.facilitation@education.ox.ac.uk.