DAMTP Internal Deadline: 12.00PM (GMT) Friday, 13th February 2026

The Newton International Fellowship (NIF) programme provides support for outstanding early career researchers to make a first step towards developing an independent research career through gaining experience across international borders. The fellowships enable researchers to access expertise, gain new perspectives and build long-lasting collaborative relationships.

Full scheme details are available here.

Anticipated Start Date: Autumn 2026

Tenure: 24 months

Eligibility Criteria:

• Candidates must have been awarded their PhD or successfully defended their doctoral thesis by the closing date for applications (11th of March 2026)
• Candidates must have no more than five years’ active full-time postdoctoral experience post-PhD (taking into account career breaks)
• Candidates should be working outside the UK and should not hold UK citizenship at the time of application. Individuals already living, working, or undertaking research in the UK are not eligible to apply.
• Individuals who have lived, worked or undertaken research in the UK in the 12 months prior to the application deadline are not eligible to apply, with the exception of short-term visits of less than three months in total and Applicants who are refugees in the UK according to the Geneva Convention or have humanitarian protection status. 
• Applicants who completed their PhD at a UK organisation must have been working and based outside the UK for at least one year at the deadline for the application.
• Sponsors are limited to supporting one application per round. This means DAMTP UTO can only support one application in any round.

Due to the numbers of candidates applying to this scheme, applications will be subject to an internal review and selection by DAMTP Directors Committee (DDC). 

Deadline for applications for internal selection: 12.00PM (GMT) Friday, 13th February 2026 

Potential applicants should first contact a member of DAMTP academic staff in an appropriate area to discuss the possibility of submitting a pre-application to the DDC.

Once applicants have identified a member of DAMTP academic staff to sponsor their application, a pre-application may be made by submitting:

• CV
• Publication list
• Draft of the application to the scheme (not necessarily a final version)
• Two letters of reference, at least one of which must be from outside Cambridge.

Pre-applications should be sent to grants@damtp.cam.ac.uk with attachments as pdf or Word document format files. Applicants must ask their referees to submit their reference letters to the above email address; in addition, they must arrange for the DAMTP academic staff member to send a statement of support.

In order to be considered, pre-applications and reference letters must be received no later than midday (BST) on Monday, 13th of February 2026.

Successful pre-application candidates will be provided with support and advice to develop their application before submission to the funder.

Timeline:

• Deadline for selection by the DDC - midday (GMT) Friday, 13th February
• Selected candidates informed in w/c 16th February
• Applicants liaise with DAMTP Grants team (by 22nd February)
• Administrative aspects finalised by close of play Wednesday, 4th March
• Final submission to the funder - 12.00PM (GMT) Wednesday, 11th March 2026