This call is administered by the Office of the School of the Physical Sciences and candidates apply via the University of Cambridge Jobs pages.

Applications for 2026 Round are now open and will close on 6 January 2026. DAMTP internal deadline: 8 December 2025

Tenure: three years commencing from 1 October 2026 and cannot be held concurrently with any other paid position, or position which would normally attract a stipend.

The stipend range: £37,694 - £46,049 p.a. 

The Ernest Oppenheimer Fund is used for the support of training and research in the broad areas of Surface Chemistry and Physics, and Colloid Science, to promote the advancement of knowledge in these subjects. The Fund finances the prestigious Ernest Oppenheimer Early Career Research Fellowships (and Ernest Oppenheimer PhD Studentships). Typically, the Ernest Oppenheimer ECFs are advertised from early November until the application closing date (in January), on the University of Cambridge Job Opportunities website, in the ‘Research’ section (Fellowship). The Committee of Management of the Ernest Oppenheimer Fund considers applications during February.

The advertisement for the Oppenheimer Research Fellowship 2026 is now live: Oppenheimer Research Fellow (Fixed Term).

Applications are invited to be held at the University of Cambridge in Colloid Science, as broadly interpreted within the fields of biology, chemistry, physics, materials science and engineering. These Fellowships are intended to provide an opportunity for independent research, though the holders usually work in collaboration with an established research group. 
Applications are encouraged from researchers who will have completed a PhD by 1 October 2026 and have normally spent not more than three years after a PhD viva or defence in post-doctoral research by 1 October 2026.

Applicants will need to complete an online application and upload:

• Curriculum Vitae (2 pages max)
• List of publications 
• Two statements, describing respectively the applicant’s previous and current research (1 page max), and the proposed research programme, including its relevance to broad colloid science (3 pages max).
• A completed Head of Department Written Approval form

Internal DAMTP procedure

Deadline: Monday 8 December 2025

Applicants wishing to apply for Oppenheimer Fellowship through DAMTP will need a Host (a member of academic staff). 
The prospective host will need to provide a written agreement to host the applicant and their project, and send a statement of support to DAMTP Grants Team (grants@damtp.cam.ac.uk) before midday on Monday, 8th of December 2025.