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Our Research Fellows at St John’s College help to make a better world.

From a Bletchley Park code-breaker to Nobel Prize-winners and the inventor of the phrase ‘Big Bang’, our early-career academics have made groundbreaking contributions to the fields of science, technology, arts and humanities.

Now applications are invited for our prestigious Research Fellowship awards, which will enable rising stars of academia to dedicate themselves to independent research in a supportive and stimulating academic environment for up to four years from 1 October 2027.

Up to four Research Fellowships will be awarded in this year’s competition, which launches today (Wednesday 29 July 2026). Applicants should have submitted their PhD after 1 October 2025 or be on track to have submitted their PhD by 1 October 2027. The starting award for successful researchers is £34,800 plus housing and other benefits, and up to £10,000 in grants over four years.

Heather Hancock, Master of St John’s, said: “St John’s is a brilliant place to progress a research career, you'll be immersed in an interdisciplinary community whose interests range from discovering new cancer treatments, and advancing quantum computing, to evidencing the impact of social media on children’s mental health.

“These prestigious awards offer a rare opportunity to devote yourself to independent research in a stimulating and supportive academic environment.

"We place great importance on the intellectual contribution our Research Fellows make to St John’s, and on creating the conditions for them to accelerate their progress towards outstanding academic careers.”

Current Research Fellows highlight the exceptional opportunity to devote meaningful time to their research, supported by a comprehensive package that includes generous practical support, an intellectually rich and socially engaging College community, and full participation in academic life at St John’s.

“Our Research Fellows organise lecture series, connect with alumni and ���ճԹ�, help to foster an active social life, are integral to sport, music and other cultural activities, and sit on appointment panels,” added The Master.

“They are able to be devoted to research while taking advantage of opportunities to gain experience in strategic and business matters, which can be genuine differentiators when it comes to future steps on the career ladder.”

Our Research Fellows benefit from up to £10,000 in additional grants over their four-year tenure. These grants support the costs of academic materials, travel expenses, computer equipment, books and costs relating to organising a conference or workshop in St John’s.

The St John’s College Research Fellowship Competition 2027 is open for submissions until 2pm BST on 17 September 2026.

Meet some of our groundbreaking junior researchers

Research Fellows at St John’s College are at the cutting-edge of their academic fields and use their career-defining work to grow knowledge and help to create a better world.

They include:

• Physicist Dr Rakesh Arul who has co-developed a light-emitting system that could eventually improve cancer imaging, smartphone screens and low-energy computing, and has been awarded a £500,000 grant to lead a UK-US project to discover new phenomena at the interface of quantum science and chemistry
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• Dr Holli Sargeant, whose research explores the intersection of law and artificial intelligence. In a new report for the Nuffield Foundation she warns that AI is being adopted at speed across the UK justice system with limited evidence it improves people’s experiences, outcomes or access to justice
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• Dr Andrea Luppi, who is among 25 researchers worldwide to be named a ‘rising star in neuroscience’ by The Transmitter – a US-based publication for the neuroscience community
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• Dr Lucy Sixsmith, a Research Fellow in English, raises ethical questions about evangelical youth culture church practices in her new book, When the music fades: Power, surrender and the Soul Survivor generation
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• Dr Pratyush Ghosh, a physicist whose research challenges decades of design rules in solar energy research. He is helping fellow scientists develop more efficient ways of harvesting sunlight and converting it to electricity
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• Dr Helena Gellersen, a cognitive neuroscientist studying how healthy aging and the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease alter brain function and memory processes. Her work is crucial to improving current memory tests for screening and monitoring potential treatment effects
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Learn more about the work of our Research Fellows