Warwick prepares for the future with fellowships

Warwick University is seeking the next generation of academics by recruiting 14 postdoctoral researchers to academic fellowships.

The fellowships, advertised this week in The Times Higher , will evolve into permanent academic positions as long as each appointee successfully completes a probationary period. The positions will pay up to £36,000.

The posts are designed to give experienced postdoctoral researchers the chance to establish academic careers by giving them a guaranteed research contract for five years, followed by a permanent lecturing position.

Warwick is particularly proud that three of the fellowships will be based in its medical school, which has been open for only four years.

A university spokesperson said: "This shows that we have built up an extensive research programme that requires keen, bright new fellows. We'll soon catch up with those who have had medical schools for more than 100 years."

He added that the two fellowships being advertised by the department of chemistry proved that, whereas other universities are cutting the subject, Warwick saw a bright future for chemistry.

"We see a smaller one (future for chemistry) only in the sense that these fellowships are in nanotechnology," the spokesperson joked.

Warwick is also advertising fellowships in the fields of globalisation, history, French studies, microsystems and knowledge and behaviour.

The university is one of 73 institutions to be awarded funds by Research Councils UK, which awarded a total of 398 places in the first round of the scheme in August.

The scheme follows the recommendation in Sir Gareth Roberts' 2002 Set for Success report. The Government has pledged to create 1,000 academic fellowships over the next five years, each worth £125,000.

Leeds University was the most successful institution in the current round, securing 28 fellowships.