Closing date: 25th May 2026

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available until 30th September 2027 in the first instance.

The McDonald Institute invites applications for the fifth annual Fellowship in archaeology (broadly defined) aimed at candidates of Black Identity or Heritage. The McDonald Institute aims to nurture excellence in the discipline of archaeology regardless of background and in pursuit of diverse knowledges, approaches and practices. We recognise that persistent structural inequalities disadvantage people from Black backgrounds and communities, including within higher education and academic research. As such, we are keen to enable underrepresented early career researchers of Black Identity or Heritage to develop their portfolio of research experience and to thrive in academia. This one-year postdoctoral Fellowship is designed to attract research excellence and we will provide the Fellows with training, mentorship and support to drive their careers forward and to generate a more diverse pipeline of future talent. In addition to salary, the Fellow will be entitled to up to £2,500 relocation costs and £5,000 training and research costs to be spent within the year of the Fellowship. The Fellow will also have the opportunity to apply through open competition for up to £5,000 p.a. from the D.M. McDonald Grants and Awards Fund for each of three years subsequent to the Fellowship and will be eligible for up to £2,500 expenses for one subsequent return visit to Cambridge. The successful candidate will also be eligible to take up a College Post-Doctoral Associate Position (CPD) at Jesus College for the year of their appointment. It may be possible to extend the Fellowship (excluding the CPDA) for one further University term dependent on circumstances and funds.

Informal inquiries may be addressed to the Deputy Director (opportunities@mcdonald.cam.ac.uk)

If you have any queries regarding the application process, please contact: Faculty HR at hr@hsps.cam.ac.uk

Further particulars and how to apply can be found here

The Fellowship is aimed at early career researchers and the general requirement is a successfully 
examined PhD in archaeology or a related field, held at the time of application. Applicants must have normally defended their PhD a maximum of 7 years prior to the closing date shown below. Applications are encouraged from all branches and fields of archaeology broadly construed, including also human evolution, heritage and museums studies, with no restrictions on methodological approach, period or geographic focus. The successful applicant will take up their Fellowship on 1st October 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter. 
We strongly support applications from candidates of any nationality, though the successful post-holder must hold or be granted the right to live and work in the UK.2  We will support right to work applications. The Fellowship is open to people who self-identify as being from a Black Identity or Heritage background, including dual-heritage, understood as, Black British; Black African; Black Caribbean; African American; Black American; other Black backgrounds.3 We strongly encourage applicants from the United Kingdom and globally. We also strongly encourage applications from candidates from disadvantaged backgrounds.