Postdoctoral Research Fellowships

The ANU Research School of Biology (RSB) is a vibrant and supportive community, and is always keen to support those applying for research fellowships. This page provides a short introduction to the main fellowships, what to expect if you apply for (and get!) a fellowship at RSB, and how to get in touch.

Independent research fellowships

There are two national schemes through which most of our research fellows are funded: the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). Both offer excellent fellowships at various levels. ARC fellowships fund pure and applied science, and include DECRA fellowships (for researchers 1-5 years post PhD), Future Fellowships (for researchers 5-15 years post PhD), and Industry Fellowships for those who want to build genuine collaborations with industry (offered early- and mid-career levels). NHMRC fellowships fund medical research, and are based around the NHMRC Investigator Grants which are offered at early- and  mid-career levels. All of these grants provide salary support for 3-5 years (depending on the grant), as well as good research budgets. In all cases, if successful you would be appointed at a level appropriate to your experience and the fellowship you have received (as a rough guide, early career fellowships are typically appointed at level B, and mid-career fellows are appointed at higher levels).

Research fellows in RSB

Research fellows receive significant support in RSB. This starts with help and guidance from the research office and fellowship convenor during the application process. RSB provides access to outstanding facilities, collaborators, and mentoring programs, all of which can help strengthen your application and your ability to do great science while you’re here. The school and the university also make significant cash contributions to each application, boosting your budget and the competitiveness of your grant. More senior fellowship holders (ARC Future Fellows, mid-career industry fellows, and mid-career NHMRC fellows) are also afforded ‘group leader’ status in RSB, which means you will be provided with an annual research budget, additional help establishing your laboratory, and the ability to be the primary supervisor of honours, MSc, and PhD students.

What to do next

First, decide if RSB is the right place for you. Have a look at our research website, which includes details of our research groups, facilities, and the three divisions that make up RSB (Ecology and Evolution, Plant Sciences, and Biomedical Science and Biochemistry).

Then, get in touch! There are many ways to do this. One good option is to contact our fellowship convenor, Prof. Rob Lanfear (rob.lanfear@anu.edu.au). He can answer most questions about fellowships, and guide you on next steps. If you are applying for a DECRA or early-career NHMRC or Industry fellowship, it’s often a good idea to contact a group leader directly to talk about your potential application. For the more senior fellowships, contacting the head of the relevant division (Ecology and Evolution, Plant Sciences, and Biomedical Science and Biochemistry) is also a good starting point. Which of these you choose is up to you. We look forward to hearing from you!