What Is a Junior Research Fellowship?

A junior research fellowship is an awards program that recognize the most promising young scientists early in their careers. There are a variety of types of fellowships at many of the world's leading educational institutions. Junior research fellowships help new graduates of doctorate programs make the transition from their degree programs and prepare to be professors. If a student who plans on advancing their career to a higher level such as applying for positions of senior research fellowships or professors, then they start aiming their focus on getting a junior research fellowship first.

In order to be awarded a fellowship, the recipient must be one of the best and brightest researchers in their given field. Depending on the type of fellowship, most incumbents receive a competitive salary and additional funding for their research. For most young researchers, the chance of obtaining funding for their research is the opportunity of a lifetime. In order to apply for a fellowship they must meet the requirements of the university. It is important to consider these requirements during completing studies in order to have a competitive application.

In most cases, a junior research fellowship is granted only after the completion of a Ph.D. However, some institutions offer fellowships to students of doctorate programs in order to help them reach their academic and research goals. Fellowships may be awarded to scientists from many areas of specialization, such as chemistry, physics, environmental science, mathematics, engineering and many others. In some cases, a University will require that the scholar has several years of research experience after the completion of his or her Ph.D.

Again, the purpose of a junior research fellowship is to prepare researchers to take on the role of a university professor. In most cases, fellowships last for three to five years. Upon completion of the fellowship, the tenure is rolled into the position of senior research fellowship, provided that the experts at the institution are happy with the research that was done during those years. At this time, a fellow will start to take on the duties of lecturing studies and preparing curriculum. Many fellowships will lead to full time tenure as a professor.

For young researchers with great promise, junior research fellowships provide an excellent venue for academic growth. Scholars are given funding to fuel their potentially groundbreaking research, while at the same time prepare them to assume the role of university professors or senior researchers. For those students looking to get a junior research fellowship, it is imperative that they start grooming their credentials as soon as possible. These fellowships are very competitive, however if the student does get one they will be able to pursue their research while being mentored by brilliant senior scientists.