Early Researcher Award Scheme (ERAS)

As part of their Human Resources Strategy, universities have been tasked by the Funding Councils with devising and implementing a mechanism for identifying and supporting members of staff who are at the start of their research career.

The Early Career Researchers’ Award Scheme is a developmental Fellowship opportunity that supports the development of staff at the university who are new to research (within 5 years of being awarded their doctorate). 

There are two elements to the scheme:

  • An individual research project that will yield outputs in terms of publications, further research and/or development of funding opportunities.
  • A support programme to develop and enhance wider research-related skills through workshops, action learning, mentoring and progress reports.

The ERAS scheme application process is outlined in the sections below

Application process

The ERAS scheme application process is outlined here for information  ERAS applications page.

The 2024-25 call for submissions has now closed.  

Timeline for 2025-26 Call Details TBC

 

The ERAS scheme application process is outlined here ERAS applications page.  for information. Below is the Scheme Eligibility Criteria

1) Any member of staff who can demonstrate that they are at postdoctoral level now or have attained this level within the last 5 years.  Normally such evidence would include:

  • A doctoral qualification that has been awarded on or after January 2019
  • A doctoral thesis that has been submitted for examination but has not yet been examined. A confirmation letter from the Director of Studies will be required.

2) An exemption to point 1 (above) will be considered by the selection panel in cases of, but not limited to: career breaks, career changes, parental leave, periods of extended ill health, caring responsibilities, and first academic position. A request for exemption should be attached to the application form.

3) There is no age limit. ‘Early researcher’ is interpreted here as ‘at the beginning of a postdoctoral career’, and does not correlate to chronological age of the applicant.

4) Applicants must be members of staff of the University of Wolverhampton who have a current payroll number and whose contract exceeds the duration of the scheme.

5) Staff who have received the ERAS award before are not eligible to apply a second time.

6) Staff at Reader/ Associate Professor level or above are not eligible to apply.

7) Staff who have taken part in the Lord Paul Fellowship, Maria Wasdell & Malkito Kaur Gangar, The Grants Academy or other mid-career researcher funding given by the University of Wolverhampton are not eligible to apply.

8) Staff who are part-time (FTE 0.5 and below) are eligible to apply to deliver ERAS over 24 month. Evidence that you are a part-time member of staff will be required.

Please note: ERAS aims to support the development of early career researchers. The activities involved in the programme provide many opportunities of researcher development, as well as offering the chance to learn from research leaders at the University.  If you feel that you fit the criteria above but would not describe yourself as an early career researcher, this opportunity may not be right for you. 

You can apply for a budget of up to £5000 to support the completion of your project. You will be asked to provide a detailed indicative breakdown of how you intend to spend the money as part of your application.

Normally, you may use your budget to cover research costs such as fieldwork, research/library visits, consumables, research assistant time and specialist conference attendance (beyond that which would be supported through normal Faculty procedures). You may also use your budget to provide teaching support through VL cover, in which case you should use the rate (UW9 point 32) per teaching hour. Remember to factor in overheads, on-costs and any holiday entitlement. You must have your line manager’s express approval for any proposed VL cover.

Please note that the selection panel will not normally approve proposals to attend more than one conference unless a robust justification is made.

Because of the need to plan for maintenance and replacement costs, your budget cannot normally be used to purchase equipment.

As part of your application, we ask that you 'please provide the name of an individual who has agreed to act as your ERAS mentor'. Ideally, you should approach someone who is an experienced or active researcher within a discipline that doesn't have to be the same but at least compliments your own. Your mentor needs to be someone who can give you constructive feedback on your research.

They should also be willing to and have time to meet or correspond with you but how often and to what extent will need to be agreed between yourselves. You must share your application with your intended mentor for comment/feedback before submission.

If you have any questions regarding ERAS mentoring please contact Dr Debra Cureton (DoctoralCollege@wlv.ac.uk) who will advise you further.

Terms and Conditions

By submitting your application you are agreeing to the terms and conditions of this grant. Non-compliance with the T&C will result in the grant being rescinded.

On your part:

1)      You undertake to participate fully in the researcher development programme, and deliver the project outcomes within budget and on time.

2)      You should be aware that it will not be possible to defer either the uptake of the award or completion of it (apart from reasons of parental leave or extended sick leave), and that the ERAS fellowship therefore represents a firm commitment.

3)      If you leave the University voluntarily (i.e. resignation) during or up to 12 months after completion of the programme, the University reserves the right to reclaim all or part of its investment (in accordance with standard University practice).

4)      You will be assigned to an action learning set which we expect will meet at least 4 times during the duration of the scheme; short written updates will be required.

5)      In addition to the action learning sets you must be available to attend the mandatory ERAS workshops and events:

  • Induction – 2nd July: 10 am – 1 pm
  • Workshop 1 – 15th Oct: 10 am – 12 pm
  • Workshop 2 -  14th Jan: 10 am – 12 pm
  • Workshop 3 -  11th Mar: 10 am – 12 pm
  • ERAS Writing Retreat -  13th May All day event
  • Festival of Research - dates TBC, All day event (ERAS Fellows will be presenting on one of the five dates depending on the Conference Programme)

On your Department/School/Institute’s part

1)      They will recognise your fellowship as part of your workload allocation

2)      They will provide 300 hours on your workload for you to complete your research and attend ERAS related events or activities.  This may include the research hours that you are allocated and some of your SMRSA hours. If you are a part time member of staff (FTE 0.5 or less) and have opted to deliver ERAS over two years, it is expected that your workload allocation for ERAS will be 150 hour for each year of the project

NB: The 300 hours include: 150 hours to complete the research programme; 50 hours to attend ERAS events or activities; 100 hours for dissemination activities (conference attendance and travel, peer-reviewed publications, social media activities etc)


On our part:

1)      We undertake to honour your commitment to the programme so that you are fully able to complete it satisfactorily.

2)      We will endeavour to provide a genuinely valuable support programme that is tailored to meet the needs of the group as far as possible.

You will be required to disseminate your work to the wider research community via a presentation at the Festival of Research

At the end of the project, you will be required to submit an Executive Summary of your project and an evaluation form. The Executive Summary will be available to the research community on the ERAS web pages.

You will also be expected to publish and disseminate the research from this programme.

ERAS Awards 2024-25

Ten ERAS Awards were made for 2024-25 with projects commencing on 1st August 2024 and finishing by 31st July 2025 (apart from for negotiated projects agreed to run for 24 months).

PROJECT TITLE:-  Innovative Amine Solutions and Solid Catalysts for Low-Carbon Energy Transition: Addressing the Challenges of Low-Concentration CO2 Emissions 

Biography:- 

Shervan is an expert researcher in chemical engineering, specialising in CO2 capture and hydrogen production. He joined the University of Wolverhampton as a Research Associate in January 2024, where he focuses on designing and prototyping CO2 emission control systems for diesel generators. Previously, he served as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Brunel University London, optimising hydrogen production processes. Shervan earned his PhD from the University of Malaya, where his ground-breaking research on CO2 absorption significantly advanced the field. Recognised as an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, he has also contributed extensively to academic literature and serves as a reviewer for prestigious journals such as the Journal of Chemical Engineering and Nature Communications. For more information, visit his LinkedIn profile.

Innovative Amine Solutions and Solid Catalysts for Low-Carbon Energy Transition: Addressing the Challenges of Low-Concentration CO2 Emissions

This project addresses climate change by improving CO2 capture from low-concentration emitters like Natural Gas Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Plants. Traditional amine-based solvents, such as MEA, MDEA, and AMP, are combined with promoters like Pz, BEA and solid acid catalysts (H-ZSM-5, γ-Al2O3) to enhance efficiency and reduce energy consumption for regeneration. The research focuses on developing optimal solvent-catalyst mixtures through lab-scale experiments and statistical analysis. By targeting lower CO2 concentration flue gases, this project aims to make carbon capture more efficient and cost-effective, significantly contributing to global emission reduction goals.

The research involves a comprehensive literature review, selecting optimal solvent-catalyst mixtures, and conducting lab-scale experiments to determine the most effective combinations. Statistical models will analyse the data to identify trends and optimal solutions.

 

PROJECT TITLE:- Exploring the Nature of Belonging, Engagement and Self-confidence from the Student Perspective within the School of Sport.

Biography

I am currently a Senior Lecturer in Physical Education and School Sport and Inclusivity Lead for the School of Sport. I have previously taught in state and grammar schools with children and young people from 2-18 years, and in the roles of Head of House, Head of PE and as a Boarding Parent. My doctoral thesis was on Teachers Constructs of Quality in Secondary Physical Education Teaching. I am currently editing three papers for publication on the back of this:

  • A Mixed Methods Approach to Understanding Physical Education Teachers’ Constructs of Quality Across a Career,
  • Teachers’ Constructions of Quality in Secondary School PE Teaching: Using the Repertory Grid Technique to Identify Career Phase Variation, and;
  • The Phenomenological Thread of Quality in Teaching

I have most recently submitted an article for publication about Being Mindfully Resilient: The Experiences of Global Majority Students in a Mindfulness Intervention Programme at a UK University.

Through these professional experiences, and personally, my passions for EDI, learning and teaching have grown immeasurably. My ERAS project therefore follows my experiences as Inclusivity Lead in the School of Sport and looks to support this role. 

Exploring the Nature of Belonging, Engagement and Self-confidence from the Student Perspective within the School of Sport.

I will be adopting a mixed-methodological research design to both measure and understand these aspects of the student experience in more depth. This will be through administering an adapted Yorke (2016) questionnaire at the start and end of the academic year, and by conducting five focus group interviews with Level 4-6 students from five undergraduate programmes within the School of Sport. It follows a period of leading a shift in culture amongst staff, having undertaken considerable time to embed the University’s Inclusive Curriculum Framework, and having focused on narrowing gaps in outcomes (which have only marginally improved). EDI has now become a more consistent conversation; however, I have reflected that there is a lack of student awareness about the work we have been doing. Co-creation will be sought through this project for us to work and act based on student voice, with the end goal of enhancing student success. A steering group of staff will be formed, for discussion of the findings and to develop wrap around staff workshops. The ERAS Project will conclude with a whole school charter signing event (summary of findings, actions and ‘what works’) which will be merged and delivered alongside the School of Sport Student Conference (Level 6), to form an overall School of Sport Student Festival (Levels 4-6).

 

PROJECT TITLE:- The Sociological Challenges Associated with Understanding the Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) which Facilitate the Risk of Familial Trafficking within Vulnerable Community Groups.

Biography

Matthew Davis is a Lecturer in Immigration, International Migration & Asylum Law and Early Career Researcher at the University of Wolverhampton. Matthew holds a PhD International Law, Human Rights and Criminal Justice from the University of Birmingham. Matthew teaches Nationality, International Migration and Asylum Law to undergraduates as and Immigration Law to postgraduates.

Dr Davis is a Fellow of the Academics Stand Against Poverty Global Justice Program at Yale University. 

Matthew conducts research on human trafficking from both a crime control perspective and adopts a victim centred approach to assisting and supporting victims of human trafficking and exploitation.

His work lends himself to suggesting solutions complex issues of identification and detection of more victims in the UK. Dr Davis has previous experience of working in a safehouse for victims of human trafficking in the West Midlands.

Dr Davis has recently written a book published by Palgrave Macmillan on the legal issues, challenges and barriers for individuals being identified as victims of human trafficking.

The Sociological Challenges Associated with Understanding the Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) which Facilitate the Risk of Familial Trafficking within Vulnerable Community Groups.

The purpose of my research is to investigate the pre-existing structural inequalities within society which give rise to individuals from disadvantaged social groups being abused and exploited in the first place. I will be interviewing a victim(s) of familial trafficking from this social group to gather their experiences of how the exploitation occurred, and how it is able to continue over many years. As part of this lived experience research, I will present my findings which answers the following questions:

  1. What impact do ACE have on exploitation in adulthood?
  2. How can the issues, challenges and barriers to combatting ACE be overcome by civil society and the State?
  3. What lessons of best practice can be learnt and adopted by local services in the UK to help similar individuals who may be exploited within a family environment?

 

Project Title:- Filling the Information Void: Signals Intelligence Disclosures and the Media.

More information to follow...

Project Title:- Queering Public Law

Biography

Dr Jake Hinks is an early career academic at Wolverhampton Law School whose current research interests fall broadly within the field of UK Public Law, with a particular focus on executive dominance and its relevance to the British constitution. Jake's work focuses on how the British constitution facilitates executive dominance, and the implications of executive dominance for the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty. Jake completed his PhD at Aston University and successfully defended his thesis entitled 'Executive Dominance and the British Constitution' in 2022, a project for which he was awarded a Deans' Scholarship. Since completing his PhD, Jake has published on executive dominance and is keen to expand his research interests to consider the application of queer legal theory to UK Public Law.

Project Title: Queering Public Law

Project Overview: The primary aim of the project is to develop a theoretical framework and methodology for Queer Legal Theory. The project will provide the necessary time and space to develop this novel theoretical framework and methodology, which in turn will be used to effectively review UK Public Law, providing an alternative perspective to a field that lacks diverse voices. There are currently no significant studies exploring the intersection of Public Law and Queer Theory.

Current Post: Lecturer in Law, Inclusivity Lead for Wolverhampton Law School and West Midlands Legal Doctoral Network Coordinator.

Main Research Area: UK Public Law, with specific interest in the presence and relevance of executive dominance within the British Constitution and its impact upon constitutional principles. Recent projects include:

  • 2024 /25 - Jake Hinks, ‘Executive dominance through the lens of constitutional statutes, political facts, and the qualifying of orthodox parliamentary sovereignty’ in John McGarry (eds), Codifying the UK Constitution: Protection of Values, Identities and Rights(Routledge, 2024/25)​ [forthcoming]
  • 2023 – Constitutional implications of The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill. [Accepted]
  • 2020 – The Coronavirus Act 2020: An Example of Excessive Executive Dominance (UK Constitutional Law Association Blog, 9 June 2020)

 

 

 

Project Title:- Listening to the voices of LGBTQIA youth experiences in school Physical Education (present and past).

More information to follow...

Project Title:- Crude Exhibitions: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Oil Museums

Biography

Anya KUTELEVA is an interdisciplinary scholar whose work connects international relations, development studies, energy security, and feminist-informed approaches to politics. Her research centres on the nexus between politics and sociocultural contexts in international relations and develops a cross-disciplinary methodological toolkit around the concept of discursive politics. She is particularly interested in politics in China, Russia, Canada, and the Central Asian region. In 2022, she joined the University of Wolverhampton (UK) as a senior lecturer in International Relations. Previously, she obtained a PhD in Political Science from the University of Alberta (Canada) and held a post-doctoral fellowship at the National Research University Higher School of Economics (Russia). She is the author of China’s Energy Security and Relations with Petrostates: Oil as an Idea (Routledge 2021) and published articles in leading academic journals, including Europe-Asia Studies, Eurasian Geography and Economics, Problems of Post-Communism, European Journal of International Security, and Energy Research & Social Science. Anya is the Editor-in-Chief of Politikon: The IAPSS Journal of Political Science.

Crude Exhibitions: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Oil Museums

This project explores how oil museums worldwide shape public understanding of oil's role in society, history, and future. It analyses narratives presented in six museums across the Global West (Canada, Scotland, Norway) and the Global East (China, Russia, Azerbaijan), comparing perspectives from different political regimes and socio-cultural contexts. The research addresses gaps in existing literature by focusing on oil museums specifically and expanding beyond Western contexts. Using critical discourse analysis, visual analysis, and participant observation, the study examines how museums construct narratives about oil, reflecting power dynamics and ideologies. It considers the influence of oil companies, states, and local communities on these narratives. The project aims to provide insights into how diverse actors conceive their relationship with oil and its future, contributing to broader discussions on cultural institutions' role in climate communication and public engagement with energy issues.

Project Title:- Ready Player 2.0: Immersion, engagement, and entertainment in historically and culturally informed computer 
games and game-like experiences, and their potential to inform innovative, educational content for the UK 
heritage sector

Biography

Joanne is a Research Impact Officer within the Research and Enterprise Directorate, and also currently seconded as a Research Associate with the Institute for Community Research and Development. She is a member of the British Academy Early Career Researcher Network and has recently been appointed Deputy Chair of the Multi-play Network for Multidisciplinary Research on Digital Play and Games and has been a peer reviewer for the Electronic Visualisation in the Arts Conference since 2023. She has published on immersive artistic practice, and on non-traditional routes through academia.

Her research considers the digital ‘active’ space (as transitional, transformational or engaging), video games, multisensory engagement, applications of technology within culture and heritage, audience participation and co-creation, and the imagination. Her current research investigates immersion, engagement, and entertainment in historically and culturally informed computer games and game-like experiences, and their potential to inform innovative, educational content for the UK heritage sector.

https://researchers.wlv.ac.uk/J.Mills8

Project Title:- Illustration and urban street markets : a global visual and cultural exploration.

More information to follow...

Project Title:- Employing artificial intelligence algorithms to model and predict paediatric kidney disease manifestation and 
severity.

More information to follow...