For colleges: The benefits of researcher associates

Our fixed-term researchers

The University of Oxford has around 5,000 fixed-term researchers, mostly at the post-doctoral level, distributed across the University’s four academic divisions and GLAM.

We are fortunate that some of the brightest minds come to the University from across the globe (49% of fixed-term researchers are not UK citizens) to conduct their cutting-edge research, making a major contribution to the University’s position as one of the world’s leading research-intensive universities.

Many researchers want a means of integrating into wider Oxford community and of contributing, both academically and socially, e.g. becoming a college advisor, leading UNIQ+ discussions with prospective graduate students, designing and running seminar series.

Currently only a small minority of Oxford’s community of postdocs (and other researchers on contracts) are connected to colleges.

Benefits of a college associateship

In 2020 Conference of Colleges recognised significant opportunities for both researchers and colleges of expanding the number of light associateships available.

Researchers are able to:

• meet and talk with people beyond their own department or academic discipline. 
• engage with and support the wider collegiate research and teaching community.
• be included in wider college life, a quintessential part of the Oxford experience

Colleges are able to:

• draw on the knowledge, experience and enthusiasm of researchers. 
• have more support in facilitating interaction between academics and students.
• increase the diversity of their college membership.

Please see our video for more:

How you can help

Since 2021 a range of non-stipendiary associations have been promoted from Balliol, Brasenose, Corpus Christi, Exeter, Green Templeton, Linacre, St Anne's, St Antony's, Wadham and Wolfson.

You can design the associateship to suit your college, from non-stipendiary Junior Research Fellowships to lighter forms of association such as Senior Common Room membership or association in return for acting as a College Adviser. 

Wolfson College has 100 stipendiary positions and a further 100 annual light associateships for which researchers pay a fee to belong.

Researchers who have taken up light associateships have appreciated an induction, buddy scheme and/or a short handbook with useful information and contacts in the college.

How to advertise on the Researcher Hub

You can advertise opportunities via our Non-Stipendiary College Associations page and seek support from our team, please email [email protected].