Research Career Development Fellowships: Expression of Interest

UCL - Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology

Location:	London, Hybrid
Salary:	Not Specified
Hours:	Full Time
Contract Type:	Fixed-Term/Contract

Placed On:	31st March 2026
Closes:	13th April 2026
Job Ref:	B02-10241

About the role

The Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology (LMCB) department at University College London (UCL) invites Expressions of Interest from Early Career Researchers who wish to be sponsored for external fellowships to establish an independent research group via a tenure-track process.

Deadline: The next deadline is 13th April 2026, 5 pm.

For informal enquiries, please contact the LMCB Fellowship coordinators Professors Sophie Acton or Jonathan Chubb.

To apply, please email the following as one PDF document to Olive Byrne:

1. a full CV with names of referees;
2. a one-page outline of your fellowship application/proposal including a title;
3. a cover letter explaining how your proposal is suitable for the fellowship scheme(s) you are interested in, a timeline for application(s), and how you see this research programme fitting into LMCB.

About you

We are looking for outstanding candidates who address fundamental biological questions in health-oriented contexts using innovative approaches and technologies. Applicants may work in any area of Molecular, Cell or Developmental Biology and allied subjects. We are interested in candidates who can demonstrate synergy with research carried out at the LMCB (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/life-sciences/lmcb/research-teams) and are particularly interested in recruiting colleagues with interests in the Biology of Cell-Matrix interactions, RNA Biology & Therapeutics, and the Physics of Living Systems. The ability to teach molecular, cell and/or tissue-level biology would be considered an advantage.

Successful candidates will be of the highest calibre, can demonstrate an exceptional track record for their career stage and have the potential to submit competitive fellowship applications. Shortlisted candidates will give a departmental seminar and meet with faculty members. This may be face-to-face or via an online platform. Selected candidates will be provided with extensive mentorship and support for their fellowship applications, including mock interviews. Candidates that are successful in securing a fellowship are provided with post-award support, including membership of the Biosciences Fellowship Network, assignment of a mentor, access to additional support for research and further funding, opportunities to attract PhD students through PhD programs, and additional funding support beyond the end of the fellowship. Fellows will be assessed for a permanent position within the department one year before the end of their fellowship.

What we offer

External research fellowships available for sponsorship from LMCB include the Wellcome Career Development Award, UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship, MRC Career Development Award, CRUK Career Development Fellowship, ERC Starting Grant, Royal Society URF, Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin, and EPSRC Open Fellowship.

Salary will be in the range from Grade 8 to 9.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.

We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce.

These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.

In recognition of our commitment to advancing gender equality, the Division of Biosciences holds an Athena SWAN Silver Award and the LMCB has won consecutive Athena SWAN Gold Awards. You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion/.