Research Fellowship in Biology

King's College London

About us

King’s College London invites applications for the prestigious King’s Prize Fellowships, supporting exceptional postdoctoral scientists ready to launch independent research careers. Fellowships provide a competitive salary and up to £30,000 in research expenses for 18–24 months, enabling fellows to establish a distinctive research programme and prepare competitive applications for intermediate level fellowships from major funders. Awards may be held in any area of King’s but must focus on biomedical or health related research.

This year, two further fellowships will be offered in partnership with the Roger Williams Institute of Liver Studies, supporting an Emerging Leader based in the Roger Williams Building. The successful candidate will develop collaborations across King’s and partner institutions, with research relevant to liver biology and disease and the Institute’s priority themes. Tailored mentorship will support progression to external career development fellowships, with eligibility for an open-ended position at King’s upon securing such an award.

About the role

To be successful in this role you need to be able to show a body of research outputs and the level of thought leadership and development towards independence required to be competitive as a future research leader.

In this role the applicant will be expected to design and conduct a range of experiments in relation to their research project and prepare and present findings of research activity to colleagues for review purposes.

The applicant will draft and submit research papers to appropriate peer reviewed journals and prepare and submit future funding applicants for grants and fellowships.

The applicant will contribute to the overall activities of the research team and department as required and hold responsibility for ensuring equipment is maintained in working order and assist with laboratory upkeep.

The applicant is to always comply with the requirements of the Health and Safety regulations with responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of others in the working environment and ensure confidentiality on all matters and information obtained during the course of their employment.

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

This is a full time post and you will be offered an a fixed term contract of up to 24 months.

Applicants need to submit a scientific research proposal using the dedicated application form, see advert attachment.

Research staff at King’s are entitled to at least 10 days per year (pro-rata) for professional development. This entitlement, from the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, applies to Postdocs, Research Assistants, Research and Teaching Technicians, Teaching Fellows and AEP equivalent up to and including grade 7. Visit the Centre for Research Staff Development for more information.

About you

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience.

If you have applied for the King’s Prize Fellowship previously, please note that we will accept no more than one re-application. If you choose to reapply you should set out clearly how your application has changed.

Essential criteria

1. Higher degree (MD, PhD or equivalent) in a relevant subject area: must have submitted PhD thesis before taking up the post
2. Demonstration of understanding of, and commitment to, an academic career
3. Evidence of team working skills
4. Demonstration of the potential for scientific independence and the ability to lead a research team
5. Significant publications in peer reviewed journals
6. Potential to become a leader in your chosen field

Desirable criteria

1. Prizes or distinctions
2. Postdoctoral research experience in an internationally renowned laboratory (we would normally expect at least 3 years postdoctoral experience).

Further Information

At King’s, we believe that the diversity of our community and a culture that is welcoming, open, inclusive and collaborative, are great strengths of the university.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the person specification section of the job description. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

We reserve the right to close adverts early due to the volume of applications we receive. While the closing date may change, all adverts will close at 23:59 to allow sufficient time for applications to be submitted on that day.

We encourage you to apply at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment as once we have closed a vacancy you will be unable to submit your application.

Interviews are due to be held on Monday the 22nd of June 2026.