Imperial College Research Fellowships

Support for rising research stars

This call is in pre-announcement and will open in March 2025 with a deadline of Monday 18 August 2025. Information may be updated on these pages until the call is launched.

The Imperial College Research Fellowship (ICRF) scheme is designed for outstanding early career researchers looking for an opportunity to focus on research and establish scientific independence, making the leap from a post-doctoral researcher to permanent lecturer.  

As an ICRF you will receive a four-year fellowship which includes  

• A competitive salary 
• A contribution toward research and travel costs (up to £45,000) 
• Personal mentoring support from a senior Imperial member of academic staff (sponsor) 
• Focussed career support, training courses and development opportunities from the College’s Early Career Researcher Institute  
• The chance to take full responsibility for setting and directing your own research agenda and career trajectory, with no obligatory teaching, and with the possibility of spending up to twelve months visiting other research institutions and/or in industry. 

Key features for applicants  

For full details, you must refer to the Information for applicants webpage.

• Candidates are expected to have a maximum of four years of post-doctoral research experience 
• Proposals will be considered in all research areas active within participating departments at Imperial 

Applicants can be UK nationals or international candidates. Imperial is one of the world’s most international universities with almost 60% of our current ICRF holders having non-UK nationality. We strive to ensure the diversity of our candidates and encourage applications from people from a diverse range of backgrounds and particularly welcome applications from traditionally underrepresented groups. 

Information sessions

The Early Career Researcher Institute deliver ICRF briefings, designed to help candidates prepare their applications. The slots for this year's briefings are to be confirmed, but will be highlighted here when finalised, and recordings will be available.