Information for applicants

Imperial strives to ensure the diversity of our candidates, and we reflect this ethos in the way we promote the ICRF programme and in our recruitment and selection process. We believe that diversity not only benefits Imperial but that it positively helps the sector to better represent the communities that we serve. To that end, we encourage applications from people from a diverse range of backgrounds.

• Candidates should have a PhD. In exceptional cases, applicants applying to Imperial College Business School are permitted to apply before the submission of the PhD. For applications to the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Medicine, a PhD must have been submitted before an application is made. For these faculties, candidates should have passed their viva before the final ICRF Selection Committee meeting on 11 December 2025. In all cases, the PhD must be awarded before the start of the fellowship.
• ICRFs are for early career researchers. Candidates are expected to have a maximum of four years of post-doctoral research experience (calculated from the PhD viva date to the application deadline, adjusting for any research career breaks); many successful candidates are 0-2 years post-PhD. Extensions to this maximum time period will only be considered in limited circumstances that support our commitment to diversity, a positive research culture and non-traditional career paths, for example discipline hopping. Candidates should contact researchfellowships@imperial.ac.uk should they wish to discuss further. 
• By way of context, this opportunity is equivalent to the Leverhulme Trust’s Early Career Fellowship, EPSRC Postdoctoral Fellowship and the Welcome Early Career Fellowship schemes. Candidates who hold or have held relatively early post-doctoral fellowships (such as the EPSRC Doctoral Prize) are eligible to apply but candidates who have previously held intermediate level fellowships, such as an EPSRC Early Career Fellowship or an MRC Career Development Award, are NOT eligible. Note that if a candidate does or did hold a lectureship, they will be deemed ineligible on the basis that they have already met the end goal of this opportunity.
• Please note the salary offered is on the Research Associate scale. For 2024/25, this ranges between £48,056 and £56,345. If your salary requirements are higher than the maximum available with this scheme, you may wish to consider other schemes more suited to your experience such as the UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships or other intermediate fellowships. 
• Imperial is one of the world’s most international universities and almost 60% of our current ICRFs have non-UK nationality.  ICRF candidates can thus be UK nationals or international applicants. Those who are not automatically entitled to work in the UK can find a guide to visa information on Imperial’s Human Resources Immigration webpages and you will, of course, be required to provide evidence of your eligibility to work in the UK before commencing any fellowship offered.
  
  

• Fellowships must be based at Imperial College London (any of its campuses) or at fieldwork locations. If an ICRF is taking up the opportunity to spend up to 12 months visiting other research institutions and/or in industry; evidence must be provided to reflect each partner’s willingness to host the fellow. 
• There are no obligatory teaching duties associated with these fellowships. However, if desired, such duties can be negotiated with the host department.  Fellows may also co-supervise PhD student(s) while undertaking this fellowship. Fellows are advised to speak with their sponsor to discuss the value of and potential for such opportunities. 
• Fellows are expected to have obtained any necessary licences and regulatory approvals prior to the start of the fellowship (or at the very latest before the relevant work is started). 
• Fellows are provided with a tailored programme of support, career development and cohort activities via the Early Career Researcher Institute, and are expected to engage with these opportunities. 
• Fellows are encouraged to apply for additional sources of funding to allow them to further build their research programme. 
• At the end of the fellowship, fellows are expected to be able to show that they have the potential to be an independent leader in their area of research and have the skills and experience to apply for more advanced (intermediate level) funding schemes, such as the Royal Society University Research Fellowship. 

Applications must be supported by a sponsor who is a senior, permanent member of staff within the Academic or Research Families at Imperial. Honorary members of staff are not eligible to be sponsors.

• Sponsors (and co-sponsors) are limited to supporting a single fellowship application in each competition and may sponsor (or co-sponsor) only one ICRF at any one time.
• Sponsors may be full-time or part-time members of staff.  If the sponsor is employed part-time, the candidate must enlist the support of a second sponsor, so that they will have access to full-time sponsorship support.
• Where an interdisciplinary project is proposed, it is possible to include additional sponsors but there is a requirement for a lead sponsor.
• Applicants from Imperial are required to move from their existing sponsor/supervisor to a new sponsor for their ICRF, to increase both their independence and their breadth of experience. Further, candidates must not select a sponsor (or co-sponsor) who has had a supervisory role in their career (post-PhD). 

Sponsors will be required to commit to and fulfil the obligations listed on the Information for sponsors webpage with the support of their host department.

Sponsors are not obliged to accept a request for support.  If they choose not to support a potential applicant, it is at the sponsor’s discretion if they choose to give feedback

Opportunities for external co-sponsorship

Opportunities exist for co-sponsorship by staff members based at The Francis Crick Institute. The Francis Crick Institute Co-sponsor Details form is required to be submitted with your application.

AI in Science Theme within the Imperial College Research Fellowship programme

Applicants can nominate their fellowship to be within the AI in Science Theme and obtain support from Schmidt Sciences. Successful candidates will have the title Imperial College Research Fellow supported by Schmidt Sciences.

A deep knowledge of AI is not a pre-requisite. These fellowships have the aim of identifying excellent researchers and accelerating them in using AI to advance and disrupt Science or Engineering. Please see the AI in Science Theme Remit below for a detailed description of what is expected.

Applicants interested in becoming an ICRF supported by Schmidt Sciences and joining the AI in Science cohort will need to indicate this in their application.  They must fill out the additional section on the online application form indicating their awareness of the requirements associated with support from Schmidt Sciences (as listed in this current section) and their suitability for the programme.

 AI in Science Theme Remit

‘AI’ is interpreted very broadly, that is including topics in Bayesian Inference and Robotics, with ‘Science’ covering any typical topic in Natural Science and Engineering. More detail on topics falling within the remit is found in the Ai in Science guidance FAQs.

These posts are not suitable for research into generic AI with general application - candidates must be aiming to substantially advance a particular area of science. Applicants could view themselves as AI researchers tackling a particular piece of Science or Science researchers using AI to transform their area. A deep knowledge of AI is not a precondition for this fellowship: only an appreciation of the need for AI and a willingness for skill acquisition in AI.

It is anticipated that Schmidt Sciences  support for ICRFs within the AI in Science Theme could be allocated in the Faculties of Medicine, Natural Sciences and Engineering, with up to six fellowships being supported.

Cohort and Location

ICRFs supported by Schmidt Sciences will join the cohort of ~25 Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellows. They will be co-located within Imperial’s new interdisciplinary AI campus, I-X, and alongside other AI researchers including from across Imperial’s faculties and departments. 

ICRFs supported by Schmidt Sciences will have close ties with the group(s) of their sponsor(s) and will also be assigned an academic buddy (in addition to their sponsor) drawn from the I-X faculty, to assist in integration into I-X. Fellows have their own support staff, coffee morning, seminar series, symposium and series of social events.

 I-X

The I-X Centre for AI in Science  is Imperial’s new flagship interdisciplinary campus devoted to AI and its applications. It is located within Imperial’s Translation and Innovation Hub (I-HUB) at White City and I-X hosts academics from across Imperial’s departments and faculties. Its aim is to bring together interdisciplinarity, AI and grand challenges. 

Training and Development

Training and Development is a key part of the ICRFs supported by Schmidt Sciences , whether helping an AI expert master a scientific topic or a scientific topic expert advance their AI skills. The fellows will join a unique co-located cohort of top scholars with tailored training and one-on-one career development.  The fellows will have a dedicated Career Development Consultant and a dedicated Senior Teaching Fellow. Emphasis is also placed on skill sharing between the fellows. Successful candidates are expected to -

• develop a training and career development plan upon arrival; and
• develop and present a two hour mini course in an AI topic of their choosing.

Kindness, Outreach and Low and Middle Income Country (LMIC) Engagement

Our cohort places an emphasis on kindness among scientists and kindness to others. The ICRFs supported by Schmidt Sciences provide a unique opportunity for outreach and LMIC engagement. We are enthusiastic about outreach and engagement in our local community and support our fellows in this direction.  The fellowship includes a commitment to deliver their mini course either within the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences network or the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (Trieste); these support researchers in a range of fields outside Mathematics and Physics.

Departmental Participation

Candidates who are suitable for an ICRF supported by Schmidt Sciences should indicate in their application if the programme appeals to them, and that they wish to be considered as such.  Please be aware that some departments are only supporting ICRFs supported by Schmidt Sciences and thus the AI in Science Theme, whereas others will support applicants whether or not they are selected for support from Schmidt Sciences. Unless specified otherwise, departments will accept applications to all topics covered in their research areas. Further departmental details are available under the 'Imperial Departments and Key Contacts' section below. For departments which are only offering ICRFs via AI in Science, we note that there are only 6 Imperial College Research Fellowships supported by Schmidt Sciences available across the entire cohort; for departments that are supporting a range of fellowships marking the application as 'AI in Science' has no bearing on the success rate (since departments will fund fellows whether or not they are co-funded by Schmidt Sciences). Applicants should carefully consider their choice of department and sponsor, and make contact with the relevant department if they wish to confirm that their choice of subject area will be considered for funding.

Further Questions

If you have general questions on the ICRF programme, including on the application process for the ICRFs supported by Schmidt Sciences under the AI in Science Theme, please contact researchfellowships@imperial.ac.uk

If you have specific questions on the AI in Science Theme remit, then please contact Eileen Boyce, Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Centre Manager, e.boyce@imperial.ac.uk.

Applicant briefings (optional but recommended)

The Early Career Researcher Institute will deliver ICRF briefings, designed to help candidates prepare their applications, for this year's call. These will take place online on: 

Step 1:  Contact proposed sponsor and proposed host department

Candidates interested in applying are required to contact their proposed sponsor and proposed host department as early as possible, to discuss their intention to apply and to obtain information about any additional departmental deadlines and local processes. All applications made to the ICRF scheme will require departmental approval, and so early contact will also give departments the opportunity to consider and prepare for providing this approval. Candidates should refer to the departmental information below (Imperial Departments and Key Contacts) for more information. Note that some departments have their own internal deadline for an initial shortlisting of applications to decide which they will support for College-level submission. 

Step 2:  Prepare and submit application

Applications must be submitted via the Imperial Jobs website (ref: tbc).  The following forms will be required as part of your application; please follow the file naming conventions stated in the templates and upload as PDFs.  The Department approval obtained in Step 1 must be recorded on the ‘Research Proposal and Budget’ form.‌

Candidates are encouraged to write in the first person.

•  Section 1: Research Proposal and Budget (required)
•  Section 2: Imperial Sponsor Details (required)

Additional forms that must be uploaded as required:

• Additional Publications list (optional)
• Francis Crick Institute Co-sponsor Details
• Research Collaborator letters of support  (optional)

Where it is justified in the application, fellows may spend up to twelve months in total visiting other research institutions and/ or in industry including overseas; the maximum time spent at any one institution being six months. Where this is requested, evidence must be provided to reflect each partner's willingness to host the fellow and uploaded as a Research Collaborator letter of support. Exceptionally, if a co-sponsor is based at The Francis Crick Institute then the full twelve months can be spent there and the partner's willingness to host is covered by the specific additional form (Francis Crick Institute Co-sponsor Details).

Signatures are required from the applicant (Section 1), Head of Department (Section 1) and Sponsor (Section 2)

• Signatures may be electronic or original. Typed signatures are not accepted.
• Applications without the required signatures will not be accepted.

Step 3: Confidential reference letters

• Each application must be supported by two confidential reference letters. These are mandatory.
• ⁠One reference letter must be from the applicant's current institution. Where the current institution is Imperial, the letter must be provided by someone other than the proposed sponsor or proposed host Head of Department.
• The second reference letter should be from a referee who is well-placed to comment on the applicant's current abilities as a researcher. 
• As these letters are confidential, they must be submitted directly by the referees to the ICRF Office (researchfellowships@imperial.ac.uk) by 23:59 (BST) on 18 August 2025. Letters will then be paired with the relevant application by the ICRF Office.
• Letters should be sent in pdf format using file naming convention ‘APPLICANT SURNAME_ Ref_REFEREE SURNAME'
• Applicants should use the relevant section of the online application form to provide the names of the referees, to aid the ICRF Office when matching the letters and application. 

As part of our research culture, the College is a proud signatory to the San-Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which means that in hiring and promotion decisions we evaluate applicants on the quality of their work, not the journal impact factor where it is published. More information is available on the research evaluation webpage.

The ICRF scheme supports the College’s Academic Mission.  Fellows are expected to contribute to the development of Imperial’s Academic Strategy and cross-cutting sub-themes 

• Preference will be given to candidates whose career trajectory demonstrates their suitability to this scheme and who are yet to be considered independent researchers, but are on track to gain this through the support and training that this fellowship opportunity offers.
• Candidates who have already demonstrated research independence, through a track-record of winning external fellowships and grant funding, are not likely to be successful.
• Applicants who wish to discuss their suitability to this scheme are encouraged to contact the ICRF Office for further guidance.

Applications will be reviewed by a three-stage process:

Stage 1: Faculty Review Panel. Once received, applications that are eligible and complete will be reviewed by one of four Review Panels (Faculty of Engineering; Faculty of Natural Sciences; Faculty of Medicine; and the Business School) depending on the host department of the named sponsor.  Review Panels will typically include a representative from the proposed host department and seek advice from subject experts.  The Review Panel will select candidates for interview based on the following criteria:

1. Standing of the applicant
2. Appropriateness of the sponsor and host laboratory
3. Benefit of the scheme to the candidate
4. Ability to communicate with a non-specialist audience and peer group scientists
5. Scientific merit of the proposed research
6. Alignment to the Imperial Academic Strategy

Due to the expected volume of applications, Imperial is unable to provide feedback for the applications that are not selected for interview.

Stage 2: Faculty Interview Committee. Applicants who are selected by the Faculty Review Panels will be invited to present their proposal to the Faculty Interview Committee where they will be ranked in order of competitiveness.  For those applicants selected for interview, the host department representative(s) on the Faculty Interview Committee reserve the right to request up to two additional external references in support of their application.  The host Head of Department must provide a letter of support for candidates who progress to Stage 3, but this may also be requested by their Faculty at this Stage 2.

Stage 3: Imperial College Research Fellowship Selection Committee.  The final selection of fellows will take place at the Imperial College Research Fellowship Selection Committee based on Faculty ranking and competitiveness.

ICRFs supported by Schmidt Sciences (AI in Science Theme)

ICRF applications where the candidates have indicated that they wish to be considered for support from Schmidt Sciences under the AI in Science Theme will follow broadly the same evaluation process. However there will be additional input into the evaluation from representatives of the I-X Centre for AI in Science in terms of ranking the AI in Science Theme proposals, with a particular emphasis on the fit to the AI in Science remit in addition to the above-mentioned criteria.

Applicants are reminded that if their chosen Department is only accepting applications for ICRFs supported by Schmidt Sciences in the AI in Science Theme, then they will not be eligible for funding if their proposal is not ranked sufficiently highly within the AI in Science Theme. Please check the 'Imperial Departments and Key Contacts' section below.

 Consideration of the application by Imperial College London does not guarantee that support will be offered.

• Closing date for applications: Monday 18 August 2024 (23:59 BST)

  • Faculty Review Panel shortlisting: September to October 2025
  • Interviews: November 2025
  • Faculty of Natural Sciences – 17 November and 20 November
  • Faculty of Engineering – tbc
  • Faculty of Medicine – tbc
  • Business School - tbc
  • Selection Committee: 11 December 2025
  • Results of Selection Committee announced: December 2025
  • Start date for fellowships: between 1 August 2026 and 1 December 2026

Note: it is not possible to defer offers of fellowships for future years