Support for rising research stars

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 Postdoc and Fellows Development Centre  
• 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 no more than four years of post-doctoral research experience. Extensions to this time period will be considered in circumstances that support our commitment to diversity, a positive research culture and non-traditional career paths.   
• Proposals will be considered in all research areas active within participating departments at Imperial, and are expected to contribute to the development of Imperial’s Academic Strategy and cross-cutting sub-themes. 

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 Postdoc and Fellows Development Centre (PFDC) deliver ICRF briefings, designed to help candidates prepare their applications. For this year's call, the briefings have already gone ahead. You can access a recording of the briefing below.

ICRF Briefing 1 -  Tuesday 18 June, 15.30-17.00, Teams recording

If you have do not have an Imperial address, you can email researchfellowships@imperial.ac.uk to request access to the recording