Research Career Development Fellowships in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, UCL: Expression of Interest for 2026
DEADLINE: The next deadline is 31st August 2026, 5 pm.
The Research Department of Cell and Developmental Biology (CDB) 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.
We are looking for outstanding candidates who address fundamental biological questions using innovative approaches and technologies. Applicants may work in any area of Cell or Developmental Biology and allied subjects. We are interested in candidates who can demonstrate synergy with research carried out in our Center for Engineering Life (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/biosciences/cell-and-developmental-biology/centre-engineering-life-cl), in particular synthetic developmental biology. The ability to teach cell biology, development and/or anatomy would be considered an advantage.
UCL is ranked 9th in Biological Sciences in the 2026 QS World University Rankings. CDB, which is embedded in the Division of Biosciences, offers an interactive and rich research environment with access to cutting-edge facilities (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/science-technology-platforms/). The diverse research areas in CDB include animal development, stem cell biology, functional and evolutionary morphology, neuroscience, organelle biology and cell signalling. The Department is home to several centres, including the UCL Centre for Integrative Anatomy and the UCL Consortium for Mitochondrial Research. Close links also exist to the Francis Crick Institute, the Natural History Museum and the Sainsbury-Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour.
For informal enquiries, please contact Professor Roberto Mayor, Fellowship Coordinator of CDB (r.mayor@ucl.ac.uk)
To apply, please email the following as one PDF document to michael.wright@ucl.ac.uk:
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 CDB.
4) [OPTIONAL] a completed applicant questionnaire to help with our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
About you
Successful candidates will be of the highest calibre, can demonstrate an exceptional track record in 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 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 CDB include the Wellcome Trust 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.
When to apply
To ensure that we can truly invest in our fellows and plan for their future, we only sponsor a small number of applicants each year. Details of open calls will be shown above when we are seeking sponsor new applicants.