Human Resources

Chancellor’s Fellowships

Prestigious 5-year tenure track fellowships focused on innovative research

Building on our strong REF2021 results, the University of Edinburgh is supporting a major new investment in outstanding early career researchers. We will be recruiting 60 new Chancellor’s Fellows: prestigious 5-year tenure track fellowships aimed at fostering cutting-edge interdisciplinary research and innovation, in a supportive environment. The Fellows will be recruited in two rounds: 30 through a first call (launched October 2022), with a further 30 recruited through a second call (September 2023).

As with our previous round of Chancellor’s Fellow appointments, our aim is that at least 50% of the Chancellor’s Fellows appointments will be women and 20% will be individuals from black and minority ethnic groups.

The Fellows will be on a clear pathway to building an outstanding track record of research, innovation and impact. They will complement and extend research and innovation within the University, and forge exciting new areas of focus. They will have a vision for future leadership in research and innovation, which may straddle leading a major area of research, forging new industry partnerships, or research-led teaching innovations. The scheme builds in a focus on research and innovation in the first few years; over time, Fellows will take up the full range of core academic activities, including teaching and academic leadership. 

The Fellows will be recruited as a cohort and will be supported to achieve their research and leadership ambitions through mentoring, peer support and training opportunities.

The Fellows will be hosted by Schools and Institutes in the University, and we anticipate in this first round appointing 10 Fellows in each of our three Colleges: Science and Engineering, Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, and Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

The scheme has a strong focus on interdisciplinary research. We welcome applicants whose research straddles disciplines, Schools and Colleges, and in particular candidates who can foster innovation within the University’s three broad research themes:

  • Data, Digital and Artificial Intelligence.
  • Future Health and Care.
  • Sustainability and Climate Change.

Appointments will normally be made on the grade 8 academic scale, dependent on experience, but in exceptional circumstances a more senior appointment may be made at grade 9. It is anticipated that following a successful review at the end of year three or four, Fellows will get the opportunity to transition to an open-ended post at an appropriate grade.  

As women and people of black and minority ethnicities are underrepresented in senior academic grades, we particularly encourage applications from these groups. The University is a member of the UK Race Equality Charter, and a proud holder of the prestigious Athena SWAN Silver Institution Award which recognises our work in supporting the advancement of gender equality in academia. 

Applications for this round of recruitment are now closed. 

Thank you to everyone that applied in the 2022 round. If you would like further details about possible future campaigns please register for job alerts and you will be contacted when opportunities become available.