News

Promising research talent awarded Fellowships

Forty of the University’s most promising early career researchers have been awarded prestigious fellowships to develop their innovative work.

The new Chancellor's Fellows
The new Chancellor's Fellows

The new Chancellor’s Fellows have been selected from across the University to be part of the five-year programme.

The cohort’s range of research interests includes the relationship between music and violence, the creation of new therapies to treat infant leukaemia, and the quest for greener materials in energy production.

Other topics include peer-support for autistic secondary schools pupils, antimicrobial resistance in Africa, and ethical questions associated with the reading of the Bible.

Investing in talent

For the first time in the programme’s seven year history, all of the Fellows have been appointed from within the University – in recognition of the extreme career uncertainty caused by Covid-19.

These exceptional colleagues are testament to the world-leading research talent across the University. The pandemic has been especially tough for researchers, particularly for those at the start of their careers. This makes our ability to support some Edinburgh’s most promising early career academics all the more important. These awards reflect the high value that the University places on these colleagues.

Professor Jonathan SecklSenior Vice Principal

Diverse cohort

The posts are partially funded through the Scottish Funding Council.

The University was committed to ensuring the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion informed the appointment process.

Some 80 per cent of the new Chancellor’s Fellows are female and 19 per cent are from ethnic minority groups.

Other opportunities

The University’s Institute for Academic Development will also support researchers who applied, but narrowly missed out as they compete for other fellowship opportunities from UK, EU and other sources.

This will inform a development programme, due to be launched in the spring, which will help more early career researchers achieve success.

A new library of training resources is also being launched in February 2021 to help all research staff develop their careers and further their research ambitions.

Related links

The Institute for Academic Development - support for researchers