Chancellor's Fellows
Highly prestigious five-year tenure track fellowships focused on innovative research
Chancellor's Fellowship scheme
Building on our strong REF2021 results, the University of Edinburgh is supporting a major new investment in outstanding early career researchers. The University will be recruiting 30 new Chancellor’s Fellows: prestigious 5-year fellowships aimed at fostering cutting-edge interdisciplinary research and innovation, in a supportive environment.
As with our previous round of Chancellor’s Fellow appointments made in 2022, 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. We also strongly encourage applications from other under-represented groups such as disabled candidates.
The Fellows will be on a clear pathway to building an outstanding track record of research, knowledge exchange, 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.
Online information session
26 July 2023, 11.30 – 13.00
An online information session took place on Wednesday 26 July 2023, 11.30 – 13.00 (BST) which provided an overview of the recruitment process and was an opportunity for anyone who required further information or clarification on how to apply.
Chancellor's Fellows in the College of Science & Engineering
The Fellows will be recruited as a cohort and will be supported to achieve their research and leadership ambitions through mentoring and peer support. These provide talented ECRs with the networking and career development training opportunities to enable them to thrive as an academic at the University of Edinburgh
The College of Science and Engineering is seeking to appoint up to eighteen Chancellor’s Fellows who have a demonstrable track record, in research (with at least two years at postdoctoral level and which may include knowledge exchange, innovation and/or impact), and the potential to make a key contribution to the University through furthering the goals of the host School, College and University. Of these eighteen posts, we expect to appoint up to six each in the College priority themes of AI and Datascience, Climate & Environmental Sustainability and Health & Life.
We will consider applications from researchers with a background in any relevant discipline. Applicants must consider the most appropriate host (chosen from one of the seven Schools in the College of Science and Engineering or EPCC), to enable Fellowship support and development and indicate this in their application. We therefore suggest candidates should discuss their application with potential host School(s)/EPCC. During the fellowship, interaction with other Schools is encouraged and applicants should highlight such opportunities in their application. There is the possibility to make a case for a joint appointment across two host Schools: the added value of the joint appointment must be clearly articulated.
As noted above, given the barriers facing female researchers, and those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups, the scheme aims to appoint at least 50% female and 20% BAME applicants. We therefore strongly encourage applications from these groups. We also are very open to applications from those with non-traditional career paths, including those with family or caring commitments, those with health career breaks, or those who have moved to academia from a career in another sector. This recruitment round is part of a wider suite of measures designed to improve diversity and inclusion in the College of Science and Engineering.
We are considering applications from researchers from any discipline, and applicants should indicate the most appropriate host School(s) (including EPCC) in Science & Engineering in their application. We therefore suggest candidates could discuss their application with their potential hosts.
Given the multidisciplinary nature of each theme, we welcome applicants with experience of, or potential to conduct interdisciplinary research and endeavours that span Schools and the University. We also welcome applicants with experience of community-facing activities relating to research culture, inclusion, mentoring, or outreach. In terms of addressing the potential to deliver College and University research strategy, it would be helpful to indicate where applicants, through Chancellor’s Fellowship support, can make a key contribution to research and innovation in an area related to one of the University/College’s priority themes:
- AI and Datascience includes signature data and computing intensive research activities in all our Schools/EPCC, brought together within the data driven innovation programme, and driven by key innovation initiatives within the Bayes Centre.
- Health and Life includes research and innovation activities at the interface of research and innovation activities with the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, with research activities across advanced health and care, therapeutics, and transformative life sciences research and technologies, from fundamental to applied.
- Climate and Environmental Sustainability encompasses all parts of the sustainability spectrum, from transformative energy and resource efficient systems, new technologies, data-informed interventions, circular economies, planetary sustainability, social and environmental justice and geo-humanities. Much of this aligns with and feeds into development of the new Edinburgh Earth Initiative, as well as the University’s own business.
School/Centre priorities
We seek creative talent across all our themes, but especially where their research addresses key priorities: pandemic response and preparedness, biodiversity loss, adaptation, resilient plant health in changing environments, antimicrobial resistance, nature-based solutions and green factories for high value products.
AI and Datascience - We are particularly interested in developing new computational and statistical methods for modelling complex systems, designing novel systems for engineering and synthetic biology and for analysing large, diverse datasets. Capacity building in this area will enhance our activity in the Health and Life and Sustainability themes within Biological Sciences.
Health and Life - Our research in the biology of health and life works across scales (genes to systems) and draws in cell and molecular analysis of immune cells and pathogens in addition to fundamental studies on cellular function in model organisms (yeast, parasites, flies and mammals). This encompasses infection and cell biology, immunology, stem cells, development and aging studies, and synthetic biology, from fundamental discovery science to translation and applications.
Climate and Environmental Sustainability - Our research in sustainability addresses the effects of environmental change on life, and on developing cutting edge technologies and solutions to improve sustainability in the circular bioeconomy. We use a fundamentally interdisciplinary approach integrating evolutionary genetics, ecology, epidemiology, immunology and pathogen biology, holobiont biology, aspects of global health studies, engineering biology and biotechnology. From fundamental understanding of cell and molecular systems and evolution, we aim to deliver impact in areas such as antimicrobial resistance, emerging infectious diseases and pandemic monitoring, microbial and plant cellular factories for sustainable production and plant biotechnology for food security.
The School of Chemistry hosts a vibrant and inclusive community of researchers working on topics that align with the School's research themes, detailed on our Research pages.
We are particularly interested in applications that align with our priority areas in data-driven Chemistry, Healthcare technologies and Chemical sustainability.
Cross-disciplinary applications that align with these and College themes will be especially welcome.
AI and Datascience - AI and data-driven solutions are pervading all aspects of engineering, offering new solutions in almost all sectors from future manufacturing to construction and offshore industries. Our research focus in the School of Engineering encompasses a wide range of underpinning technologies in the AI and data space, from the next generation of communications to new AI hardware and future robotics systems.
Health and Life - We recognise the big societal challenges around health, with an ageing population and the increasing complexity and cost of modern healthcare. In collaboration with medics and other healthcare professionals, we are focussed on working on new healthcare technologies which offer the potential to transform national and global health .
Climate and Environmental Sustainability - Monitoring, assessing and maintaining sustainable and resilient infrastructure across the built and natural environments is of paramount interest to engineers. The impact on global climate change; sustainable development; infrastructure deterioration; wellbeing; communities; and national security is clear. Research in the School of Engineering spans a wide range of needs from water treatment, to large-scale infrastructure projects to energy systems.
The School of GeoSciences proposes to recruit a Chancellor's Fellow in areas that align with the School strategy and the three thematic areas of the College of Science & Engineering. School priority areas centre around Climate and Environmental Sustainability particularly, climate change, including extreme events and adaptation to climate risk; links between climate change and health; impacts of climate change; data-informed interventions including energy transitions, circular economies and planetary sustainability, environmental justice and geo-humanities. We also welcome applications using data science techniques to deal with big data linking to the data driven innovation programme in Space and Satellites, health data and geo-data in its widest sense.
AI and Datascience - The School of Informatics is at the international forefront of research in AI and Data Science. We invite applications from strong researchers across the span of computer science, artificial intelligence and data science, with particular priorities in the area of generative AI, neuro-symbolic reasoning, formal verification of AI systems, computer architectures for safe and efficient performance. Candidate should have ability/interest to contribute to our undergraduate and postgraduate teaching programmes.
Health and Life - The School of Informatics has a long tradition of work in neuroinformatics and applications of artificial intelligence to health data in a variety of forms. This has recently been expanded into strengths in technology-enhanced care and rehabilitation and robotics for medical applications. We especially invite applications from strong researchers who can demonstrate excellence in Biomedical AI, NeuroAI, and systems to complement and expand human capabilities in disease and in health. Candidate should have ability/interest to contribute to our undergraduate and postgraduate teaching programmes.
Climate and Environmental Sustainability - is a nascent area for the School of Informatics, but one in which we are keen to grow further. We invite applications from strong researchers with a track record in computer science and artificial intelligence for sustainability, and the potential for creating synergy with areas of current research in the School. Candidate should have ability/interest to contribute and develop to our undergraduate and postgraduate teaching programmes.
AI and Datascience - The School of Mathematics is looking to recruit individuals with research interests lying within the areas of Data Science and AI. Particular research areas of interest include foundational research in these areas as well as the development of methodological and computational aspects. For example, this may include, but is not limited to, mathematical and statistical foundations of data science and AI; integration of AI with other forms of mathematical modelling and algorithms; the interface of AI and optimisation; inference and inverse problems; and applications to science, engineering, health and social sciences, industrial processes and public policy.
Health and Life - The School of Mathematics is looking to recruit individuals with research interests that focus on the development of new mathematical and/or interdisciplinary techniques driven by healthcare and related problems. For example, this may include, but is not limited to, the derivation and investigation of new mathematical models for medical/healthcare systems; statistical techniques for data-driven future healthcare; operational research for improved logistics; further applications of data science and AI. Interdisciplinary research and/or research connecting this area with industry or public policy is also strongly encouraged.
Climate and Environmental Sustainability- The School of Mathematics is keen to strengthen existing mathematical sciences research within the remit of sustainability and climate change, as well as develop new complementary research directions. Particular areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the development of novel approaches from the mathematical sciences for energy systems; environmental risk and resilience; earth observation/remote sensing; fluid dynamics and climate sciences; biodiversity indicators. Interdisciplinary research and/or research connecting this area with industry or public policy is also strongly encouraged.
The School of Physics & Astronomy welcomes Chancellor’s Fellow applicants in all areas of Physics and Astrophysics who can demonstrate creative excellence in research and have the ability/interest to contribute to our undergraduate and postgraduate teaching programmes. We are interested both in candidates who can enhance our existing strengths, and in candidates who can broaden the scope of our research and impact, potentially through building interdisciplinary connections across and beyond the College of Science & Engineering (broadly aligned with the overarching College priority themes)
AI and Datascience - The School seeks to further strengthen the application of modern AI and datascience approaches to exploit the wealth of massive data sets that are produced in experiments with the School’s involvement, ranging from particle accelerators to space based telescopes.
Health and Life - Development of novel approaches that bridge into medicine and biology and that facilitate the use of physical modelling and/or experimental techniques.
Climate and Environmental Sustainability - The School has a strong interest in development of renewable energies and approaches to the circular economy. We seek to further strengthen such activities, in particular through further strengthening our collaborative work with Geosciences, Biology, and Engineering.
AI and Data Science - In addition to the ARCHER2 national supercomputer, EPCC hosts an unrivalled collection of data analytics and large-scale artificial intelligence (AI) systems including two Cerebras CS-2 AI supercomputers, a Graphcore Bow IPU Pod64 system and a large NVIDIA A100 GPU cluster. EPCC has designed and built the “Edinburgh International Data Facility” (EIDF), and in the future hopes to host the UK’s first Exascale supercomputer. EPCC is highly interdisciplinary and through the appointment of a Chancellor’s Fellow we want to build on our applied data science and AI expertise, in particular in the context of exploiting large-scale compute resources (such as an Exascale system) for large language and other transformer models.
Health and Life - EPCC is a key developer and provider of health data services for research. EPCC hosts a unique set of medical and health datasets that can be linked and analysed to answer complex questions around care provision and health outcomes. One example is the DataLoch service, which brings together key health and social care data to allow a holistic, data-driven approach to the prevention and treatment of different conditions. Another example is the Scottish Medical Imaging service, which provides linkable, population based, “research-ready” real-world medical images for researchers to develop or validate AI algorithms within the Scottish National Safe Haven. EPCC is looking for a Chancellor’s Fellow with a track record in using AI with health data to developing solutions for diagnostic and decision support in multimorbidity and social care.
Climate and Environmental Sustainability - Large-scale computing (including scientific computing, AI/ML and data science) is under increasing pressure to be more sustainable. EPCC is already operating an extremely resource efficient state-of-the-art data centre, but ensuring the highest possible sustainability remains a challenge largely of the interaction of computational hardware with software. EPCC is looking for a Chancellor’s Fellow with a research interest in exploiting the plethora of our own monitoring, design and specification data to develop an AI model-driven “digital twin” of any data centre (the system, the machine rooms and the plants) and the system workloads to discover and address inefficiencies in the operation of data centres world-wide.
Application process
Appointments will normally be made on the grade 8 academic scale (£43,314 - £51,805), dependent on experience, but in exceptional circumstances a more senior appointment may be made at grade 9 (£54,949 - £61,823). It is anticipated that following a successful review at the end of year three or four, Fellows will transition to an open-ended post.
As women and people of black and minority ethnicities are underrepresented in senior academic grades, we particularly encourage applications from these groups. We also strongly welcome candidates from other under-represented 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.
Closing date: now closed