British Council Women in STEM Fellowships
The University of Edinburgh, supported by the British Council, is delighted to offer three fully funded Early Academic Fellowships for female candidates looking for post-doctoral experience in STEM related subjects who are nationals of South Asian countries.
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. They build connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and other countries through arts and culture, education and the English language.
The British Council has established programmes to support Women and Girls in STEM around the world, designed with a lifecycle approach in mind, from inspiring young girls to stay in STEM to supporting women working in STEM fields reach positions of leadership and network with their peers in their region and the UK.
Award
Each fellowship will include a monthly stipend of £2,199 per month, a return economy class ticket and other related costs such as visa application, NHS surcharge, childcare (if required) and any related research costs up to £10,000. The fellowship will be tenable for one academic year. More information about the fellowship programme can be found here:https://www.britishcouncil.org/study-work-abroad/in-uk/scholarship-women-stem
Eligibility
Three fellowships are available within either the School of Biological Sciences or the School of Engineering Candidates should apply to join one of the following research teams:
| Research Institute | Project Lead | Project Title and Description | Research Area | Key skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Institute for Immunology & Infection Research |
Dr Jason Mooney |
Schistosomiasis in Gambian children
Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease which infects more than 140 million people. These ‘blood flukes’ are flatworms which grow in freshwater snails, releasing ‘cercariae’, which then penetrate human skin to mature in the human liver. Acute infection can result in fever, chills and without treatment, will result in hepatomegaly and haematuria.
In The Gambia, urinary schistosomiasis prevalence is up to 12%. One emerging discovery is the hybridisation of human schistosomes with schistosomes from ruminants, often those using the same watering sources, resulting in a zoonotic co-infection. In this work, using banked samples from children screened in 2018 in The Gambia, we aim to increase our understanding of the distribution, immunological impact, and, genetic diversity of Schistosoma in The Gambia. |
Immunology, Infection, One Health |
Molecular diagnostics (qPCR), protein analysis (ELISA), analysis of clinical datasets, bioinformatics |
|
Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences
|
Dr Annis Richardson |
Genetic Networks Underpinning Male Floral Development in Maize
~1.2 billion tons of maize grain is produced globally each year, and maize is one of the top 3 cereals that combine to provide more than 50% of global calories. Central to this productivity is the effectiveness of maize pollination. Maize is unique in our cereal crops as it has separate male and female inflorescences, called the tassel and ear respectively. The precise timing and dispersal of pollen from the tassel is an essential step in pollination. Pollen dispersal is influenced by the number of tassel branches and their angles. Branch angle is determined by the development of a specialised structure called a pulvinus, of which we know very little. This project will investigate the development of the pulvinus using histology and imaging, and reveal the genetic networks that underpin pulvinus development using transcriptomic analyses, and in situ hybridisation. This work will contribute to future studies manipulating branch angle to influence pollen dispersal in the field. |
Plant genetics, developmental biology, agriculture |
Maize genetics, histology, transcriptomics, cloning, in situ hybridisation |
| Institute for Ecology and Evolution Research |
Prof Sinead Collins https://www.ed.ac.uk/profile/sinead-collins |
How do phytoplankton respond to multiple simultaneous environmental changes?
Diatoms are phytoplankton that play key roles in marine food webs and biogeochemical cycles. However, our understanding of how they respond to multiple simultaneous environmental challenges remains low. We study the physiological, ecological and evolutionary responses of diatoms to multiple stressors, with the goal of understanding how primary production is affected in coastal and open ocean systems by bottom-up drivers such as changes to temperature, carbonate chemistry, nutrients, day length, and (recently) changes associated with the presence of offshore wind farms. Currently, we’re using our existing model systems and methods to combine diatom growth response curves for temperature, nitrate and CO2, and to explore how timescales of acclimation vary within and between diatom species. We are developing new methods to look at phytoplankton responses to electromagnetic fields and changes in daylength in the laboratory. Finally, we are developing ways to use open-source imaging equipment and analysis to measure changes in phytoplankton community composition and the outcome of competitions. Based on the interests and background of the candidate, any of these systems can form the basis for an independent research project. |
Life sciences, climate change and environment | Phytoplankton ecophysiology, coastal monitoring, laboratory experiments, data analysis and presentation |
| Institute of Cell Biology |
Dr Julie Welburn |
Can we exploit hypersegregation of chromosomes as a anti-mitotic target? During failed cytokinesis, chromosomes typically hypersegregate. The cell then becomes tetraploid and is sensitive to genome instability which underpins aneuploidy, chromosome reshuffling and tumour evolution. We will examine whether hypersegregation of chromosomes causes low DNA damage which would form the basis for chromosomal rearrangement and instability to favour tumour evolution. We will use live cell imaging to examine the fate of cells with failed cytokinesis and use whole genome sequencing to look for chromosome rearrangement. The project will also involve examining activation of the DNA damage pathways in polyploid normal cells versus cancer cells. The project will provide insights into why cells that fail cytokinesis and undergo polyploidy are likely to undergo transformation. |
Cell biology, biochemistry, computational biology | Cell biology, fluorescence microscopy, image processing and computational biology |
| Research Institute | Project Lead | Project Title and Description | Research Area |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Institute for Energy Systems |
Dr Jonathan Shek, Senior Lecturer Deputy Head of Institute for Energy Systems: |
Dr Shek’s research is in power conversion and control for sustainable energy. He focusses on 3 key research areas: 1. Hybrid renewable energy systems for remote communities – using renewables to enable safe, reliable, and autonomous electricity supply whilst minimising reliance on fossil fuels. 2. Small-scale, low power, marine energy for coastal areas – many areas around the world can benefit from electricity generated by wave or tidal energy conversion but have not been able to do so due to high costs and low energy resource. This research area investigates how to best extract energy from low energy waves and tidal currents through electrical solutions that also minimise the cost of energy 3. Control for reliability in renewable energy devices – In many countries, often the main barrier to widespread deployment of renewables is the cost of energy produced, due to high maintenance costs. This research area investigates electrical system design and control methods of renewable energy devices to improve component reliability and fault tolerance, therefore making renewable energy accessible to more countries.
The early academic fellow will work on one or more of these areas as there are synergies between them. |
The Scholar will preferably work on a project focused on item 1, though interactions with the other three is welcome. For example, experiments could be run in the School Of Biological Science glass house which allow full control of environmental factors (length of day, solar intensity, temperature, moisture etc.) The scholar will built skills in the following areas:
|
|
Institute for Energy Systems |
Dr Dimitri Mignard, Senior Lecturer |
Dr Dimitri Mignard’s research focuses on adapted technology and Human Centred Design for development, with the aim of improving access to fresh water and energy as well as improved food security. Ongoing projects and interests include Low-cost integrated desalination and irrigation in arid, hot areas, for food and fodder production and for supporting the
|
The Scholar will preferably work on a project focused on item 1, though interactions with the other three is welcome. For example, experiments could be run in the School Of Biological Science glass house which allow full control of environmental factors (length of day, solar intensity, temperature, moisture etc.) The scholar will built skills in the following areas:
|
Other eligibility criteria for the British Council Fellowships for Women in STEM, you must:
• Be a woman.
• Be a passport holder and permanent resident of one of the eligible countries for South Asia:
Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan or Sri Lanka.
• Have recently completed a research or terminal academic qualification (PhD or equivalent) and not be in an established academic post with a research-related role or function.
• Have not previously studied at degree level or higher in the UK or lived recently in the UK.
• Meet the English language requirement of the UK university partner.
• Demonstrate case for financial support.
Other Criteria
You are also required to show in your application form that:
• You have a plan for the research activities to be undertaken during your placement, and their
relationship to your PhD or previous work, to show how this will contribute to your career
development.
• You are willing to demonstrate future contribution to capacity-building and socio-economic
advancement through the benefits achieved after graduating from UK higher education and
returning your home country
• You can demonstrate a plan and passion to engage other women and girls in STEM from your
home country
• You agree that your personal data being shared with the British Council as a condition of
applying for the bursary
If you are awarded a scholarship, you agree to maintain contact with the British Council and act as an ambassador for the UK and engage with activities as part of a British Council Scholarships for Women in STEM alumnus during and after your study in the UK. Any involvement in these activities during your study in the UK will take up no more than five hours per term.
You are not eligible for a British Council Scholarships for Women in STEM if you:
• Hold dual British citizenship
• Are an employee, a former employee, or relative (*) of an employee of Her Majesty’s Government (including British Embassies/High Commissions; the Department for Business,
Energy and Industrial Strategy; Department for International Trade; the Ministry of Defence; and the Home Office)
• Are an employee, a former employee, or relative (*) of an employee of the British Council Scholarships for Women in STEM – eligible countries
(*): Relatives are defined as parents or stepparents, siblings or stepsiblings, children or stepchildren, spouse, civil partner or
unmarried partner (where the couple have been in a relationship akin to marriage or civil partnership for at least two years).
• Are currently in receipt of financial support or funding towards your study programme in the UK from any other source
• Have previously studied in the UK with funding from a UK Government-funded scholarship or a UK institutional scholarship/financial bursary.
The fellowship will be awarded on the basis of academic merit, and experience of research in the specific field with due consideration also being given to financial circumstances. Candidates must have, or expect to obtain the international equivalent of a PhD before commencing their fellowship with us.
Applying
Informal pre-application enquiries:
If you have any specific questions relating to the research projects, please contact the academic PI directly at the email addresses in the table above.
To Apply, please complete the form here:
https://forms.office.com/e/k7yah2jLH8
and submit the following documents by email to womeninstem@ed.ac.uk
- An Academic CV
- A letter of application, which contains all the required personal information and clearly states which of the above projects you are applying to join. This should include why you think that you are a particularly suitable candidate for this fellowship and why you wish to pursue your research within the specific research group from the list in the table above. You should also include the following information:
your activity in the field with work/research experience
your willingness to contribute towards future capacity-building and socio-economic advancement on return to your home country
how you plan to engage other women and girls in STEM from your home country
- A letter of recommendation from your PhD institution, preferably from your supervisor or advisor, addressing your skills and suitability for the placement.
You will also need to agree with your personal data being shared with the British Council as a condition of applying for the bursary.
If you are awarded a fellowship, you agree to maintain contact with the British Council and act as an ambassador for the UK and engage with activities as part of a British Council Scholarships and Fellowships for Women in STEM alumnus during and after your study in the UK. Any involvement in these activities during your study in the UK will take up no more than five hours per term.
Application Deadline
Applications should be submitted by 31st March 2023
Notification
Applicants will be notified of the outcome by the end of June 2023.