Quadram Early Career Fellowship Scheme

We have created an exciting opportunity for early career researchers to join a new fellowship scheme at the Quadram Institute Bioscience that will aim to help individuals to become future leaders within the fields of food/microbes/health research.

The Early Career Fellowships will provide medium term support (36 months) to outstanding early career scientists to enable them to apply for more ambitious 5-year fellowship programmes (e.g. from UKRI, Wellcome Trust, ERC). It will also allow the candidates the opportunity to initiate independent research and to promote distinct interactions with other scientists. Up to three fellows will be supported per year.

The objectives of the Quadram Early Career Fellowship programme are to:

• Initiate an independent research programme at a QIB and to generate preliminary data to support a longer-term Fellowship application
• Receive mentorship in the development of research strategy, scientific writing and networking skills.
• Develop and submit fellowship applications to major funders.

Applicants for a Quadram Early Career Fellowship will need to propose research and/or research training that falls within the QIB science remit.

Interested applicants are invited to submit a single document comprising (i) a cover letter (ii) a full CV and publication list (iii) a research proposal detailing a short and longer term vision of your research and strategic goals (2 pages), including how your research will contribute to, and benefit from, the Quadram Institute.

Assessment criteria will include the applicant’s track-record, their commitment and potential to develop as a future leader in research relevant to QIB, the quality of their research proposal, as well as training opportunities for them to acquire new skills and experience through the award and how it will benefit their future career in research.

Salary on appointment will be within the range £42,000 to £54,000 per annum depending on qualifications and experience. The Quadram Early Career Fellowship scheme will provide employment on a fixed term basis for a period of 3 years. At the end of the fixed term contract the Institute cannot guarantee future employment, our expectation is that Quadram Early Career fellows will either gain external longer-term fellowships or win suitable faculty positions.

Further information and details of how to apply can be found on the HR website or contact the Human Resources team on 01603 450814 or nbi.recruitment@nbi.ac.uk quoting reference 1004469.

The closing date for applications is 31 July 2023.

Questions and answers

We have developed the following questions and answers which we hope will help potential applicants with further information about the scheme.  If you have any further questions please contact James Myhill, HR Manager c/o human.resources(at)nbi.ac.uk

Will there be any circumstances where the Fellowship contract will be extended?

No.  The purpose of the Fellowship contract is to provide a period of 3 years employment to initiate an independent research programme and pursue applications for fellowship programmes.  The Institute’s funding for the fellowships is based on a model that provides each fellow with a fixed period of employment that equates to 3 years.

If I achieve an external Fellowship will I automatically progress to a QIB Career Track Group Leader (CTGL) position?

The fellowship scheme will not provide any automatic transition to a CTGL role.  If the Institute advertises a CTGL / GL vacancy then any member of the Institute could apply for the position.

I am currently employed on a Fixed Term Contract at the institute – if I am successful could I start the position at the end of my current fixed term contract?

If successful there will be some flexibility over when employment can commence but we would anticipate that a start date would usually be with 6 to 8 weeks of the offer of employment.

As a QIB Fellow what institute facilities will I have access to?

QIB Fellows have access to a budget of £10k per annum and access to all QIB facilities that our other fellows, Career Track Group Leaders and Group Leaders can access.

I am currently employed at QIB, if my application to become a Fellow is successful would I be able to re-join the ISP after the fellowship has finished?

If you are a current QIB employee and accept an offer of employment to become a QIB Fellow then, at the end of the fellowship contract, we would not be able to guarantee the option to return to your post in the ISP.  However, at the end of the Fellowship we would explore all possibilities to establish whether any other employment opportunities exist that you would wish to pursue.

 Will I have access to all the benefits offered to other QIB employees?

Yes – candidates offered a QIB fellowship will be provided with a contract of employment enabling access to all employment benefits which include, access to a pension plan, life assurance, NBI Lifestyle (a great range at discounts including shopping and travel) and sports and leisure facilities.

Can I apply for any other grants other than Fellowships?

We primarily expect the fellows to apply for other longer-term fellowship schemes. However, at the discretion of the Director, and after consultation with the CSO, and on the basis of a strong business case, applications for other fully funded UKRI schemes would be considered. However, the fellowship would come to an end with the end of either the fellowship or the grant (ie no guarantee of future employment).

As a QIB Fellow what training and development will I be able to access?

QIB Fellows will be able to access a wide range of training opportunities that are available to all Norwich Bioscience Institutes’ (NBI) staff and students.  Across the Research Park we run training courses throughout the year which provide our staff and students with excellent opportunities to learn new skills and engage with researchers from across NBI.  QIB Fellows will be able to seek career advice through NBI mentoring arrangements or through senior scientists at the QIB.

In addition to the excellent training opportunities there are lots of social events that QIB Fellows can take part in too!

We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sectors of society.  The Institute supports equality of opportunity within the workplace and expects all employees to share and display these values.  To support our commitment, we have a range of family, faith and diversity friendly working arrangements to help all staff achieve excellence in their area of work.

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee to offer an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for this vacancy.

The Quadram Institute Bioscience is a registered charity (No. 1058499) and is an Equal Opportunities Employer.