Title: Daphne Jackson Fellowship
Location: Edinburgh
Salary: £34,308 pro rata – £39,745 pro rata
Job type: Part Time, 2.5 days a week
Start Date: 2024
Daphne Jackson Fellowships are unique – they offer professionals wishing to return to a research career after a break of two or more years, the opportunity to balance an individually tailored retraining programme with a challenging research project in a suitably supportive environment. The unparalleled support offered by the Trust’s Fellowship Advisors and administrative staff, coupled with mentoring and retraining provided during the Fellowship, give returners the confidence and skills they need to successfully return to research.
The role:
There are three fellowships available across Scotland.
Applications are invited for a three-year Daphne Jackson Fellowship sponsored by LifeArc in honour of Aisling Burnand CBE, 1964-2022. This Fellowship is available to talented professionals wishing to return to research with specialisms aligned to one of the LifeArc Translational Challenges, including: Motor Neurone disease, Chronic respiratory health, rare diseases, antimicrobial resistance, Neglected tropical disease, Emerging viral threats, Paediatric oncology.
Another opportunity is that applicants are invited for a three-year Daphne Jackson Fellowship co-sponsored by ME Research UK (SCIO – SC036942). The Fellowship is open to talented researchers with a PhD – likely in a life science e.g. biomedical sciences, whole organismal biology, molecular genetics, infection and microbiology, structural biology, biological chemistry, who wish to return to research within a UK university or research institution after a career break of two or more years.
The principal aim of ME Research UK is to commission and fund high-quality scientific (biomedical) investigation into the causes, consequences and treatment of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (also known as ME/CFS).
The third opportunity is a Fellowship sponsored by Medical Research Scotland. Sponsored Daphne Jackson Fellowships are for those wishing to return to an area of medical research after a career break of two years or more. There is no requirement or restriction on the subject or nature of the research, provided it addresses a question relevant to human health or disease – the causation, prevention, diagnosis or treatment of illness or the development of medical or surgical appliances, including hearing aids.
Medical Research Scotland sponsored Daphne Jackson Fellowships are available for up to three years, half time and involve a challenging research project and an individually tailored retraining programme.
The Candidate:
- A good first degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM)
- A PhD, or ideally at least three years research experience (academic or industrial) prior to the career break (with evidence of research impacts and outcomes)
- A career break of at least two years’ duration taken for family, caring or health reasons
- Resident in the UK with the right to remain in the UK indefinitely
- Good command of English (spoken and written)
- Good computer skills
The application process for a Daphne Jackson Fellowship is competitive. Individuals wishing to be considered for a Fellowship must meet the following criteria:
- A good first degree in a research subject
- A good first degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM)
- A PhD, or ideally at least three years research experience (academic or industrial) prior to the career break (with evidence of research impacts and outcomes)
- A career break of at least two years’ duration taken for family, caring or health reasons
- Resident in the UK with the right to remain in the UK indefinitely
- Good command of English (spoken and written)
- Good computer skills
- A PhD, or ideally at least three years research experience (academic or industrial) prior to the career break (with evidence of research impacts and outcomes). For Research Support Fellowships, those undertaking them may have a professional or technical qualification (e.g., C.Tech., C.Eng. or B Tech.)
You may return to work during your career break; however, this must not include:
- Lecturing to degree level that takes up more than six hours a week
- Studying for MSc in a field related to your Fellowship as this would be considered to be retraining
- No form of paid research at any number of hours per week or limited duration is acceptable.
- Limited voluntary research during your career break will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- If you are unsure about where you fit in the above criteria, please contact us.
- We will also evaluate applicants for their suitability for a Fellowship based on the following criteria:
- Personal background and experience
- The potential benefit of a Fellowship on the applicant’s future career
- The likelihood of securing sponsorship
Candidates with the relevant experience or job titles of: Postdoctoral Research Fellowships, Researcher, Charity, Fellowship, Research, Scholarship, Program, Mentorship, Development, Education, Project-based, be considered for this role.
