Group Leader Fellowships

Group Leader Fellowships are awards from an external funding organisation that enable researchers to establish their own independent research lab. Typically, successful fellows have postdoctoral experience, several lead-author papers, and a compelling scientific vision. NPP is a world-class environment in which to establish your research group and we provide support from the earliest stages of preparing a fellowship application. Many of our current faculty established their independence on the fellowship route.

Why NPP for your Fellowship?

UCL is home to Europe's largest Neuroscience research community comprising over 400 research groups.
NPP is a dynamic, inclusive and research-led department with broad expertise spanning receptor pharmacology, biophysics, circuits and systems neuroscience, cardiovascular neurophysiology and neural computation.
NPP provides state-of-the-art lab space and access to Science Technology Platforms for imaging, genomics, mass spectrometry and more.
NPP fellows supervise graduate students from a number of excellent programmes, including the UCL Neuroscience MSc, Wellcome Optical Biology PhD programme, London Interdisciplinary Doctoral Programme (LiDo) and UCL-Birkbeck MRC DPT.
We provide continuous support and mentorship, starting at the earliest stages of preparing your fellowship application.
Our group leader fellows are part of the supportive Biosciences Fellows Network.
In line with UCL Division of Biosciences policy, we expect most fellows to successfully transition to a permanent position at the end of their fellowship.

Application and Sponsorship

We're keen to attract applicants from diverse backgrounds who'd like to establish their research lab within NPP and tackle fundamental questions in neuroscience, physiology and pharmacology.

To identify candidates to sponsor for group leader fellowships, we operate a departmental selection process 1-2 times per year (approx June and November). Applicants are asked to outline their fellowship plans and identify the external funding schemes (see below) they plan to apply to.

If we decide to sponsor you for external fellowships, you'll be assigned a mentor and provided with plenty of support and guidance in drafting your fellowship applications and preparing for interviews.

If you'd like to be sponsored by NPP, you should apply to one of our selection rounds well in advance of the deadlines of the external schemes.

For further information please take a look at our Information for Applicants document, or contact our NPP fellowship coordinators:

Dr Isaac Bianco

Prof Annette Dolphin

Funding Schemes

The schemes listed below provide support for junior group leaders to establish their independent research programmes. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list and other schemes that provide similar support might be eligible for sponsorship. If in doubt, please contact the NPP fellowship coordinators (see Application and Sponsorship, above).

Remember, if you'd like to be sponsored by NPP, you'll need to apply to one of our selection rounds well in advance of the deadlines of these external schemes.

UCL Excellence Fellowship: The UCL Excellence Fellowship scheme is run by the UCL School of Life and Medical Sciences and is open to the full range of disciplines in basic and applied life sciences. These awards support the transition to independence and cover the fellow’s salary for three years as well as provide research funding.

Wellcome Career Development Award: This scheme provides funding for mid-career researchers from any discipline who have the potential to be international research leaders. The awards are up to eight years in duration and provide salary support for the fellow and additional staff as well as generous funding for research costs. Application deadlines are in November and March.

MRC Career Development Award: This scheme supports talented post-doctoral researchers to make the transition to independent investigators. The scheme covers all areas of the MRC’s scientific remit, ranging from basic studies with relevance to mechanisms of disease to translational and developmental clinical research. The five-year award includes the fellow’s salary and support for research staff as well as generous funding for research costs. Application deadlines are in September and April.

European Research Council Starting Grants: The scheme targets researchers with 2-7 years experience since PhD, who have the potential to become independent research leaders. The five-year award covers the fellow’s salary, support for research staff as well as generous funding for research costs. Application deadline in January.

UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship: This scheme aims to develop the next wave of world-class research and innovation leaders in academia and business. The award covers the fellow’s salary, support for research staff as well as generous funding for research costs and is initially for four years (with the possibility for an additional 3-year extension). Application deadline November.

EPSRC Open Fellowship: This scheme supports researchers who plan to deliver high-quality research with a focus on discovery science, innovation, instrumentation or technique development, or software engineering. The award covers the fellow’s salary, support for research staff as well as generous funding for research costs for a period of up to five years. No application deadline.

Royal Society University Research Fellowship: The scheme is for outstanding scientists who are in the early stages of their research career and have the potential to become leaders in their field. The award covers the fellow’s salary for five years as well as some funding for research expenses. Application deadline in September.

Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship: The scheme supports the transition to an independent research career for outstanding postdoctoral scientists and engineers who require a flexible working pattern due to personal circumstances, such as caring responsibilities or health issues. The award covers the fellow’s salary for five years as well as some funding for research expenses and is highly flexible to accommodate for part-time working, sabbaticals and secondments. Application deadline in November.

Meet our NPP Research Fellows

Dr Isaac Bianco

UCL Excellence Fellow
Wellcome Trust and Royal Society Sir Henry Dale Fellow
Wellcome Senior Research Fellow
Bianco Lab

"NPP is a really supportive environment for junior PIs and provided me with newly refurbished lab space, extra funding to build a microscope and fantastic mentorship."

Dan Brierley

Royal Society Sir Henry Dale Fellow
Brierley Lab

"The highly collegiate faculty in NPP have helped me navigate the challenges of setting up a lab, and the broad range of their expertise has stimulated and enabled many exciting new collaborative research avenues."

Dr Lorenzo Fabrizi

MRC Research Fellow
Medical Research Foundation Fellow

"As well as the expertise within the department, NPP has strong links to other research centres and hospitals which has enabled me to build collaborations and develop my research."

Matthew Gold

Biosciences Research Fellow
Wellcome Trust and Royal Society Sir Henry Dale Fellow
Gold Lab

"The great scientific breadth of NPP, spanning from receptor biochemistry to neural network dynamics, has provided lots of opportunities for collaboration and inspired me to take my research in exciting new directions."

Dr Andrew MacAskill

UCL Excellence Fellow
Wellcome Trust and Royal Society Sir Henry Dale Fellow
Wellcome-Beit Prize Fellow
MacAskill Lab

"A great advantage of NPP is the possibility to recruit talented students from the various PhD programmes within the department which has allowed me to grow my research group."

Sarah Ruediger

Wellcome Trust Fellow
Wellcome Trust Career Development Award Fellow
Ruediger Lab

"The exceptional mentorship and camaraderie nurtured both within the department and across the university, have been pivotal in ensuring a smooth startup process for my lab. I am also deeply grateful for the support provided by experienced staff members who have greatly facilitated administrative tasks for me."