Fellows

We are always keen to talk to potential Research Fellows about pursuing a career here in the Zoology Department. We currently host 12 such researchers (6 of them are women), plus a further 5 Junior Research Fellows in Cambridge Colleges. If you want to discuss this possibility further, then please contact either a member of our research staff working in your research area, or the Head of Department, Howard Baylis. More information about how to go about submitting an application can be found here.

Here are four good reasons why you should consider bringing a Research Fellowship to our Department.

1. We will help you prepare your application

Many of our academic staff have considerable expertise in writing and assessing fellowship applications, having either held these awards or served on the panels that assess and award them. You will be able to draw on this rich resource for guidance and feedback throughout the process, from the initial drafting to eventual honing of your proposal.

2. We will help prepare you for interview

For many fellowship schemes, the final selection is through an interview. The success of many of our Fellows has shown that the best way to prepare for these interviews is through mock interviews with Department of Zoology staff, who are experienced at sitting on fellowship and grant panels.

3. We will support your career development whilst you are Fellow

All Research Fellows have a mentor, who provides support and advice about the transition to becoming an independent group leader. We will help you prepare your first grant applications, and encourage you to take on PhD students (where the Department has discretion on graduate funding, it strives to support young Research Fellows and new staff).

A healthy track record in departmental and teaching activities is usually an important criterion for recruitment at lectureship level. You will be invited to termly staff meetings, to offer your expertise working with one or more committees and you will have the opportunity to contribute to (a small amount of) teaching.  You will be eligible to apply for travel and research costs from the department’s trust and equipment funds.

We also have an excellent record in ensuring that our fellows are nominated for, and win, both national and international awards. These have included The Zoological Society of London Scientific Medal, Society for the Study of Evolution Dobzhansky Prize, Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour New Investigator Award, American Society of Naturalists Young Investigators Award, Zoological Society of London Thomas Henry Huxley Award, and L’Oreal-UNESCO Women in Science Awards.

4. We will do all we can to ensure you move on to a permanent position

Research Fellowships in the Department of Zoology provide an amazing opportunity to carry out independent research in a vibrant, stimulating and supportive environment. During the past 10 years, every one of our Senior Research Fellows has secured a lectureship or equivalent position at leading international universities and research institutes. Our commitment to career progression is also shown by the large proportion of our permanent staff who originally came here as Research Fellows.