Sanger Excellence Fellowships now open for 2025

Sanger Excellence Fellowship Applications are now open for 2025 – We are offering up to 4 open positions. There is flexibility with the start date, but Fellows should be able to start from January 2026. The Fellowship runs for three years and can be worked full-time, part-time or flexibly. Closing Date: 7th September 2025

Building Equity in UK Genomic science

The Fellowship has been developed in close collaboration with internal and external experts, including senior Black academics and Black-led community groups, who have helped shape the overall approach to ensure the support we offer is tailored and meaningful. Even if you are not selected this time you feedback can be provided to help you move forward in your career journey.

Aims of the Fellowship

Do you want to help us improve human health and understand life on Earth? Make your mark by shaping the future to enable or deliver life-changing science to solve some of humanity’s greatest challenges.

About the Fellowship -Eligibility

This opportunity is designed specifically for Black early career researchers who are passionate about genomics and looking to build their research experience in a world leading Institute. Our Fellowship is designed to support your development with training, mentorship and funding to help you thrive and build a lasting career in science.

About the Fellowship-Salary

You will be part of our Postdoctoral Fellowship programme and will be paid in line with this pay scale (£38,000 – £49,156 in 2025), dependent upon skills and experience. The Sanger Excellence Fellowship also includes research consumables of up to £18,000 per annum, dependent on the nature of the project and £1,500 per annum for you to attend conferences and training. These costs are held by your Supervisor but ring-fenced for your Fellowship. 

How To Apply

For more details visit the Sanger Excellence Fellowship page on Imperial’s website.

Application Process

• Stage 1: Expression of Interest

This is to confirm your eligibility to participate in the call, and to ensure your scientific background and/or research ideas are aligned with Sanger science.

If you meet the eligibility criteria, you will be invited to complete:

• Stage 2: Application form

Here, you will choose a pre-defined project to apply to,  or spend some time co-developing a bespoke project with a Sanger supervisor. At this stage, you will be invited to speak with the relevant Sanger supervisor(s) to discuss the project and your research interests in more detail.

Once your application is submitted:

• Lead supervisors will triage all applicants applying for pre-defined projects, or with co-developed projects and will recommend a sub-set (no more than 2 candidates per per-defined project, plus those with co-developed projects) to progress to shortlisting by the review panel. If you are unsuccessful at this stage, feedback will be provided.,

• The Sanger Excellence Review Panel will shortlist approximately 8 applicants across the entire applicant pool for interview

The Panel comprises internal and external stakeholders. There are 4 fellowships available, the Panel does not expect to shortlist more than 1 candidate per project. If you are unsuccessful at this stage, feedback will be provided.

If you are invited for interview:

• You will also be invited to join our in person ‘candidate information day’ at the Wellcome Genome Campus on Wednesday 5th November 2025

Reasonable travel and accommodation expenses will be covered for all candidates attending the information day. The information day will include opportunities to meet your potential Supervisor and their team, network with current Excellence Fellows and the wider Postdoc community, and participate in an interview skills workshop.

• Interviews will take place virtually on Thu 20 Nov and Fri 21 Nov  

You will be asked to give a presentation and answer questions on your previous research and your developed project proposal (via Zoom). This will be followed by a Q&A-style competency-based interview with the panel. The interview panel will comprise of internal and external stakeholders. If you are unsuccessful at this stage, feedback will be provided. Expressions of interest should be submitted online HERE.