Early career group leaders

Group leaders collaborating at the Crick.

Introduction

Early career group leaders (ECGLs) are the core of the Crick's faculty. We appoint ECGLs at a creative stage in their careers to develop innovative and ambitious research programmes.

Crick core funding supports them to develop research programmes driven by curiosity, not by trends.

ECGLs are initially appointed for a six-year period, which is generally renewed for a second six-year period following a satisfactory review in their sixth year. Towards the end of their time at the Crick, we help them to secure senior positions in the UK and elsewhere, providing support to relocate their research programme.

Role of an early career group leader

The main role of early career group leaders is to develop an internationally competitive research programme in biomedical research and build their research profile, both in their specialist area and in the wider international research community.

ECGLs build on their core Crick support package by attracting external response-mode funding, especially during the second six-year period of their appointment.

ECGLs also contribute to scientific and operational administration at the Crick, working with colleagues in the Crick's graduate student and postdoc mentoring programmes, and represent the Crick at external meetings and scientific bodies.

They also contribute to the Crick's public engagement and fundraising activities, and promote the reputation of the Crick with scientists and the public.
 

The early career group leader support package

The Crick gives scientists the space, resources and freedom to establish and develop new independent research programmes. Our package applies for the full duration of the contract. It includes: 

  • Competitive salary with benefits and relocation assistance
  • Initial six-year contract, renewable once, up to a total of 12 years
  • Salaries, consumables, and support costs for up to three researchers and two graduate students
  • Opportunity to expand through external grant funding
  • Close links to our partner universities - UCL, Imperial College London and King's College London
  • Access to Crick technology platforms and facilities, including our cutting-edge high performance computing infrastructure
  • Full lab set-up in state-of-the-art space

We are able to support flexible working, including part-time work schedules, and will support visa applications for successful candidates and their families.