Call for proposals: Blavatnik Cambridge Postdoctoral Fellowships

The Blavatnik Cambridge Postdoctoral Fellowship

The programme enables Israeli scientists of outstanding ability to pursue their research at the University of Cambridge, while fostering a scholarly exchange and greater understanding between researchers in Britain and in Israel.

We are inviting applications from residents of Israel seeking to undertake their first postdoctoral funding in the fields of life sciences, physical sciences and engineering at the University of Cambridge. Fellows will receive an annual stipend of £30,000. Additional funding of up to £6,000, to support direct research costs including bench fees, conference attendance and visa fees, will be available through the respective university departments.

Fellowships will be tenable for up to two years. Funding for the second year is subject to satisfactory undertaking of the Fellowship and subject to approval by the Grants Committee.

Applications for the 2022 fellowships are now closed. The call for proposals for 2023 Fellowships will be published in summer 2022. The call will be be announced in our newsletter.

Please consult the Call for Proposal and the relevant guidelines and forms at the bottom of this page before completing your application.

Please be advised that all parts of the application must be submitted by the deadline. For further guidance please review the "How Do I Apply" section below.

For inquiries, email us at: israelscience@britishcouncil.org

Am I eligible?

1. Applicants must be Israeli citizens or permanent residents; individuals with dual citizenship are eligible.

2. Applicants need to be resident in Israel at the time of their application. Applications from residents of East Jerusalem will also be accepted.

3. Applicants must be working in the field of life sciences, physical sciences, or engineering.

4. Candidates must have received their PhD from an Israeli university or other Higher Education Institution.

5. The Fellowship must be the applicant's first postdoctoral fellowship abroad.

6. Candidates must have completed their PhD degree not more than 36 months before the date of application (exclusive of periods spent in compulsory military service or on parental leave).

7. Applicants must hold a PhD degree by the start of the Fellowship; applicants may submit an application before completing their PhD studies, but the fellowship offer will be conditional on the successful attainment of their PhD.

8. Only applications that have been endorsed by the head of department in the applicant's host department in the University of Cambridge will be considered.

9. Candidates may submit only one application at a time.

10. There is no limit to the number of applicants who may apply from the same laboratory, department, or academic institution.

How do I Apply?

Applications for 2023 Felloships will open in summer 2022.

You must include a CV (limited to 3 pages) with your application;

Your host lab and referees will be required to complete a separate paper forms. Please download these forms from the links above and forward to your host and referees. They should send the filled in forms by the deadline to israelscience@britishcouncil.org.

Two reference submissions should be sent. One of the referees should be from the institution to which the applicant is affiliated.

FAQ

1. When will the candidates be informed about the committee’s decisions? Candidates will be contacted by the end of January 2023 via email.

2. When will the fellowship begin? Traditionally we follow the academic year, and we expect fellowships to begin in October 2023. Exceptions are discussed on a case to case basis.

3. Does one need to hold a PhD certificate before starting the fellowship? Yes. This fellowship is available only to candidates who have completed their PhD degree, by the starting time of the fellowship. Applicants may submit an application before being awarded a PhD, however offers will be made conditional on the completion of their PhD.

4. I’m currently completing my PhD at the University of Cambridge. May I apply for the fellowship? No. It is imperative to be an Israeli resident and to have achieved a PhD from an Israeli institute.

5. Does it matter when one submits the application? No priority given. Please make sure all forms are completed by the deadline and all documents are included.

6. Can I accept other fellowships awards alongside the Blavatnik Fellowship grant? The Blavatnik Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme will not accept any other public award intended as a maintenance allowance of over £20,000 without the approval of the Blavatnik Fellowships Funding Committee having first been obtained. The Fellow will be expected to prioritise the Blavatnik Fellowship in all engagements and accreditations.

7. Who is expected to provide the additional funds of up to £6,000 and are those funds per year or in total for the fellowship? In addition to the annual stipend of £30,000, the Blavatnik Foundation will provide £6,000 per year to cover visa costs, purchase of equipment and participation in scientific events to each fellow. The funds will be transferred directly to the Fellow’s department at Cambridge, which will administer them according to the fellow’s requests.

8. Who is expected to fill in the Host form? The person who will be working directly with the Fellow should complete the form and add a copy of their CV. We would typically expect this to be the Head of Group / Lab but appreciate that this might be another senior academic. In addition, as it is imperative that we get an approval for the initial request, to be hosted at the institute/ lab, from the Head of Department themselves. The Head of department should sign the Host form and the Department’s stamp should be applied.

How do I receive updates?

You are welcome to subscribe to our new Science Newsletter to keep up to date with our programmes, including calls for proposals: https://www.britishcouncil.org.il/en/programmes/science/newsletter

Any further inquiries should be addressed to israelscience@britishcouncil.org

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"The British Council is honoured to be managing the Blavatnik Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme and is deeply grateful to the Blavatnik Family Foundation for their generous commitment to supporting scientific cooperation between the UK and Israel. The Blavatnik Postdoctoral Fellows are clearly remarkable, conducting cutting-edge research at the University of Cambridge, and playing their part in advancing relationships between the two countries.” Christian Duncumb, British Council Israel, Former Director

The partners of the Blavatnik Cambridge Fellowships are the Blavatnik Foundation, University of Cambridge, the British Council (Israel) and the British Embassy.

*The Blavatnik Cambridge Fellowships are delivered by the British Council in Israel