Call for Strategic Partnerships

The Rosalind Franklin Institute are seeking to make two 5-year joint appointments, each in a key strategic area for the Franklin, Structural Biology and Artificial Intelligence, collaborating with UK HEI or Institute partners.  

Appointments would be expected to start in role before June 2026, but as early as practical within the 2025-2026 academic year. 

Candidates for these roles should already have well established, funded research programmes, interests aligned with the Franklin mission, internationally-recognised track records for scientific ambition, creativity and productivity and a compelling vision for how their science could benefit from the advanced technologies and interdisciplinary, team-oriented environment of the Franklin and the wider Harwell campus.  Ideal candidates will have experience in academic leadership in their current or previous appointments. 

Candidates could be either current members of academic or equivalent staff or new appointments if timing for the latter could be made secure enough for confidence in timelines.  Ideally, candidates will be seconded at 0.5 FTE to the Franklin, remaining employed by the University. The secondments are renewable subject to performance and funding.

Secondees will be supported to fully integrate at the Franklin.  They will be able to build research programmes with core funding provided to the Franklin, although also expected to attract new external funding to ensure the sustainability and growth of their programmes. To achieve this, the roles will demand a significant physical presence in the Institute, consistent with the proportional appointment and demands of science and staff, student and equipment supervision and oversight. 

The Franklin will provide salary proportional to the appointment (e.g. at 0.5FTE) and provide laboratory space and instrument access needed for pursuing the Franklin-based science programme.  The partner would be expected to cover similar local costs for the remaining component of the full appointment.   While working in the context of the Franklin, the post holder would be subject to governance of the Franklin under the terms of the secondment contract.  Access to the Franklin and its laboratories and facilities can be provided for members of the post holder’s partner-based research group or collaborators, enabling both partner and Franklin teams to benefit further from the joint appointments.

The areas of interest are deliberately broad to encourage the widest participation in the call. However, interested partners are strongly encouraged to consider the current Challenges and emerging interest areas for the Franklin outlined below; 

Technology Innovation Challenges

Multidimensional Imaging of Molecular Structures

Developing new technologies to see the molecules of life and their dynamics with unprecedented detail.

Integrated Chemical Imaging in Cells and Tissues

Driving innovations that will wed mass spectrometry with advanced structural biology techniques to map the molecules at cellular resolution across healthy and diseased tissues.

Molecular Perturbations: Chemistry Engineering Biology

Discovering innovative chemistries and applying the rigour of chemical thinking to better understand and modulate the molecules of life.

AI and Informatics for Predictive Biology

Embedding data management and science to use AI and machine learning to accelerate life sciences research towards the goals of both describing and predicting complex biological systems.

Life Science Challenges

Quantitative Biology Across Scales

Integrating innovative imaging methods and AI in ways that will allow researchers to flexibly image complex tissues across large and small scales.

How Pathogens Interact with Human Cells

Discovering new ways of detecting, preventing and combatting human infectious diseases by discovering the mechanisms by which viruses and bacteria interact with human cells and tissues.

The process:

UK HEI or Institute partners should submit a two-page (maximum) expression of interest (EOI) in the secondment scheme to . EOI’s should include:

• A statement of the strategic scientific alignment between the Franklin and partner
  
• The area(s) of potential interest and partner rationale for these
  
• Proposal on recruitment or appointment strategy for the post (i.e., if there is an identified candidate or if the partner is seeking to increase capacity in this area) and how the post would be funded if the latter 
  
• In both cases, short CVs (no longer than 3 pages) may be submitted with the EOI as examples of the potential candidates from the university partner
  
• Details of the relevant expertise, platforms, facilities, collaborative networks or training programmes in the partner university that could be leveraged by the candidate(s) for rapidly establishing a strong science programme linking the Franklin and the partner university
  
• Confirmation of senior support and commitment, including confirmation that the post holder would not be expected to take on administrative or teaching burdens which would prevent full participation in the partnership or integration at either site 

EOI should be received by 5 pm 15 May 2025. 
 
Review of the EOI by the Franklin will involve internal and external referees and will be completed by late June 2025.  Through this process, EOI will be ranked as being highly aligned for immediate follow up, aligned to hold for possible follow up or as less well aligned and not for follow up. Discussions with partners whose EOI are highly aligned will be conducted through September-December. If progression of a highly aligned proposal seems unlikely by the end of 2025, the Franklin may pursue discussions with a partner(s) for one (or more) of the additional aligned proposals. Post holders will be expected to have begun their joint appointments by the end of June 2026.
 
We strongly encourage informal discussions between partner university leads for this bid and the Institute Direct and between potential candidates and members of research teams in advance of EOI submission. Please contact  to arrange these discussions.
 

All appointments will be subject to the continued UKRI funding for the Franklin.