David Sainsbury Career Development Fellow x2
Applications are invited for two David Sainsbury Career Development Fellowships to join the Sainsbury Laboratory, Cambridge University. The Fellowships provide an opportunity for imaginative early career investigators to develop their own research programme and become creative leaders in the field of quantitative plant developmental biology.
All enquiries should be directed to enquiries@slcu.cam.ac.uk.
Details of the roles and how to apply
Applications Close on 30 January 2026
What does SLCU offer PIs
As a principle investigator at SLCU, you will be joining a world-leading research centre for interdisciplinary plant developmental biology with a collaborative and family friendly environment, financial support and freedom to advance your own original research programmes.
As a member of the SLCU leadership team, you will contribute the collegial and collaborative research environment of the Sainsbury Laboratory. We have a flat leadership structure and all Group Leaders contribute equally to day-to-day decisions and informing the strategic direction of the lab. Our Group Leaders work very closely together: they meet weekly to discuss SLCU-related business and have monthly science lunches to discuss ongoing projects and grant applications and receive feedback.
Group Leaders also develop affiliations with different University of Cambridge departments, including Plant Science, Genetics, Physics, and Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics. This has supported the establishment of a range of collaborations. also engaged in interdisciplinary University efforts such as Cambridge Computational Biology Institute (CCBI), Cambridge Centre for Biological Physics and Cambridge Morphogenesis Seminar Series.
As SLCU is a non-teaching research institute, there is no teaching requirement formally specified for Group Leaders. However, Group Leaders are strongly encouraged to supervise postgraduate research students (MPhil and PhD) and offer undergraduate research projects. Through their affiliations with teaching departments and colleges, Group Leaders can also participate in the teaching and supervision of courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
SLCU offers a generous remuneration package, which includes additional central research funding and relocation support. You will also find that SLCU’s professional services, technical support, equipment and facilities are exceptional and far exceed what is offered at other institutes.
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Group leader careers
Group Leaders hold five-year Gatsby Fellowships, which include a competitive salary and an annual unrestricted research budget of £250,000-£300,000. This generous internal research funding is a unique benefit to support fundamental plant science research. Additional funding is encouraged and supported.
Towards the end of the five-year Gatsby Fellowship and review process will determine whether funding is renewed for an additional five years. If it is, the Group Leader will be offered a position to retirement age within a University of Cambridge department, providing that they meet the minimum standard for appointment to such a University post.
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David Sainsbury Research Career Development Fellows
Career Development Fellows were established to provide an opportunity for early career researchers to develop their own research programme and establish their first research group. They are five-year awards, with a competitive salary and an additional 30% Gatsby distinction award, benefits and £70,000 p.a. of unrestricted research support. As Career Development Fellows progress towards independent researchers, they will be encouraged to apply for external funding.
The Fellow will be assigned a mentor, who will support them in their development as independent researcher, providing advice on grant writing, research group management etc. Fellows will also have access to the full range of career development resources offered by the University and will be supported in seeking out wider training opportunities, including additional funding for attending professional development programmes, including to attend the EMBO Laboratory Management and Leadership Course for Group Leaders.
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Running a Research Group at SLCU: Live Q&A with the Director and Group Leaders
SLCU Director Henrik Jönsson and Group Leaders Edwige Moyroud and Alexander Jones hosted a live online Q&A Information Session in 2022 for people to ask questions about the application process and find out more about running a research group at SLCU. They talked about the facilities available, environment and culture, and collaboration opportunities.
Live information Session on Running a Research Group at SLCU
FAQs
We have also include a FAQs below from commonly asked questions.
How does the Sainsbury Lab define plant development?
Plant development is quite broad and if you asked our Group Leaders they will each have a slightly different answer. But at its core it is understanding the multicellular process of how a plant is growing and developing and including the regulatory processes controlling this. We take a multi-scale approach, from the molecular level looking at genes and proteins, up to how cells talk to each other to create a tissue and how tissues talk to each other to create a functional organ, and then how to create an entire organism. We are also interested in how plants interact with their environment and with other organisms. A lot of the questions we investigate also look at the question from an evolutionary perspective and how evolution has changed the developmental process to create the diversity that we observe.
What is the term for David Sainsbury Career Development Fellowships positions?
David Sainsbury Career Development Fellowships are for five years. They are fixed-term, non-tenure track and non-renewable. However, Career Development Fellows can submit applications for open Group Leader positions as they become available.
Are university departments involved in selecting the candidates, or does this association develop later, like a college appointment?
The selection panel includes SLCU group leaders and an academic from another Department within the University of Cambridge. The SLCU Management Board, Gatsby Charitable Trust, SLCU Group Leaders and wider SLCU community will also be asked for input on the final selection of the preferred candidate.
How does departmental and college affiliation/teaching work?
You are not automatically assigned to a teaching department or college when you are hired at SLCU. After you join SLCU you will be encouraged to form an affiliation with one of the University’s teaching departments, but it is up to you which department you choose. There is a great diversity of departments across the university and that is a real advantage of working at SLCU that you also have the opportunity to form connections with other departments.
Not all SLCU Group Leaders have college affiliations, but some do, and they find these affiliations valuable for forming networks with people working in different disciplines across the University and being part of the wider collegiate university community. Joining a college is often an informal process. For many, the college affiliation is the result of meeting other academics at Cambridge and being invited to visit their college to discuss possible fellowship opportunities. Sometimes a college is looking for a new fellow in a specific subject area and they will advertise the college fellowship. Colleges are now also invited to submit an expression of interest when new permanent roles at the University are advertised.
Having an affiliation with a Department and College also provides you with additional opportunities for teaching, through lecturing, small group supervisions, as a director of studies, or mentoring students, and otherwise contributing to the wider collegiate university community. But this is very flexible and it is up to you what affiliations and connections you would like to form.
Can you describe your Microscopy Facility?
SLCU has a comprehensive range of equipment that covers techniques from macro-imaging/photography through to stereofluorescence, confocal, raman and scanning electron microscopy. Support facilities include a well-equipped prep room, sample incubation growth chamber, uninterrupted back-up power supply (for high-end confocal and SEM systems) and data storage on a central server. An advanced workstation contains various tools for 4D analysis including Imaris (4D rendering and tracking), Huygens (deconvolution and 3D rendering) and offline versions of the software used to run the facility microscopes.
We are also very responsive to needs from our research groups. We discuss needs and if there more than one group that needs a certain piece of equipment, we have access to central funds to look at investing in new equipment. We also work closely and have access to facilities across the University, including with the Cambridge Advanced Imaging Centre.
Find out more about SLCU’s Microscopy Facility
What are your main selection criteria?
SLCU is a research institute and we want to do state-of-the-art internationally competitive science on plant development incorporating quantitative aspects. We have 5 criteria that are used for our 5-year evaluations, so they are important for selecting candidates. The primary duties of all SLCU PIs, and the criteria by which they are assessed, are:
- Conduct original high-quality research with the potential for major scientific impact
- Inspire and train the next generation of researchers
- Provide high-quality scientific management and leadership
- Raise the profile of plant science in Cambridge, nationally and internationally
- Contribute to the collegial and collaborative research environment of Sainsbury Laboratory
Fostering a supportive and collaborative environment is highly important for achieving the goals of SLCU. We are a relatively small research institute and want to work closely together. Mentoring of early career researchers is also a very important aspect of the role and we want group leaders to support their team members to develop their own projects and collaborations and Professors at SLCU to mentor the more junior Group Leaders.
How will the Sainsbury Lab make sure that documented inequities (for example, lower funding rates for people of colour, fewer collaboration opportunities for women) do not disadvantage applicants from these groups?
When assessing applications for role, we look at the applications wholistically and consider people as a wholistic summation of their experiences, not just their list of publications or grants. If you would like to include information about yourself, such as inequity, disability, career interruption, disadvantage or other information that you would like us to know, please feel free to include that in your cover letter or contact Henrik. We are striving to improve our diversity as an institute at all levels and that is a big part of our philosophy when hiring.
This is part of the reason that we held this Q&A to encourage people who may not have previously considered applying for these roles to apply. Cambridge has an elite reputation that may turn people off or feel like it would be a place that they would not feel welcomed and comfortable. We wanted to show that at SLCU we are inclusive, welcoming, and value and celebrate diversity. When you join us you are in effect joining a supportive and caring family where we all work together and where all voices are listened to and ideas welcomed and acted on. Our group leaders meet weekly to discuss things, make decisions for the whole Institute collaboratively and they also support each other with writing grant applications etc. It is this culture that we think makes SLCU a very special place.
We take this very seriously at SLCU. We put a lot of effort into getting better and improving consistently over time. We are part of an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) programme in the UK called the Athena SWAN, which is a charter framework that helps higher education and research institutions develop good practices and advancement of gender equality: representation, progression and success. We were awarded a Silver Award for this charter and are now part of a wider School of Biological Sciences plan of actions to make improvements. These actions are overseen by SLCU’s EDI Committee with representatives from across all staff and student groups and from which working groups have been formed, which include even more SLCU members, to work on specific actions for improving EDI at SLCU. This is not a one-off thing that we do once a year, it is an ongoing conversation every week at every level, whether it is a discussion about seminar speakers or a specific reflection about what we are doing and how we can do better. We also expect all Group Leaders to participate in EDI – joining the committee or working groups to make real progress.
And it is not just talk, it has led to very practical actions, for example we have a lactation room, baby/toddler facilities and now have a dedicated Reflection Room that can be used by people for a quiet space and for prayer. We are doing well in terms of diversity at the PhD and postdoc level, but we are also very aware that this is not being reflected in our Group Leader level and that is something that we want to improve over time.
Would the interview panel for Group Leader positions consider applicants from non-plant backgrounds?
Yes. Many of the people working at SLCU did not necessarily come from a hardcore plant development or developmental biology background. There is some flexibility, so if you are not a core quantitative plant development biologist you can still apply. The key thing is that you should be interested in moving into the conceptual framework of plant development whilst at SLCU and that your research question is a plant development question. We value people coming from a completely different background with new perspectives as this makes it more likely that we are going to make more interesting discoveries in research. We want to bring people to SLCU who have their own vision, but that it is a vision that also contributes to the direction of SLCU and that your vision grows and develops over time as you get a chance to work with people at SLCU in disciplines that you might not have had the opportunity to work with before.
It’s not a rule that you only have to do research in plant development. You may want to do some research strands in other more general areas that are not plants or not development, but a large component of your research at SLCU needs to be directed at plant development.
Where should I address the criteria? Cover letter or Statement of Research? For example, my experience mentoring students and postdocs?
Your Statement of Research is really focused on your research – what is your research question, what is your vision, how do you plan to approach it. So we recommend that you address the selection criteria, for example, demonstrating your approach and experience mentoring students and postdocs in the cover letter. You can elaborate on different aspects that you bring to SLCU in the cover letter. While we appreciate letters that get to the point well, there is no word limit on the cover letter. You can also incorporate this in your CV and include a statement about your mentoring and teaching philosophy, for example.
What are you looking for in applications to demonstrate they have an outstanding research record, international stature and raising the profile of plant science?
One thing that we have taken to heart at SLCU is that we are not looking for H-index or some sort of falsely quantitative metrics applied to publications or what journal you have published in. We are not looking at numbers and want to look at the applicant in a wholistic sense as outstanding research cannot be measured by the traditional metrics. For the professorship roles we would expect you to have a track-record of publications where you have made a contribution and your contribution has made an impact on the field and to also see some evidence that the field of research regards your contribution positively. We have a 5-year funding cycle and the Gatsby Charitable Foundation really wants us to tackle some of the big questions. This gives us a unique opportunity with more flexibility and to take a bit of a risk. You may not get to the answer in 5 years, but you should have a clear plan of how to progress. Your vision, the potential and the ideas that you propose for your contribution over the next 10 years are just as important as your past research record. We definitely like ambitious work, and are particularly open to projects that may take a long time to conclude or would be difficult to fund through traditional methods. We also are looking for people who can raise the profile of plant science and so we are looking for people who will be leaders in their field.
My current research is similar to one of SLCU’s current Group Leaders – is this a problem?
Not necessarily, but we do want you to be able to interact in a really productive way. So if you are working on something similar but working towards a different angle or from a different perspective, that can be quite synergistic. So please do not exclude yourself and not apply just because there is a similarity. We absolutely want interaction, and we are an institute looking at plant development and so there will always be some overlap and that is by design. Consider if there will be a synergy that would be exciting for you and also exciting for the other group leader and think about how to enhance this.
Could you tell me how decision-making takes place at SLCU in regard to decisions shaping the institute?
We are very collaborative and our Directors have always promoted a culture where everyone at all levels is encouraged to contribute to the decision-making of the institute. We have seen many ideas coming from all levels that have actually changed the institute. Henrik is the Director and so formally he has to sign-off on many of the decisions, but decisions are made collectively in a shared leadership model. Group leaders meet every week and discuss institutional issues and contribute to the direction of SLCU. Everyone can have a say in how we run SLCU – we have a regular Friday slot where people can drop in to come chat with the Director about any aspect of the Institute, from small things to larger ideas. We hold All Hands meetings to bring the whole community together in an open platform discussion and we have ways to feedback anonymously.
We also have an excellent Management Board, which also provides advice and input on important decisions.
In my research statement should I list who I want to collaborate with?
Yes in the sense that it is useful to show awareness and for us to see that you have looked at who we are and you have started to think about some ideas as a starting point for future collaborations and why SLCU is the place for you. However it's not binding and does not mean that you absolutely have to do those things when you come to SLCU. We won’t dismiss an application because it does not list future collaborations. You will find it really useful when you come on site as part of the interview process to meet people to discuss collaboration opportunities then. Lots of collaborations happen organically and from the bottom-up where your postdocs chat and come up with proposals and are not necessarily something that the group leader has planned from Day 1.
When do you want the role to start and is there some flexibility if I want to finish a current grant/fellowship?
Absolutely, we are very flexible and understand that you may be running projects and finishing grants at your current workplace and so might like to negotiate a transition. There is no reason to cancel anything and we can have a discussion about a transition period. We don’t expect you to start immediately and on day one to have a whole team set-up and running. SLCU is very flexible and supportive in accommodating complicated career paths and transitions.
What will my teaching load be?
There is not a specific teaching requirement, but you will have opportunities to contribute to university undergraduate and postgraduate teaching. You do this mainly through the Department that you become affiliated with or through your College if you choose to join one.
SLCU is a non-teaching department. This means that we do not run undergraduate or postgraduate courses. We do have undergraduate and postgraduate students undertake research projects with us, including PhD students undertaking their research within SLCU groups, but all students are officially enrolled through a teaching department.
What is the typical timeline for hearing if I am successful?
After the positions close the interview panel will review applications and put together a shortlist of candidates that they invite for interviews and to visit SLCU to meet people and deliver a seminar. Depending on the availability of candidates and the interview panel, interviews may be held over a period of weeks in early March. We aim to provide candidates with feedback within a couple of weeks at the end of interviews to let them know what is happening in the process and if they are the preferred candidate. Then there are a couple of extra steps. We will ask for feedback from our Management Board and the Gatsby Charitable Foundation. This does add some extra time to the process, but we try to get back to candidates as quickly as possible.
What are the expectations for securing external funding?
While we do expect that people will get external funding, there are no rules or expectations for how or what level of external funding you must secure. One of the great things about SLCU is that we have core funding. We apply for external funding, but it is very easy to keep projects going in-between external funding grants because of this core funding. There is also University and external funding available for students and we support our postdocs in applying for fellowships and grants.
What are the long-term career paths available for David Sainsbury Career Development Fellows? How long is the contract and what progression opportunities are there? Can I go on to a tenure track position?
In principle these positions are 5-years, like many fellowships in the UK, and there is no extension after this. If a Group Leader position becomes available, clearly the CDFs can apply for this or any other tenured positions in Cambridge. Every CDF we have had so far has moved on before the end of their 5 years to very good positions in academia and industry. After a few years in the CDF role, they found they were in a very strong and competitive position to then apply for a tenure track or group leader position as their next role.
What type of publications can I include? Pre-print? Reviews?
Yes, absolutely please include pre-prints, reviews, patents or book chapters and anything that you feel is relevant for the selection committee.
Will my job interview seminar be publicly advertised as being a job application seminar?
If you are shortlisted, you will be invited to visit SLCU, to give a seminar to the SLCU community, and meet with SLCU group leaders and facilities managers. We also ask the SLCU community for feedback on candidates. However, you can choose whether to have your seminar publicly advertised to the wider University. In all cases, your seminar will be listed as an external seminar only and no reference will be made to the seminar being as part of a position application.
What sections should my statement of current and future research plans include?
There is no explicit directive on what you have to include, but you should clearly articulate your long-term vision, your over-arching question and what excites you the most about your future research project. Include a summary of your past research, but it is most important to focus on what direction you want to take your research and include a rough timeline, especially when there are multiple research strands, and possible funding that you will apply for. It is also good to include some of the practical stuff, for example how you plan to implement the project, what facilities/equipment/resources you need and how many postdocs and students your team will have and what projects they will work on. You also need to include a summary of your research aim written for a general audience.