International Fellowship Positions

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. The Wellcome Sanger Institute is seeking exceptional early career stage scientists to join the Institute as an International Fellow, contributing to the Institute's scientific portfolio. We have up to six fellowships available.

The Institute is an internationally outstanding genomic research centre with over 30 core faculty teams and 1,300 employees based south of Cambridge. Our mission is to apply and explore genomic technologies at scale to advance understanding of biology and improve health. With our core funding and state-of-the-art platforms and facilities we enable our researchers to concentrate on biological questions across a diverse range of genomic and genetic science, in both independent studies and large-scale collaborations. The result is a unique, vibrant and interactive research environment with synergies and cross-fertilisation of ideas across and between programmes.

This fellowship brings the opportunity to access our unique research offering including:

• Industrial-scale data generation capabilities
• High-powered scientific computing infrastructure
• Extensive operational support
• Productive and motivated existing faculty
• Capabilities for global training and capacity development
• Existing global collaborative networks
• Partnership with Wellcome

We welcome candidates with research interests that complement one of our six research programmes. Our aim is for International Fellows to bring in new areas and ideas that enrich our scientific research portfolio while also enabling access for the Fellows to our scientific community and central facilities within the field of genomic research. You will receive a three-year fellowship that can be renewed for two further one-year no-cost extensions. Fellowships are accompanied with a stipend of £100,000 across the whole fellowship period (up to five years) that can be used for a wide range of research activities including but not restricted to sequencing, staff, and travel costs. Fellows are expected to spend several weeks at the Institute each year of their fellowship. Our dedicated International Team will offer expert guidance and tailored support throughout your Fellowship. We also provide networking opportunities for our Fellows, access to training and mentoring along with support in submitting funding applications.

Fellowship Eligibility:

You are typically an early-mid career group leader/faculty usually up to nine years post PhD, based at a research organisation in a low- or middle-income country (LMIC). You may hold a faculty or equivalent position and are seeking to establish or strengthen your research team to develop an internationally recognised research portfolio. We also welcome applicants with equivalent experience, including those who have taken career breaks or followed non-traditional paths. Your main research aims should be focused on your local country and research priorities which contributes to or complements the Institute's scientific strategy through their expertise.

Essential Criteria:

• Proposing and developing a research project or portfolio that complements Sanger scientific strategy and is relevant to the field of Genomics
• Proposing a research project that demonstrates your potential to build your research portfolio and enhance your competitiveness for future academic positions and funding.
• Strong track record of early career research
• Demonstrates evidence of potential for driving collaborative research
• Demonstrates alignment with our Behavioural Competency Framework (BCF) encompassing leadership, integrity, collaboration, communication, results-driven and innovation and values
• Fluency in English with the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively to diverse audiences, fostering collaboration and mutual understanding.

Other Information:

The Institute is located on the stunning Wellcome Genome Campus, more information on our science and activities can be found on our website.

Application Process:

Applications should be accompanied by:

• A full academic CV (2-3 pages) and list of publications along with two referee details
• A two-page outline of your future research plans that will form part of the research project you would conduct for your International Fellowship
• Brief cover letter explaining your suitability and motivations for the role, outlining which faculty you are interested in collaborating with

We encourage you to reach out if you would like more information on our research programmes and Group Leaders before applying. Please email with any queries. If successful at the shortlisting stage we will ask you for a virtual interview with a panel including some of our Faculty. Following that we would arrange for a 1:1 interview/discussion with the Faculty member you are interested in collaborating with.

Closing date: 13th February 2026. Interviews will be held during 16th-27th March 2026 excluding weekends.

Hybrid Working at Wellcome Sanger:

We recognise that there are many benefits to Hybrid Working; including an improved work-life balance, with more focused time, as well as the ability to organise working time so that collaborative opportunities and team discussions are facilitated on campus. The hybrid working arrangement will vary for different roles and teams. The nature of your role and the type of work you do will determine if a hybrid working arrangement is possible.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

We aim to attract, recruit, retain and develop talent from the widest possible talent pool, thereby gaining insight and access to different markets to generate a greater impact on the world. We have a supportive culture with the following staff networks, LGBTQ+, Parents and Carers, Disability and Race Equity to bring people together to share experiences, offer specific support and development opportunities and raise awareness. The networks are also a place for allies to provide support to others. We want our people to be whoever they want to be because we believe people who bring their best selves to work, do their best work. That’s why we’re committed to creating a truly inclusive culture at Sanger Institute. We will consider all individuals without discrimination and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees, where everyone can thrive.

Our Benefits:

We are proud to deliver an awarding campus-wide employee wellbeing strategy and programme. The importance of good health and adopting a healthier lifestyle and the commitment to reduce work-related stress is strongly acknowledged and recognised at Sanger Institute. Sanger Institute became a signatory of the International Technician Commitment initiative in March. The Technician Commitment aims to empower and ensure visibility, recognition, career development and sustainability for technicians working in higher education and research, across all disciplines.