The bp-ICAM Kathleen Lonsdale Research Fellowship

The bp-ICAM Kathleen Lonsdale Research Fellowship Second Call

Overview

The bp International Centre for Advanced Materials (bp-ICAM) brings together the strengths of four world-leading universities and bp to create an international centre of excellence in advanced materials research to support bp’s net zero ambitions. The bp-ICAM was set up by bp in autumn 2012 with a $100 million investment by bp and is a partnership between The University of Manchester (UoM), the University of Cambridge (UoC), Imperial College London (ICL) and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). These academic partners combine game-changing capabilities in a wide range of materials sciences and engineering including battery technology, catalysis, chemistry, coatings, corrosion, electrochemistry, electrocatalytic conversions, characterisation, imaging, modelling, membranes, nature-inspired surfaces, separations and self-healing materials.

The bp-ICAM Kathleen Lonsdale Research Fellowship offers a first step to build an independent research career for exceptional scientists and engineers who have a current need for flexible or special support. The primary criteria for assessing the bp-ICAM Kathleen Lonsdale Research Fellowship proposals will be scientific merit and fit to bp-ICAM’s vision to enable the effective application of advanced materials for the transition to net zero.

The bp-ICAM Kathleen Lonsdale Research Fellowship offers:

• The possibility of a highly flexible working pattern, including part-time working, converting from full-time to part-time and back, sabbaticals and secondments;
• The possibility of claiming limited funds to enable the applicant to take on family responsibilities, where these can be justified on scientific grounds, e.g. childcare or other caregiving costs during collaborative visits or when speaking at a conference; and
• The possibility of claiming limited funds for special support to take care of impairment, disability or health issues.

Subjects Covered

The research project proposed in the fellowship need to fall within the bp-ICAM Advanced Materials remit, which includes the Enduring Themes of Low Carbon Energy, Sustainable Operations and Underpinning Science. We are especially interested in projects aligned with bp’s Net Zero by 2050 Ambition and bp’s Advancing Low Carbon strategy, in research areas such as hydrogen, electrification, carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) and the circular economy.

Eligibility Requirements

Candidates can apply to this scheme if they:

• Have a PhD in a relevant subject, including Physics, Chemistry, Engineering, Materials Science or related disciplines;
• Are of any nationality and will be conducting their research in one of the bp-ICAM universities: The University of Manchester, Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge in the UK or the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the US;
• Can demonstrate excellence in science and in particular in one of the subjects covered above;
• Are at an early stage of their research career (have completed their PhD but have no more than 8 years of research experience post PhD by the application deadline). Career breaks (e.g. maternity/paternity/adoption leave or extended sick leave) and time spent outside the research environment will be taken into consideration; and
• Are in current need for flexible support due to personal circumstances at the time of application and for the duration of the fellowship (e.g. parenting or caring responsibilities, clinically diagnosed health issues or disabilities).

Funding

The scheme provides funding for up to 5 years for:

• The applicant’s salary costs, comparable to an early stage lecturer or assistant professor, up to £50,000 pa ($ 65,000 pa) depending on experience, plus estate costs and indirect costs under full economic costing. Should the university wish to supplement the basic salary provided by ICAM, it is free to do so at its own discretion;
• Research expenses up to £15k ($19.5k) in the first year and up to £10k ($13k) annually thereafter. These research expenses can be used flexibly to support the research proposal, e.g. for purchasing small equipment and consumables, use of research facilities and travel to conferences; and
• The possibility of requesting funds to broadly support career development including, but not limited to, special support for applicants with disabilities or health issues, childcare or other caregiving expenses to attend conferences, specialised training and assistance for research (up to £10k /$13k a year). These requests will be considered individually when reviewing the applications and awarded on a case-by-case basis.

Successful bp-ICAM Kathleen Lonsdale Research Fellows who are about to start their first year will be eligible to apply for a bp-ICAM Research Grant of ca. £100k ($130k). Fellows will also be encouraged and supported to apply for external research funding.

Application and Review Process

Applicants will have to submit:

• A cover letter which explains their need for flexibility and/or special support;

• A CV (four pages maximum);
• A letter of support from the host institution outlining their support to the applicant. It should also include the full economic costing of employing the applicant (salary + overheads up to £650k / $845k over the full 5-year period of funding) – it is essential that contact is made with the persons named below as representatives for each potential host institutions as early as possible in the process;
• Contact details for three personal referees; and
• A three-page research proposal, including a summary, research budget (£55k / $71.5k) and a section demonstrating how their research would align to bp-ICAM’s vision.

Selection Criteria

Applicants will be selected based on:

• Quality of science
• Scientific merit of the applicant
• Fit to bp’s Net Zero by 2050 Ambition / bp’s Advancing Low Carbon strategy; and
• Commitment of the host institution to the project (The University of Manchester, Imperial College, University of Cambridge and University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign).

This should be submitted to the bp manager, Materials Science and bp-ICAM, mandar.thakare@bp.com by 2.00 pm (UK time) / 8.00 am (Central US time) on Monday 8th November 2021.

Applications will initially be assessed internally and then shortlisted by members of the bp-ICAM Project Management Board (PMB).

The shortlisted proposals will be externally reviewed by three independent experts and successful applicants of this independent peer-review will be invited to an interview. Applicants will be informed whether they have reached the interview stage in February 2022.

The final decision will be made by the PMB and applicants will be notified of the result by the end of February 2022. The aim would be for the successful “Kathleen Lonsdale” Research Fellow to start their fellowship by August/September 2022.

Enquiries

Enquiries about the fellowship and the application process should be submitted to the bp manager, Materials Science and bp-ICAM, mandar.thakare@bp.com.

Enquiries with regard to securing a letter of support from the potential host institution should be submitted to the Programme Management Board representative for each bp-ICAM university partner, copied to their administrators as follows:

• Nancy Sottos – UIUC – n-sottos@illinois.edu (cc emalloch@illinois.edu)
• Sarah Cartmell – UoM – sarah.cartmell@manchester.ac.uk (cc klaudia.januszewska@manchester.ac.uk)
• Stuart Clarke – UoC – stuart@bpi.cam.ac.uk (cc Hilde Hambro: hh463@eng.cam.ac.uk)
• Camille Petit – IC – camille.petit@imperial.ac.uk (cc k.kmieckowiak@imperial.ac.uk)

As an equal opportunities employer we welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of age, sex, gender (or gender identity), ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and transgender status.  All appointments are made on merit.

Blended working arrangements may be considered      

Please note that we are unable to respond to enquiries, accept CVs or applications from Recruitment Agencies.

Enquiries about the vacancy, shortlisting and interviews:

bp manager, Materials Science and bp-ICAM

Email: mandar.thakare@bp.com.

General enquiries:

Email: hrservices@manchester.ac.uk

This vacancy will close for applications at midnight on the closing date.