Fellowships in the University of Liverpool Department of Chemistry

Research fellows are an integral part of the Department of Chemistry research community. We encourage applications from outstanding individuals who would like to develop their research careers at Liverpool. We offer extensive support and mentoring for new fellowship candidates or candidates wishing to move an existing fellowship.

The Department has hosted fellowships funded by ERC, EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, Royal Society, UKRI etc. We have a strong record of recruiting independent fellows into Faculty positions.

The University has recently launched a new University of Liverpool Research Fellowship scheme.

Postdoctoral Fellowship applicants should contact the academic supervisor they are interested in working with, who will provide appropriate support.

Independent Fellowship applicants should send an expression of interest to the theme lead of the area most closely aligned with their proposed research programme:

Chemical Models Professor Alessandro Troisi
Chemistry of World Health Professor Paul O'Neill
Energy and Interfaces Professor Mathias Brust
Materials Chemistry Professor Frederic Blanc
Organic Synthesis and Catalysis Professor John Bower

Back to: Department of Chemistry

Pre-application Support

We can offer the following support with your application:

  • Support for informal visits.
  • Introduction to academic colleagues relevant to your proposal.
  • Advice on creating and maintaining an online academic profile.
  • Mentoring on which fellowship to apply for.
  • Where possible, examples of successful applications for your chosen funding scheme.
  • Guidance for administrative processes, including costing a proposal.
  • Peer review and feedback on drafts.
  • Mock interview panels.
Post-award Support
  • 1:1 support from an allocated senior mentor.
  • Silver Athena SWAN award working environment which values diversity, collegiality, openness and flexibility.
  • State-of-the-art research and analytical facilities, including in the Materials Innovation Factory.
  • Peer review and support for grants and further funding proposals.
  • Teaching opportunities and training.
  • Access to PhD studentships.
  • Access to internally allocated competitive seed funding.
  • Training and personal development through The Academy.
  • Principal Investigator training and support through the multi-million pound Prosper project.
  • Peer support and training through Early Career Researcher networks.
Career Development
  • Mentoring for progression to permanent positions.
  • Ongoing professional development through The Academy.
  • Opportunities for progression will vary by fellowship scheme but can include proleptic appointments.
  • A membership/voice in the Early Career Researcher Faculty network.
  • Opportunities to represent Early Career Researchers in different leadership committees.
Potential Funding Sources

UK Research and Innovation

The Royal Society

Wellcome Trust

European Research Council

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowships

Leverhulme Trust

Ramsay Fellowships

Daphne Jackson Fellowships

Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851

Newton International Fellowships

University of Liverpool Research Fellowship scheme.

Independent Fellowship Case Studies

Professor Anna Slater

Dr Anna Slater holds a Royal Society University Research Fellowship (2021- ) in the Department of Chemistry, and previously held a Royal Society-EPSRC Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship (2016-2020). Her research seeks to control the structure and function of molecular architectures and materials (cages, macrocycles, macromolecules) by using tools such as flow chemistry coupled with molecular design. 

Her work spans fundamental and applied chemistry, and her interdisciplinary team is funded via Royal Society, EPSRC, and industry grants. Anna is part of the Materials Chemistry and Organic Synthesis & Catalysis research clusters, and collaborates with colleagues in the School of Engineering, School of Health & Life Sciences, and Department of Geography & Planning as well as within Chemistry and externally. Anna was the EDI Lead for Chemistry (2020-2022) and is Module Leader for CHEM446 (Supramolecular Chemistry) alongside project supervision. She sits on the Chemistry Management Group and is a member of the Royal Society Grants Committee (2023- ). Anna was appointed to a proleptic senior lectureship at the end of 2021 and has since been promoted to Professor.

Dr Andrea Vezzoli

Dr Andrea Vezzoli was awarded a Royal Society University Research Fellowship in 2019, and he is currently hosted in the Department of Chemistry, affiliated with the Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy. Shortly after, he was appointed to a proleptic lectureship. Andrea’s research programme focusses on the fabrication of functional single-molecule junctions – extremely small nanoelectronics devices made by one molecule “chemically soldered” to two electrodes. His group works on all aspects of junction fabrication, from the design and synthesis of molecular wires to their nanofabrication and nanomanipulation into single-molecule junctions, and the characterisation of their optoelectronic properties. 

In addition to support from the Royal Society, Andrea’s research is also in receipt of council funding (New Investigator Award 2020, EPSRC Core Equipment Award 2021), and EU funding (ERC Starting Grant). Andrea sits on the management committee of the nanofabrication suite at the University of Liverpool with colleagues in Physics and Engineering. Andrea is involved in undergraduate teaching for 3rd year Physical Chemistry, and he manages the biannual seminar series “(bio)Molecular Electronics Colloquia".