University of Birmingham to strengthen research excellence with 125 new Fellows and Chairs

Campaign launches to attract outstanding researchers who want to progress their careers by joining the University of Birmingham.

23 November 2023

A scientist holding a robotic prosthetic arm, and a Vietnamese mother and daughter walking through a tiered corn field

The University of Birmingham today (23 Nov) launches a major campaign to recruit 125 new researchers and senior academics as it continues to build its strengths in key research areas, driving its ambition to become a Top 50 global university.

Commemorating the University’s 125th anniversary in 2025, recruitment will take place over five years – resulting in the appointment of 100 new Birmingham Anniversary Fellows and 25 Birmingham Anniversary Chairs. The University is seeking diverse talent from amongst the world’s best researchers for the five-year positions.

The scheme will recruit across the University’s Research Challenge Themes:

Global Health
Thriving Planet
Connecting Cultures
Life Changing Technologies
Fairer World

125th Anniversary Fellows and Chairs | University of Birmingham

Transcript

This 125 years of Nobel Prize-winning research.

This is space to challenge limits. This is time to delve deeper. This is where your research will drive real and lasting change.

At University of Birmingham, we are creating 125 new anniversary Fellows and Chairs opportunities across our research challenge themes:

Global Health
Thriving Planet
Connecting Cultures
Life-changing Technologies
Fairer World

This is your opportunity to shape the next 125 years.

We Advance. We Activiate.

University of Birmingham Vice-Chancellor & Principal Professor Adam Tickell commented: “We are looking for outstanding researchers who want to progress their careers by joining the University of Birmingham – an ambitious top 100 global university. We’re continuing to invest in our people and facilities as we strengthen Birmingham’s areas of research excellence by recruiting a diverse mix of academic talent in line with our commitment to further boosting equality, diversity and inclusion across our University.”

The Birmingham 125th Anniversary Fellows and Chairs scheme will provide successful candidates with an excellent level of support throughout their career, including relocation assistance, research opportunities, and career development. We have a great track record of nurturing talent at Birmingham. Our new Fellows and Chairs will be joining an accomplished and supportive research environment at the forefront of their field.
Professor Rachel O’Reilly, University of Birmingham Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research)

The Fellowships offer excellent opportunities for career progression and a bespoke package of high-quality support to enable those with demonstrable impactful research to excel in their field. The new scheme aims to develop academics who epitomise citizenship and collaboration – protecting research time through careful scheduling and planning to give Fellows the freedom they need to carry out world-leading research.

University of Birmingham Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Rachel O’Reilly commented: “The Birmingham 125th Anniversary Fellows and Chairs scheme will provide successful candidates with an excellent level of support throughout their career, including relocation assistance, research opportunities, and career development. We have a great track record of nurturing talent at Birmingham. Our new Fellows and Chairs will be joining an accomplished and supportive research environment at the forefront of their field.”

This new scheme builds upon the outstanding success of the Birmingham Fellows programme. Launched in 2011, that programme recruited 159 Fellows across five Colleges, enhancing research and wider academic performance. The programme also stimulated intellectual culture and contributed to the development of interdisciplinary research themes, as well as securing more research funding and recruiting high-quality doctoral students.

For further information, eligibility criteria, and how to apply, please visit the 125th Anniversary Fellows and Chairs website.

Notes for editors

For media enquiries please contact the Press Office, University of Birmingham: +44 (0)121 414 2772, e-mail: pressoffice@contacts.bham.ac.uk.

The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions. Its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers, teachers and more than 8,000 international students from over 150 countries.

Welcoming and friendly, Birmingham offers a wide range of cultural events, festivals, and cuisines. A major business and financial centre, the city’s central location makes it well-connected by road, rail, and air. Birmingham offers a thriving cultural and entertainment scene, with numerous theatres, museums, galleries, music venues, and sports stadiums. A bustling city, Birmingham boasts numerous parks and green spaces, as well as affordable housing.

Featured staff

Professor Rachel O'Reilly FRS
Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research)
Professor Rachel O'Reilly is Chair in Chemistry at the School of Chemistry. She leads the O'Reilly Group whose research targets the design, synthesis and application of uniquely derived polymeric materials.
Phone: +44 (0)121 414 7757
Email: r.oreilly@bham.ac.uk