Reporter 9/8/00: Royal Society Research Professorships

AWARDS BY OUTSIDE BODIES

Royal Society Research Professorships

The Royal Society invites applications from internationally respected scientists of outstanding achievement and promise for research professorships. About seven professorships will be available, including the three named below. Applications are particularly welcomed from scientists who are currently resident outside the UK and who wish to return.

Research Professorships funded by the Society's Parliamentary Grant-in-aid are for research into any of the natural and applied sciences including medical and engineering science (but not social sciences). They are open to EU nationals who are either currently employed in the UK or have, at some time, been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least three years other than for the purpose of full-time education.

There is no restriction as to citizenship of candidates for the three privately-funded professorships:

The Foulerton Research Professorship is for original research in medicine or other such sciences as are connected with the discovery of the causes of disease and the relief of human suffering.

The Napier Research Professorship is for research 'with the object of ascertaining the cause of cancer, including any corresponding allied disease and the means of prevention, cure and alleviation' (extract from the will of Mr M. S. Napier).

The Royal Society/GlaxoWellcome Research Professorship is for research into molecular aspects of medicine. The research professor would be encouraged to maintain close links with the Royal Society and the R & D departments of GlaxoWellcome throughout the duration of the appointment.

All these research professorships will be tenable only at an appropriate UK university or other higher educational or research institution from 1 October 2001.

Successful candidates will normally be employed until retiring age but responsibility for the funding of this post will be shared between the Society and the host institution as follows: professors under forty years of age on appointment will receive up to fifteen years' support from the Society while those over forty will receive ten years' support (or until they reach fifty-five years of age, whichever is the longer). After this period, all responsibility for the post, financial or otherwise, will pass to the host institution alone. Applicants should obtain agreement in principle from the appropriate Head of Department that he or she would be prepared to make this commitment, prior to submitting an application to the Society.

The salary offered by the Society is the national professorial minimum plus forty per cent (£50,961 as of April 2000), but it is open to the host university/institute to supplement the salary if it so wishes. Professors will receive a start-up grant on taking up their appointment and they may also apply for research expenses of up to £16,000 a year. They can bid for a technical or research assistant in competition with the Society's other research professors. Successful applicants from overseas will receive some assistance with removal expenses.

Application details are available from the Society's website. Queries should be addressed to the Head of Research Support, The Royal Society, 6 Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AG (by e-mail to helen.pask@royalsoc.ac.uk). The closing date is 1 September 2000 and no applications arriving after 4 p.m. on that date will be considered.

Applications to be forwarded with the support of this University must be submitted to the Acting Secretary General of the Faculties, University Offices, The Old Schools, Cambridge, CB2 1TT (e-mail ibise@admin.cam.ac.uk) by Monday, 28 August 2000. In addition to the application made in accordance with the Society's procedure, a covering letter from the appropriate Head of Department is required, undertaking to provide appropriate accommodation for the applicant, equipment, and the funds to meet other associated costs, as well as identifying the funding necessary to meet the cost of the professorship for the remainder of the professor's tenure after the expiry of Royal Society funding. The applications will be forwarded directly to the Royal Society so as to meet their closing date of 1 September 2000.

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