Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellows, a program of Schmidt Sciences (Research Fellow)

Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellows, a program of Schmidt Sciences (Research Fellow)

IX

White City Campus - Hybrid

Job summary

Applications are invited for prestigious Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Fellowships, a program of Schmidt Sciences, commencing 1 September 2025. There are up to 8 positions available, with a duration of 2 years.

Fellows will join the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Network of researchers and will join a unique co-located cohort of top scholars based in I-X with tailored training and one-on-one career development. The fellowships are flexible and independent, allowing recipients to freely explore while drawing on expert faculty mentors of their choice. These fellowships have the aim of identifying excellent researchers and accelerating them in using AI to advance and disrupt Science or Engineering.

Here ‘AI’ is interpreted very broadly, e.g.: topics in Bayesian Inference and Robotics; ‘Science’ covers any typical topic in Natural Science and Engineering (Epidemiology, Biology and basic science in biomedicine are included but very clinical medical themes are not covered, including conventional medical imaging). Examples include Bayesian optimization for molecular or materials design; machine learning for single cell data; physics-based ML for turbine design and astrostatistics. These posts are not suitable for generic AI research with general application: candidates must be aiming to substantially advance a particular area of science. Applicants could view themselves as AI researchers tackling particular pieces of science or science researchers using AI to transform their area. Extensive AI knowledge is not required, and AI training is offered.

We have a programme of additional support for women in AI in Science including additional funds for their career development and a community of I-X AI in Science women. The I-X Women in Artificial Intelligence (IXWAI), founded by two of our current Fellows, aims to enhance representation of women in AI and foster an environment where they are valued, supported and inspired to achieve their full potential. We expect to appoint at least one candidate through this route.

If candidates want to also be considered at the Research Associate level, then they need to send in an additional application for that role (the documents submitted can be repeated).

Duties and responsibilities

The Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Fellows will produce independent and original research, using AI to advance science, within their host department and I-X. Further details to be found in the job description.

Essential requirements

The Eric and Wendy Schmid AI in Science Fellows will: 

• Hold a PhD (or equivalent) in an appropriate discipline.
• Haver the potential for leadership qualities in the subject, as illustrated, for example, through showing initiative on research projects.
• Show an outstanding research record commensurate with their level of experience as demonstrated, for example, through an outstanding thesis, publications, conference presentations, code etc.
• Have a proposal which is within the AI in Science research remit.

Joint Fellowships

We have partnered with the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and the CNRS. If you are applying for one of these joint fellowships, we require that the principal mentor be in Imperial, but a secondary supervisor must be at ICR/CNRS. Please indicate if this is a joint fellowship by ticking the appropriate ICR/CNRS tick box in the online application form. Please note that these applications will require an institutional letter of support and ICR and CNRS will have their own internal process with a deadline ahead of the closing date below. You must contact Becky Cook (rebecca.cook@icr.ac.uk) at ICR and Carl Iamov carl.ialamov@cnrs.fr and/or Louis Avigdor louis.avigdor@cnrs-dir.fr at CNRS to confirm these internal processes and deadlines. The ICR deadline is 26 August 2024.

Please read the FAQ regarding the application process and remit found here.

Further information

This is a full time, fixed term position for 2 years. You will be based at the White City Campus.

If you have any queries about this opportunity, please contact Eileen Boyce e.boyce@imperial.ac.uk

In addition to completing the online application, candidates should, after carefully consulting the Job Description, FAQ and related documents, upload the following documents:

• A full CV including publications.

An additional single file with:

• Publication Elaboration: a 1 page, or less, note outlining the contribution of up to three papers by the applicant. This should be suitable for a general scientific reader.
• Research Proposal Summary: a 1 page or less, summary of the proposed research suitable for a general scientific audience including the title of the research project. Particular attention will be paid to this summary. It should answer the question of why/how this application of AI will be transformative for the target area of science. The proposal should start by mentioning, the applicant’s proposed department and at least one mentor who could support the application – one mentor should be within the fellow’s proposed department, but others could be outside. Mentors must be contacted in advance of the application. It is not essential that the mentor be a very close fit to the proposed research, entirely independent research efforts are welcomed, but a collaborative mentorship is likely to make the science more credible.
• Research Proposal: 3 pages or less proposal that explains why and how the proposed research could be transformative for a particular area of science. It can be structured around background, a small number of hypotheses/aims, and work packages. It can be assumed that the reader will first read the Summary and so content need not be repeated.
• Training Plan: a ½ page or less plan, identifying any particular skills that need to be acquired for the proposed research to succeed. Training is a key part of the proposed fellowship, whether helping an AI expert master a scientific topic or a scientific topic expert advance their AI skills. Deep expertise in AI (or the particular Science area) is not a pre-requisite: the minimum level of AI/Science experience is that needed to credibly articulate a plan for how AI will advance Science.
• Fit to AI in Science Remit: a ¼ page or less outline of how your proposal fits within the AI in Science remit – please check your proposal’s fit here.
• Kindness Statement: a ¼ page or less outline of your view on the need for kindness among scientists. The fellows will join a cohort of fellows in AI for Science with opportunities for outreach and LMIC engagement.
• Mobility Statement (for applicants currently at Imperial only): Schmidt Sciences seeks to enable national and international mobility: candidates from outside Imperial are particularly encouraged to apply. Candidates that are already in Imperial are asked to supply several sentences in their mobility statement outlining, in a distinctive and compelling manner, how remaining in Imperial is the best route for their personal growth. Applicants from Imperial are required to move from their existing supervisor to entirely new mentors for their Schmidt Fellowship, to increase both their independence and their breadth of experience (existing mentors cannot become secondary mentors).

Available documents

Attached documents are available under links. Clicking a document link will initialize its download.

• download: Job Description Schmidt Research Fellow..pdf