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Deadline: March 31, 2026
The Imperial Global Early-Career Short Research Fellowship: AI in Science and Open Hardware for Lab Automation is a highly competitive international research opportunity designed to support early-career researchers working at the intersection of artificial intelligence, scientific research, and open-source laboratory automation. Hosted by Imperial College London, this fellowship aims to foster global collaboration, knowledge exchange, and innovation in how scientific experiments are designed, executed, and scaled.
The fellowship focuses on empowering researchers to explore how AI-driven methods and open hardware systems can transform laboratory workflows, reduce research costs, increase reproducibility, and accelerate scientific discovery. It is particularly relevant for researchers interested in democratizing access to advanced lab technologies, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
This short-term research fellowship offers fellows the opportunity to collaborate with leading experts at Imperial College London, gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge tools, and contribute to impactful interdisciplinary research.
Benefits
Selected fellows typically receive the following benefits:
- Funding support for international travel and accommodation.
- Access to Imperial College London’s research facilities and laboratories.
- Mentorship from leading academics in AI, robotics, and lab automation.
- Opportunity to collaborate on open-source hardware and AI-enabled research projects.
- Increased international research exposure and professional networking.
- Strengthened research profile and future funding competitiveness.
The fellowship also promotes open science, encouraging outputs that can be shared and adapted globally.
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Eligibility Criteria
Applicants are generally expected to meet the following criteria:
- Be an early-career researcher (e.g., PhD candidate, postdoctoral researcher, or within a few years of PhD completion).
- Be affiliated with a recognized academic or research institution.
- Demonstrate research interest or experience in AI, machine learning, robotics, lab automation, or open hardware.
- Show a clear alignment between their research goals and the fellowship theme.
- Be available to participate fully for the duration of the fellowship.
- Applicants from low- and middle-income countries are strongly encouraged to apply.
Interdisciplinary applicants from engineering, computer science, physical sciences, and life sciences are welcome.
Application Process and Documents Required
Applicants must be hosted by an Imperial academic for the duration of their stay.
Applicants are responsible for identifying their own host academic using the university directory and other resources. A list of all faculties and departments can be found here.
It is at the discretion of the Imperial academic as to whether they would like to host you. We encourage pre-existing collaborators to explore opportunities for visiting researchers.
All eligible applications will be reviewed by a selection committee at Imperial and notified via email.
Applicants must complete the online application form and send the following supporting documentation to globaldevelopment@imperial.ac.uk before the closing date.
- 2-page academic CV
- Host support letter (bench-fee waiver, workspace/lab access, induction/supervision plan)
- Home institution support letter (status, support of the visit)
