The Attachment Programme

When: The 2024 call for applications to the attachment programme is now open  and will close 23:59 GMT on Tuesday 9 April 2024.  

Apply: Once you have identified a suitable Crick collaborator, or a Science Technology Platform (STP) of interest, and obtained approval from your Head of Department, please use the forms at the bottom of this page to apply for an attachment. It is possible to collaborate with more than one Crick group leader, and across more than one STP.  

More information: The attachment programme promotes new multidisciplinary collaborations by allowing our researchers and their groups to work at the Crick. The programme aims to attract people and groups with skills that are complementary to the Crick’s core talents and capabilities and to identify research projects that will best benefit from Crick interactions. Therefore, applications in engineering, physical, mathematical, computational, clinical and translational sciences will be prioritised in general. Imperial is particularly keen to see applications from the Faculty of Engineering. 

A greater level of flexibility was introduced to the programme in 2022 to allow for our community to create an attachment best suited to their science, skills and needs. Attachments range in duration from 1 to 6 years. Examples of types of attachments might include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • A PI might transfer all, or the majority of, their research group (including postdocs, PhD students or technical staff) to the Crick for up to six years. The Crick becomes the primary research base for group and the PI spends the majority of their time at the institute.
  • A PI might transfer a subset of their staff (postdocs, PhD students or technical staff) to the Crick (possibly on part-time basis), with the primary research base for the group remaining at the home university, with the PI visiting the Crick occasionally. The scientists may be embedded within a single Crick research group or STP for an agreed period working on a defined project or could work with multiple groups and STPs.
  • A PI might spend up to a year on sabbatical (full or part time) working in a Crick research group, for example to learn new techniques or to undertake a hands-on collaboration.
  • Reverse attachments (Crick to HEI): Crick Group Leaders are invited to apply for a reciprocal form of attachment where they can transfer a subset of their Crick group to University (possibly on part-time basis), with the primary research base for the group remaining at the Crick and the Group Leader visiting university occasionally. Such opportunities should be discussed with the proposed collaborator(s) at the partner university and the Crick Research Director, Sir Richard Treisman (profile). Applications are to be submitted by the Crick Group Leader and through the Crick directly.

These examples are not intended to be exclusive; in all cases the proposed attachment will be assessed primarily on its added value to the applicant, the University and the Crick whilst ensuring the group can be accommodated within the spaces allocated to each university. Applicants should therefore discuss their proposal with the Crick-Imperial Partnership Manager before starting their application.

Faculty representatives: Each Faculty has an assigned Crick representative who you may wish to reach out to for strategic advice. 

Julie McCann Faculty of EngineeringFaculty of Engineering 
Professor Julie McCann (profile)
Vice-Dean (Research) for FoE 
Email: j.mccann@imperial.ac.uk

 

Graham Cooke FoMFaculty of Medicine 
Professor Graham Cooke (profile) 
Vice-Dean (Research) for FoM 
Email: g.cooke@imperial.ac.uk

 

Faculty of Natural Sciences 
Professor Ramon Vilar (profile) 
Vice-Dean (Research) for FoNS 
Email: r.vilar@imperial.ac.uk

 

Approved attachments: The following individuals (in no particular order) either currently hold an attachment at the Crick or have held an attachment at the Crick in the past. 

  • Faculty of Engineering: Molly Stevens (Materials), Adam Celiz (Bioengineering). 
  • Faculty of Medicine: Avinash Shenoy (ID), Clare Lloyd (NHLI), Wendy Barclay (ID), Xiaodong Zhang (ID), Holger Auner (I&I), Teresa Thurston (ID), Vanessa Sancho-Shimizu (ID), David Riglar (ID), Aylin Hanaloglu (MDR), Faith Osier (Life Sciences). 
  • Faculty of Natural Sciences: Gunnar Pruessner (Maths), Cristina Lo Celso (Life Sci), Doryen Bubeck (Life Sci), Ed Tate (Chem), Marco Di Antonio (Chem), Morgan Beeby (Life Sci), Paul French (Phy), Vahid Shahrezaei (Maths), Sadra Sadeh (Brain Science), Rachel Edgar (Infectious Disease).  

Application forms: Please read the guidelines fully before completing an application form.