Early Career Award

The Thomas Young Centre (TYC) London invites applications for the TYC Early Career Award. The award, established in 2022 will be given to an early career researcher in recognition of their original published research in the theory and/or simulation of materials or (bio)molecules. The award consists of a certificate and a cash prize.

Eligibility

The applicant’s research work, or a substantial part of it, must be associated with one or more publications in which the applicant’s affiliation is one of the TYC Colleges (Imperial College London, King’s College London, Queen Mary University London or University College London).

On the day of the submission deadline, applicants must be employed or hosted by one of the TYC Colleges for a minimum of 6 months, or have left employment or stayed at one of the TYC Colleges no longer than two years prior to the submission deadline.

The work must have been carried out while the applicant was a post-doctoral researcher (postdoc), or a research fellow with a PhD degree, e.g., EU Marie Curie postdoctoral fellow, Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellow, Royal Commission for the Exhibition 1851 Research Follow, EPSRC post-doctoral Fellow or similar international fellowships.

Anyone who has held or currently holds a faculty position (e.g., Lecturer, Assistant Professor or more senior academic positions), or a long-term fellowship aimed at establishing an independent research group (e.g., Royal Society University Research Fellowship, EPSRC Open Fellowship, UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship), is not eligible to apply. If in doubt with regard to eligibility, please contact the TYC by sending an email to Karen Stoneham at tyc-administrator@ucl.ac.uk

Application process

Applicants should submit the following documents in a single pdf file:

1. Summary of research work (max 500 words)
The summary should explain the research work undertaken at a level accessible to a broad theory and simulation of materials and molecules community and with reference to the research paper(s) in which the applicant‘s affiliation is one of the TYC colleges. The research paper(s) should be fully cited at the end of the summary. Any novel aspects of the research undertaken, discoveries made, physical insights gained and/or methodological developments carried out should be clearly explained.
2.Description of the applicant’s contribution to the research (max 250 words)
If the research paper(s) referred to in the summary are co-authored by others, then a concise description of the contribution of the applicant to these papers should be given.
3.CV (max 1 page)
4.Full list of publications 
In reverse chronological order including paper titles and indication of corresponding author(s) and joint first authors if applicable. 

Submission details and deadline

Application deadline has now passed.

The file should be named surname.firstname.pdf, with surname and firstname replaced by the surname and first name of the applicant. Please state “TYC Early Career Award 2024” in the subject line.

Selection process and prize giving

Applications will be shortlisted by a panel of academics in the broad field of theory and simulation of materials and molecules. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to give an oral presentation of their research work at a special in-person TYC Early-Career Award Symposium to be held in London in June 2024. Applicants who will not be able to come to London in person will be able to give an online presentation of their research work. The awardee will be selected by the above panel based on the supporting documentation submitted and the presentation given. One award will be given and presented to the awardee shortly after the oral presentations. The awardee and all shortlisted candidates will be invited for dinner on the evening of the symposium.

Contact

For further details of the scheme, please contact the TYC Centre Manager by email to tyc-administrator@ucl.ac.uk or by calling +44 (0)20 7679 7306