Scientist mixing solutions in lab

Study and Careers

As the UK’s leading academic research centre, The Institute of Cancer Research offers a fantastic work and study environment, great opportunities for development and the chance to make a real difference for cancer patients. We aim to train, recruit and develop the best – with positions for outstanding scientists and clinicians, and the most talented professional or administrative staff.

Studying at the ICR

Our competitive programmes and specialised courses are designed for the next generation of cancer researchers and clinicians.

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PhD projects and opportunities

We offer 20 fully funded PhD studentships each year. Our main round opens in October, but we also advertise projects throughout the year. 

 

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Opportunities for clinicians

At The Institute of Cancer Research, London, we offer clinicians a variety of opportunities – from a taught master's course in Oncology, to fellowships providing protected time for research, and higher research degrees.

MSc in Oncology

The Taught Course in Oncology is a day-release modular programme designed for medically qualified candidates who intend to pursue a professional career in some aspect of clinical or medical oncology, either as a clinical academic or a clinician.

Why study with us?

By providing world-class expertise and support to students at The Institute of Cancer Research, we hope to advance cancer research and clinical practice not only within our organisation, but throughout the field.

Dr Becky Cook is Head of Research Support at The Institute of Cancer Research. She oversees our large strategic grant applications and is supporting the ICR's next submission to the Research Excellence Framework (REF), which is the definitive government evaluation of the quality and impact of research at UK universities.

Talk us through your typical day

I manage a small team that provides advice and support to researchers applying for external grant funding from funders including the Research Councils, Wellcome Trust, Cancer Research UK, the European Commission and the US National Institute of Health.

Personally, I coordinate and develop large strategic grant applications such as institutional PhD programme applications and the ICR's MRC Confidence in Concept award.

In addition, I meet and talk with researchers to provide advice on grant applications. With my Director, Dr Barbara Pittam, and other colleagues, I work on research policy areas and that often means drafting papers for ICR's management committees.

Another significant area of work for me is supporting and providing guidance on the ICR's next REF submission.

How does your work contribute to our mission?

Researchers need funding to deliver their research. The high level and detailed advice my team and I provide helps support the ICR in securing external grant funding. The REF informs the allocation of research funding from Research England to ICR so is also very important.

Moreover, I help to secure funding to train the next generation of ICR researchers – another important ICR aim – by working on applications for PhD programmes, including the successful Wellcome Clinical PhD programme application and the ICR's MRC iCASE Programme.

Can you give us any examples of where you see the ICR's values in your work?

Supporting grant applications embodies many of the ICR values – in particular working together and leading innovation. A grant application involves input from various people, researchers and other corporate teams, to develop new and exciting ideas to describe in an application so that it provides a compelling case for funding.

What are you most proud of?

I have worked on and contributed to various successful grant applications which makes me very proud. There are two that stand out because of their strategic importance and status; the Regius Professorship and Queen's Anniversary Prize. I feel very proud to know that I made vital contributions to these two significant recognitions of the ICR’s excellent and impactful research.

Who do you collaborate with at the ICR and elsewhere?

I work with researchers across the ICR, as it is their research and ideas I'm usually writing about. For student applications, I work with other teams in Academic Services as well as our Learning and Development team in HR. I also work closely with Research Finance on grant support as they provide the costings for grant applications and I collaborate with the team overseeing the Biomedical Research Centre at The Royal Marsden and the ICR.

What makes you want to work for the ICR?

I previously carried out research myself, having undertaken my PhD at the ICR, and although I decided that being in the lab wasn’t the career for me, working at the ICR in a research support role really appealed. The ICR makes a real difference to cancer patients' lives and I get lots of satisfaction from contributing to that work in some small way. Also the ICR is great place to work as it is a very supportive environment, with lots of committed and interesting people.

Dr Becky Cook is Head of Research Support at The Institute of Cancer Research. She oversees our large strategic grant applications and is supporting the ICR's next submission to the Research Excellence Framework (REF), which is the definitive government evaluation of the quality and impact of research at UK universities.

Talk us through your typical day

I manage a small team that provides advice and support to researchers applying for external grant funding from funders including the Research Councils, Wellcome Trust, Cancer Research UK, the European Commission and the US National Institute of Health.

Personally, I coordinate and develop large strategic grant applications such as institutional PhD programme applications and the ICR's MRC Confidence in Concept award.

In addition, I meet and talk with researchers to provide advice on grant applications. With my Director, Dr Barbara Pittam, and other colleagues, I work on research policy areas and that often means drafting papers for ICR's management committees.

Another significant area of work for me is supporting and providing guidance on the ICR's next REF submission.

How does your work contribute to our mission?

Researchers need funding to deliver their research. The high level and detailed advice my team and I provide helps support the ICR in securing external grant funding. The REF informs the allocation of research funding from Research England to ICR so is also very important.

Moreover, I help to secure funding to train the next generation of ICR researchers – another important ICR aim – by working on applications for PhD programmes, including the successful Wellcome Clinical PhD programme application and the ICR's MRC iCASE Programme.

Can you give us any examples of where you see the ICR's values in your work?

Supporting grant applications embodies many of the ICR values – in particular working together and leading innovation. A grant application involves input from various people, researchers and other corporate teams, to develop new and exciting ideas to describe in an application so that it provides a compelling case for funding.

What are you most proud of?

I have worked on and contributed to various successful grant applications which makes me very proud. There are two that stand out because of their strategic importance and status; the Regius Professorship and Queen's Anniversary Prize. I feel very proud to know that I made vital contributions to these two significant recognitions of the ICR’s excellent and impactful research.

Who do you collaborate with at the ICR and elsewhere?

I work with researchers across the ICR, as it is their research and ideas I'm usually writing about. For student applications, I work with other teams in Academic Services as well as our Learning and Development team in HR. I also work closely with Research Finance on grant support as they provide the costings for grant applications and I collaborate with the team overseeing the Biomedical Research Centre at The Royal Marsden and the ICR.

What makes you want to work for the ICR?

I previously carried out research myself, having undertaken my PhD at the ICR, and although I decided that being in the lab wasn’t the career for me, working at the ICR in a research support role really appealed. The ICR makes a real difference to cancer patients' lives and I get lots of satisfaction from contributing to that work in some small way. Also the ICR is great place to work as it is a very supportive environment, with lots of committed and interesting people.

Lab - View of a lab with scientists working

Support moving to the UK

Whether you're a student or a full time employee, you'll get a variety of social, welfare and accommodation benefits and advice, to help your move to the UK.
Three people sitting at a table in an office, engaged in discussion and collaboration.

Working life and benefits

As a world-leading cancer research organisation, we are a dynamic and exciting place to work - with various benefits and support if you’re moving to the UK.

More about roles at the ICR

Our discoveries are made possible by a mix of scientists at different levels, as well as the leadership and corporate roles that keep us running day to day.

Current openings 

We offer a fantastic working environment, great opportunities for career development and the chance to make a real difference for cancer patients. We aim to recruit and develop the best – with positions for postdocs, scientists and clinicians, and professional or administrative staff - see the latest below:

Head of Biology and Director, Centre for Target Validation (Group Leader)

  • Sutton
  • Cancer Therapeutics
  • Competitive Starting Salary
  • Permanent

Under the leadership of Dr Olivia Rossanese, we are seeking to appoint a Team Leader to join The Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery (CCDD) as The Head of Biology and Director of the Centre for Target Validation. Key Requirements The successful candidate must have in-depth knowledge and recent experience in an area of cancer biology relevant to oncology drug discovery. Leadership experience of drug discovery within, or in collaboration with, the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry as evidenced by publication and/or successful commercial projects. Along with completing the online application form, you will be asked to attach the following documents and failure to do so will mean your application cannot be considered on this occasion: · Full CV · Lists of major publications, achievements, research grants, distinctions. · A PDF of a maximum of five key publications, or other research outputs (e.g. patents) that best demonstrate previous productivity · You must also complete the personal statement section of the application form in the format of a covering letter including the names and contact details of three academic referees Department/Directorate Information: The Division of Cancer Therapeutic's mission is to develop personalised medicines by translating information from the cancer genome and cancer biology into drugs for patient benefit. We implement innovative drug discovery technologies, discover novel mechanism-based drugs, and develop these as rapidly as possible from the laboratory through to hypothesis-testing early clinical trials We encourage all applicants to access the job pack attached for more detailed information regarding this role. For an informal discussion regarding the role, please contact Dr Olivia Rossanese, Email [email protected]

Postdoctoral Training Fellow

  • Chelsea
  • Structural Biology
  • Salary Range: £38,700 - £45,500 per annum
  • Fixed term

Under the leadership of Claudio Alfieri, we are seeking to appoint a Postdoctoral Training Fellow to join the Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Cycle Regulation Group at the Chester Beatty Laboratories, Fulham Road in London. This project aims to investigate the molecular mechanisms of cell cycle regulation by macromolecular complexes involved in cell proliferation decisions, by combining genome engineering, proteomics and in situ structural biology. For general information on Post Doc's at The ICR can be found here. Key Requirements The successful candidate must have a PhD in cellular biochemistry and experience in Cryo-EM and CLEM is desirable. The ICR has a workforce agreement stating that Postdoctoral Training Fellows can only be employed for up to 7 years as PDTF at the ICR, providing total postdoctoral experience (including previous employment at this level elsewhere) does not exceed 10 years Department/Directorate Information: The candidate will work in the Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Cycle Regulation Group within the ICR Division of Structural Biology headed by Prof. Laurence Pearl and Prof. Sebastian Guettler. The division has state-of-the-art facilities for protein expression and biophysics/x-ray crystallography, in particular the Electron Microscopy Facility is equipped with a Glacios 200kV with Falcon 4i detector with Selectris energy filter and the ICR has access to Krios microscopes via eBIC and the LonCEM consortium. We encourage all applicants to access the job pack attached for more detailed information regarding this role. For an informal discussion regarding the role, please contact Claudio Alfieri via Email on [email protected]

Head of Procurement

  • Chelsea
  • Finance
  • £85,000
  • Permanent

As Head of Procurement, you will lead the provision of sustainable, best-practice arrangements for the procurement of goods and services, and the delivery of value for money in the pursuit of the ICR’s research mission. You will be responsible for leading the procurement service across the ICR, incorporating strategic category management, sustainable procurement practice, and operational procurement support. You will work with senior internal and external stakeholders to ensure best value is achieved whilst complying with legislative requirements. This will involve leading on the development and implementation of procurement policies and systems, and developing a business partnering approach to category management to embed best practice within areas of key expenditure. Key Requirements The successful candidate must have significant category management experience within a complex organisation with significant capital expenditure requirements. They will hold a professional procurement qualification (MCIPS or equivalent), and have excellent interpersonal skills, able to build strong relationships with key internal and external stakeholders and to negotiate and influence outcomes that promote the ICR's commercial interests. They will also have strong systems and data skills, able to take an analytical, data-driven approach to driving value in the ICR's supply chain. Department/Directorate Information The Procurement team supports the ICR in a wide range of products and services – from specialist lab equipment to laptops, stationery, support from design agencies and travel. We help all divisions and directorates with their buying needs. We encourage all applicants to access the job pack attached for more detailed information regarding this role. We welcome applications from individuals seeking a job share arrangement for this role. For an informal discussion regarding the role, please contact Liam Blake ([email protected]).

Postdoctoral Training Fellow – X-Ray Crystallography

  • Sutton
  • Hit Discovery & Structural Design
  • £45,600 - £51,450
  • Fixed term

A postdoctoral position is available in Dr Rob van Montfort’s Hit Discovery and Structural Design Team within the CCDD. The Post-doc will be involved in the structure determination of protein-ligand complexes, primarily by X-ray crystallography but also potentially by cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM), as part of one of the CCDD’s drug discovery programmes. The postholder will be responsible for protein production and purification, protein crystallisation, structure determination by X-ray crystallography and subsequent structural analysis. The successful candidate will be an integral member of a multidisciplinary project team within the CCDD at the ICR Sutton site, and will interact closely with biologists, computational chemists, medicinal chemists, assay scientists and structural biologists.They will have access to state-of-the-art facilities for protein production and purification, as well as biophysical characterisation and crystallisation at the Sutton site. We also benefit from excellent access to Diamond Light Source synchrotron at the Harwell Science and Innovation campus, Didcot, UK, for X-ray data collection. Additionally, the successful candidate will also be part of the Division of Structural Biology, located in Chelsea, in which the structural biologists in Dr van Montfort’s team are also embedded, and will have access to its state-of-the art cryoEM facilities. These include an in-house Glacios and 30% direct access to a Titan KRIOS located at the Francis Crick Institute. Both microscopes are equipped with Falcon III detectors and volta phase plates (VPP). In addition, we have excellent access to the electron bioimaging Centre (eBIC) at the Harwell Science and Innovation campus, Didcot, UK. About you The successful candidate must have must have a PhD (or equivalent) in a biological or physical science, with demonstrable experience in X-ray crystallography and protein biochemistry. Experience in cryo-EM specimen preparation and data processing would be an advantage, though not strictly mandatory. Experience in molecular biology, protein expression and purification, as well as biophysical characterisation of protein samples would also be highly desirable. The ICR has a workforce agreement stating that Postdoctoral Training Fellows can only be employed for up to 7 years as PDTF (including previous employment at this level elsewhere). For general information on Postdocs at The ICR, more information can be found here. Department/Directorate Information The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), London, is one of the world’s most influential cancer research institutes, with an outstanding record of achievements dating back more than 100 years. We provided the first convincing evidence that DNA damage is the basic cause of cancer, laying the foundation for the now universally accepted idea that cancer is a genetic disease. Today, the ICR leads the world at isolating cancer-related genes and discovering new targeted drugs for personalised cancer treatment. Together with our hospital partner The Royal Marsden, we are rated in the top four centres for cancer research and treatment worldwide. As well as being a world-class institute, we are a college of the University of London. We came top in the league table of university research quality compiled from the Research Excellence Framework in 2014 and second in 2021 (REF 2014 and 2021). The ICR is committed to attracting, developing and retaining the best minds in the world to join us in our mission – to make the discoveries that defeat cancer. Department/Directorate Information: The Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery (CCDD), within the Division of Cancer Therapeutics, is a multidisciplinary 'bench to bedside' centre, comprising around 160 staff dedicated to the discovery and development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. The CCDD’s exciting goal is to discover high quality small molecule drug candidates and to progress these to clinical trial. All the scientific disciplines are in place to make this possible, including medicinal chemistry, biology, structural biology, assay scientists, drug metabolism and clinical specialists. This is an exciting and fast-moving research setup and offers the opportunity to work within a multi-disciplinary environment using state-of-the-art techniques and equipment. What we offer A dynamic and supportive research environment Access to state-of-the-art facilities and professional development opportunities Collaboration with leading researchers in the field Competitive salary and pension We encourage all applicants to access the job pack attached for more detailed information regarding this role. For an informal discussion regarding the role, please contact Dr van Montfort [email protected] or Dr Le Bihan [email protected]. Please DO NOT send your application to Dr Van Montfort or Dr Le Bihan, but apply via the e-recruitment system on our websitewww.icr.ac.uk/careers.