Apprenticeships at ICR
At The Institute of Cancer Research, we currently have apprenticeship programmes in both our research teams as alternative entry routes into technical talent pipeline and within our professional services team such as Digital Services and Finance.
Our Laboratory Technician Apprenticeship Programme
Our Laboratory Technician apprenticeship scheme is part of a national initiative to strengthen and promote career development for scientific research technicians – made possible by a £1m grant from Wellcome that was awarded to The Institute of Cancer Research in September 2023. The programme aims to address challenges in recruitment, development, and retention of technicians, increase diversity by promoting apprenticeships to underrepresented groups, and improve the recognition of the technician career path in academia. This programme, delivered in partnership with Tiro, has been recognized with the Education and Training Award at the UK Pharma Industry Awards.
Professor Kristian Helin, Chief Executive of The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said:
“We’re honoured our new apprenticeship programme, working with Tiro, has been given this award. Technicians make a significant and highly valued contribution to the ICR’s world-leading research to defeat cancer. We are fully committed to ensuring that their work is recognised, and that technicians are supported to achieve their full potential.
“This success has been made possible by the major grant from Wellcome that we secured last year – we were delighted to receive it so we could build a national initiative around technician development. The grant is already helping us to recruit and nurture brilliant people from diverse backgrounds and share what we learn with other research institutes and higher education institutions, so we can continue to build a positive research culture and benefit technicians at the ICR and beyond.”
Dr Aline Tabib-Salazar, Technician Career Pathways Programme Manager at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said:
“We’re proud of what we’ve achieved in the first year of funding and it’s extremely encouraging that the apprenticeship programme we’ve developed with Tiro has been recognised with this prestigious award. But there’s much more to do – it will be a busy year as we look to build on the success we’ve had so far and crucially, help grow the programme into an established national initiative.”
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Scientific Apprenticeship Conference - Building a Sustainable Technical Pipeline: Apprenticeships in Research
Dissemination of learnings and sharing resources with the sector was a key point in our Wellcome award. To achieve this, we are hosting a scientific apprenticeship conference at Wellcome Collection, London on 15th May 2025.
Professional Services Apprenticeships
We also offer apprenticeships in our professional services teams, tailored to meet the needs of a research organisation. These roles provide valuable experience and training in various areas:
- Digital Services (IT): Our Digital Services Directorate ensures that everyone at ICR has access to the technology they need. Apprenticeships in this team involve working on the IT Helpdesk, dealing with a wide range of customer requests while studying for a Level 3 Information communications technician qualification. They provide comprehensive support, including hands-on technical training and personal development. Apprentices gain exposure to various aspects of digital services, enhancing their understanding of how different functions interconnect. They also receive guidance on problem-solving and career clarity through diverse team rotations. This broad experience helps them build a professional network and develop adaptability in the evolving digital industry. These roles are based in our Helpdesk teams at London Chelsea and Sutton.
- Finance: Our Finance Team, primarily based at Chelsea, employs apprentices in entry-level roles, supporting them to study for apprenticeship qualifications while working. This team is experienced in dealing with research grants and provides essential support to our research community.
Join Us
Details of current apprenticeship vacancies in these and other research-supporting roles are advertised on our website. We are committed to nurturing talent and providing opportunities for professional growth within our organization.
Vacancies at the ICR
Postdoctoral Training Fellow
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 7 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]
Higher Scientific Officer - Drug Discovery Biology, Centre for Protein Degradation
We are seeking to recruit a Higher Scientific Officer within the Induced Proximity Therapeutics (IPT) Team in the ICR Centre for Protein Degradation to support our molecular glue and PROTAC drug discovery projects and expand induced proximity technology. The IPT team focuses on three main areas of research: Cancer target validation Screening, profiling and molecular mechanism of action of molecular glue and PROTAC degraders Novel E3 ligase biology and ligand discovery The successful candidate will work in a multidisciplinary team and play a key role in target validation, developing in vitro and cell-based assays, and pharmacological characterisation of novel molecular glue degraders and PROTACs, but may also contribute to other activities. About you The successful candidate: Will be a strong team player who is technically minded and passionate about science and cancer drug discovery Will hold a first degree, and preferably a PhD, in biological science or biochemistry Will have experience in cancer biology/target validation, genetic manipulation techniques, in vitro and cell-based assay development and pharmacological compound profiling Experience in targeted protein degradation will be a significant advantage. Department/Directorate Information This position will be based in the ICR's Centre for Protein Degradation, a part of the Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery (CCDD) specialising in developing novel drug modalities that re-wire tumour cells' signalling by targeted degradation of key oncogenic drivers. Our experienced biologists work closely with medicinal chemists, biophysicists, computational scientists, oncology specialists and physicians on discovering new medicines - molecular glue degraders and PROTACs - using innovative screening platforms and characterising their mechanisms of action, as well as expanding the repertoire of novel degradable drug targets and E3 ligases (enzymes that mediate protein degradation). Our research provides a nucleus for the academics and pharmaceutical industry to explore therapeutic potential of targeted protein degradation from laboratory hypothesis-testing to early clinical trials, for the benefit of cancer patients. What we offer A dynamic and supportive research environment in one of the successful academic cancer drug discovery centres in the UK Access to state-of-the-art facilities and professional development Collaboration with leading drug discovery and oncology scientist Competitive salary and pension To learn more about this role, please download the attached job pack. For informal inquiries, please contact Dr Agnieszka Konopacka, Group Leader, Induced Proximity Therapeutics, Centre for Protein Degradation via email: [email protected].
Trials Methodologist/Senior Trials Methodologist
The Clinical Trials and Statistics Unit at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR-CTSU) is expanding its statistical and methodology team. We want to hear from you if you: Enjoy the challenge of researching, developing, and implementing efficient trial methodology that would make a difference in patients’ lives. Seek variety in your work and opportunities to apply your statistical knowledge across multiple therapeutic areas in oncology. Thrive on being part of a multi-disciplinary research team with like-minded statisticians. Applications are now open for a Trials Methodologist/Senior Trials Methodologist position to join our team of over 20 statisticians. The post offers an excellent opportunity for an enthusiastic and well-motivated statistician to work in a dynamic and supportive academic environment at a leading cancer clinical trials unit. Key Requirements The successful applicant will be an experienced and highly motivated statistician interested in researching new statistical methods to improve efficiency in clinical trials and eager to apply their statistical knowledge across various therapeutic areas in oncology. The successful applicant will have a post-graduate qualification in statistics. They should demonstrate a solid understanding of clinical trials and experience in applying statistical methods to real-world data. Familiarity with Bayesian statistics is highly desirable. Effective oral and written communication skills, as well as enthusiasm for collaborating with others from diverse disciplines, are essential. Department/Directorate Information ICR-CTSU manages an exciting portfolio of national and international phase II and III clinical trials and an expanding number of early phase I/II cancer trials. You will contribute in shaping the development of methodological innovations and implementing efficient methods in new and ongoing trials, with a specific focus in early phase and adaptive trials. You will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team on trials methodology research and on the statistical development, oversight, and analysis of a number of clinical trials within ICR-CTSU’s portfolio and early phase portfolio in collaboration with external organisation and the Drug Development Unit. We encourage all applicants to access the job pack attached for more detailed information regarding this role. This is an office based role. Requests for hybrid working (splitting time between our Sutton site and home) may be considered following successful completion of key training and if the role allows. Flexible working options may be considered. For informal discussion about the Trial Methodologist/Senior Trial Methodologist post, please contact Professor Christina Yap and Dr Jan Rekowski, email: [email protected] and [email protected]. For general queries about the recruitment process, please contact ICR-CTSU, email: [email protected].
Postdoctoral Training Fellow - Computational Single Cell Biology (Dr Stephen-John Sammut)
Under the leadership of Dr Stephen-John Sammut, we are seeking a highly motivated and ambitious postdoctoral researcher to apply existing and develop cutting-edge single-cell computational methods for modelling breast tumour evolution during chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Your work will contribute to the development of predictive frameworks that can be deployed in breast clinical trials to guide treatment decisions. This role offers an outstanding opportunity to drive innovation at the interface of computational biology and clinical research, shaping the future of precision oncology. For general information on Post Doc's at The ICR can be found here. The ICR has a workforce agreement stating that there is a maximum duration of employment of 7 years including pre-ICR PDTF experience. Key Requirements The successful candidate must have a PhD in a computational biology or other numerical subject, have extensive programming experience, and possess a basic knowledge of cancer biology. A background in the analysis and interpretation of molecular data is essential. If available, please include a link to your online, publicly-available source code repository in your application. Department/Directorate Information: The Cancer Dynamics Laboratory headed by Dr Stephen John Sammut, focuses on developing computational and experimental frameworks that model changes in breast cancer biology during treatment to develop personalised precision cancer therapies. The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre at the ICR is the first centre in the UK entirely devoted to breast cancer research. Our goal is to advance research into the causes, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. It is located in state-of-the-art laboratory space, with excellent core facilities and is funded through a long term renewable programme grant from Breast Cancer Now. The Centre is directed by Clinician Scientist Professor Andrew Tutt. We encourage all applicants to access the job pack attached for more detailed information regarding this role. 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.