MRC Infections and Immunity Board (IIB): member vacancies

Closing date: 14 September 2025 at 11:59 (UK time)
Number of positions: Six
Length of term: Two years, plus additional two years after review
Time commitment: Two days per month
Remuneration: £160 per day, transport and subsistence as appropriate
Outcomes communicated: By mid-December 2025

The Medical Research Council (MRC) is inviting applications from researchers and research technical professionals to become members of the Infections and Immunity Board.

It is essential you are an experienced researcher and reviewer with appropriate expertise related to the vacancy that you are applying for.

MRC’s research boards and panels play a key role in delivering MRC objectives across our portfolio of research. They make funding recommendations and contribute to the development and delivery of MRC strategy.

Who we’re looking for

We are seeking applications from talented and committed non-clinical and clinical researchers and research technical professionals join the infections and immunity board. You can be based in research institutes or universities, or in companies in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, life, or digital sciences sectors.

It is essential you are an experienced researcher and reviewer with appropriate expertise related to the vacancy that you are applying for.

You must also be:

able to commit the time expected (around two days per month on average)
able to exercise judgement across a range of research and policy issues, within and beyond your areas of core expertise
a team player with a commitment to the mission of MRC and supporting objective and fair approaches to funding research, developing careers and positive research culture
able to work effectively within the public sector requirements for accountability and openness, and managing public money

We particularly encourage applications from currently under-represented groups, including women, minority ethnic and disabled researchers, and those with long-term health conditions. We welcome applications from people based in all regions and nations of the UK.

What you’ll be doing

As a board or panel member you will use your expertise and experience to help MRC invest in high-quality and impactful research, innovation and training as well as providing input into our strategy, including through interactions with other boards and panels and MRC’s advisory structures.

As it is not possible for individuals to provide in-depth expertise across all specialities, members will work collectively through open and objective discussions to provide advice across the board or panel remit, sharing responsibility for judgments and recommendations.

IIB leads MRC investments in infectious disease and immune disorder research, focusing on human pathogens, immune system function, and discovery science relevant to human health. The board has interests in:

tissue immunology
immune regulation
solutions for antimicrobial resistance
understudied, emerging or re-emerging pathogens

The board funds research both with a focus on the UK and in the global health arena.

For further information refer to the remit of the Infections and Immunity Board.

We have up to six vacancies spanning the following areas:

cellular Immunology, with expertise in cytokines, natural killer cells, dendritic cells or macrophages, mucosal immunology or bridging innate and adaptive immunity
parasitology, with expertise in vector-borne disease and neglected tropical diseases
immune-mediated diseases and immunomodulation, with broad expertise in immune-mediated diseases, including autoimmunity, immune deficiency, immune-mediated inflammatory diseases or immunotherapies
virology and viral diseases, with expertise in viral physiology and pathogenesis, virus-host interactions, zoonoses or epidemic preparedness
computational modelling and analysis, or use of artificial intelligence, with expertise in systems approaches to infections and immunity or the development of diagnostics or advanced therapeutics

We are particularly interested to hear from clinically qualified applicants, those working in a commercial setting, including pharmaceutical industry or biotech, and those who have an active interest in global health or zoonoses. The board has a substantial portfolio of global health research and direct experience of working in resource-limited settings would bring valuable insight. Similarly, expertise in structural and spatial biology, diagnostic and therapeutic discovery or co-morbidities and co-infection of relevance to the board’s activities would be welcomed.

How to apply

To apply, complete and submit the online web form. All applications must be submitted by 11:59 (UK time) on 14 September 2025.

There is one online web form for all our current board and panel vacancies, you may indicate interest in becoming a member of up to three MRC boards or panels that are currently recruiting new members.

In addition to the information provided in the application, we may also use publicly available information, in line with the Declaration on Research Assessment, to assist with membership decisions.

Decisions on membership will be made by mid-December 2025. Applicants will be notified of the recruitment decisions shortly thereafter.

Reasonable adjustments

We want to make our recruitment processes as well as participation on our boards and panels accessible to all. This includes making reasonable adjustments for individuals who identify as disabled, neurodiverse or as having a long-term condition.

If you have any queries regarding the application process or if you would like this application in a different format (for example accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille), email: mrc.eventsandcommitteesteam@mrc.ukri.org.

If you apply and ‘opt in’ on your application, you will be considered following our disability inclusion assurance process.

Should your application be successful, we will work to fulfil your requirements to enable you to fully participate. Let us know in advance if you would like to discuss in confidence how we can support you, either through providing information in the diversity monitoring section of your application or by contacting mrc.eventsandcommitteesteam@mrc.ukri.org.

How we’ll assess your application

Applicants will be shortlisted based on the evidence they provide of meeting the following criteria.

Research expertise:

expertise related to a vacancy (essential)
other expertise that could contribute to the activities of MRC boards and panels, such as clinical training and practice, ethics and regulations, experimental design and reproducibility, industry expertise, quantitative skills or technical skills (desirable)

Experience as a researcher:

experience leading or conducting respected research (essential)
a successful track record of applying for research funding (essential, this may be as a co-applicant or key contributor to team science)
leadership positions within a company and other indicators that demonstrate research leadership (essential for people from industry)
other indicators of research recognition, such as prizes or awards (desirable)

Experience as a reviewer:

experience of peer review including reviewing applications for funding in the UK or internationally and reviewing research publications (essential)
experience of funding panels including major funders, charity, philanthropic or government and public sector funding panels, or panels within your organisation. Experience equivalent to membership of a funding panel will also be considered.

When making the final selection we aim for between 18 and 24 members on each board and panel, including representation from a diversity of organisations, backgrounds, characteristics, and perspectives. Through our recruitment to the boards and panels we strive to:

broaden the diversity of membership
steadily increase the number of women, disabled and minority ethnic members
increase the ratio of mid-career to later-career members
ensure a strong representation for basic research across all boards and panels
include industry researchers, representatives from MRC’s major investments and international members as appropriate
include expertise to evaluate translational research applications, including applications involving early phase clinical trials

We expect the membership to meet MRC policies on equality.

We strive for representation from research organisations across the UK and may limit the number of members from one organisation. We will also consider applicants from other countries if their full participation is practical and they are able to travel to attend meetings in the UK or participate virtually during UK business hours.

While we will take the preferences indicated in your application into account, you may be offered a role on any MRC board or panel that is currently recruiting.

Further information

Disability inclusion assurance process

We are committed to increasing the representation of disabled people on our boards and panels. In line with this, we offer an enhanced assessment process for disabled applicants. If you opt in to this scheme and meet the criteria for the role, your application will receive an additional layer of consideration to ensure it has been assessed fairly and in line with our inclusion values. To do this, you will need to select ‘opt in’ under ‘disability’ in the diversity monitoring section of the application survey.

This approach is inspired by the Disability Confident ‘offer to interview’ scheme but adapted for non-employment roles where no formal interview stage exists. The process does not guarantee appointment or preferential treatment but aims to ensure that all applicants are assessed equitably.

Induction for successful applicants

As part of the preparation for their tenure, all new members will participate in an induction meeting. This is currently planned for late February or early March 2026.

The meeting will be an opportunity for you to meet the MRC Executive Chair, other senior MRC staff, and your board or panel chair and support teams. The induction enables us to provide guidance on your role and an overview of the MRC, its strategic ambitions, functions and methods of operation where these relate to the work of the research boards and panels.

New members are expected to attend a board or panel meeting as an observer prior to starting their new role.

Relevant board meeting dates are:

Infections and Immunity Board: 18 to 19 March 2026
Molecular and Cellular Medicine Board: 25 to 26 March 2026
Neurosciences and Mental Health Board: 17 to 18 March 2026
Population and System Medicine Board: 24 to 25 March 2026

Relevant panel meeting dates are:

Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme Panel: 20 to 21 January 2026
Experimental Medicine Panel: 24 to 25 June 2026
Equipment Panel: March or April 2025 to be confirmed
Clinical Training and Career Development Panel: 18 to 19 March 2026
Non-Clinical Training and Career Development Panel: 24 to 25 March 2026
Centres of Research Excellence Panel: to be confirmed

Last updated: 16 July 2025