Professor Luke Mackinder

UKRI Future Leader Fellowship (UKRI-FLF)

Why a UKRI FLF?

I was a Lecturer at York but wanted to pursue an ambitious long-term project that due to cost and length was not suitable for 3-year BBSRC responsive mode funding. I also knew I needed to be able to dedicate 100% of my time to make the project a success. This made a UKRI-FLF a perfect choice for me with it being a 4+3 year scheme and it covering a 100% of my salary so I could focus solely on pursuing and delivering on my proposed work.

Why York?

The University of York and the Department of Biology had a been a fantastic place to establish my lab, providing the space, support and environment to enable me to get my initial research projects running. There are also World-class facilities and technical support provided by the Technology Facility that give my lab access to all of the microscopy, proteomics and bioinformatic support required for the high-throughput biology proposed in my fellowship. York had also been very considerate of my teaching load, gradually increasing it over the first three years, this not only enabled me to get my research established but enabled me to dedicate time to writing grant and fellowship applications. I knew I could trust York to support me in delivering on my fellowship and allowing me to prioritise my research over teaching and administrational roles.

Support during the application

The department provided strong and sustained support during the application process. I had opportunities to present fellowship project ideas to colleagues during grant pitching sessions. Several PIs along with mentors gave feedback on early drafts of my proposal. The Biology Grant support team guided me through costings and answered all my budget related questions. Once I was selected for interview, the York Fellowship team set-up mock interviews, one with the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research demonstrating their commitment to me and the fellowship. Once awarded the fellowship, the Department have been very supportive alleviating my teaching and administration duties where I have asked, thus giving me the freedom to pursue my research.