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New BSI career development offering

A vital part of the British Society for Immunology mission is supporting current and future generations of immunologists throughout their careers. Through our extensive career development offering, we help our members achieve the full potential of a highly fulfilling career in immunology.

We are proud to announce a significant expansion in the careers support we offer to our members, including revamped schemes, new initiatives and further funding opportunities.

Careers offering


We are acutely aware of the established and emerging challenges faced by immunologists from all career stages, sectors and backgrounds. It is our purpose to ensure our members can tackle those challenges effectively and make the most of new opportunities.

As a starting point, we're boosting the fundamental support we provide to equip BSI members with the tools needed to thrive in their careers – this is our career-enabling stream. It consists of core activities that facilitate career progression including our conference travel grantscarers’ grants and webinar series. We are also launching two new grant schemes: our Regional & Affinity Group Conference Grants and our Regional & Affinity Group Carers' Grants

What’s new? Click here for more details about our career-enabling activities. 

To go a step further and super-charge the career progression of our members, we offer targeted additional support through various initiatives, such as the BSI mentoring scheme or the BSI Summer School – this is our career-enhancing stream

We are excited to announce a significant addition to this stream: the BSI Career Enhancing Grants.


BSI Career Enhancing Grants

This pilot grant scheme provides flexible financial support to help immunologists grasp the opportunities and tackle the challenges in their various paths. It has been designed to allow our support to be valuable for BSI members across different research areas and reaching sectors beyond academia.

The funding can be used for any type of career-related activity that will help you go a step further in building your skillset and advancing your professional development. The amount you can apply for is variable – we accept applications for any amount from £100 to £5,000 – and you can use it to fund a pilot project, purchase equipment, undertake a lab placement, internship or secondment in another sector, or take part in a training course, to name a few.

Visit the BSI Career Enhancing Grants page for details about what you can use it for and how to apply. 

Through our new career development offering, we hope to continue building a strong immunology workforce that drives innovation and provides life-saving benefits to all. 
 


President of the British Society for Immunology, Professor Arne Akbar, said:

“Immunologists are at the forefront of global health efforts providing immeasurable benefits for patients, for society and for the economy as a whole. The British Society for Immunology works relentlessly to support our community and we continuously listen to the challenges that our members are facing. I’m pleased to say that your voices have been heard and with this significant new investment in career development, the Society is going a step further to overcome existing challenges to develop an even stronger, more highly-skilled workforce.”

BSI Education & Careers Secretary, Dr Donald Palmer, said:

“As BSI Education & Careers Secretary, I’m delighted to be part of the launch of this new careers package and in particular, the new BSI Career Enhancing Grants. There’s already so much value in belonging to the Society but this greatly increases the benefits available to members. The possibilities of these grants are endless, and I encourage folks to think carefully and innovatively about how to make the most of this incredible opportunity.”

BSI Trustee & Chair of Forum, Professor Ann Ager, said:

“At our BSI Forum meetings, we constantly ask ourselves: how can the BSI better support the immunology community? We have lengthy discussions about the various challenges faced by members from different career grades and locations in the UK. This new career package offers exactly what we need, offering wider support for diverse individuals and empowering immunologists at different stages.” 

BSI Early Career Trustee, Dr Calum Bain, said:

“The BSI has provided important support for immunologists at different stages in their career, but I am fully appreciative of how tough it is to be an early career researcher in the current climate. I have worked hard to ensure our voices are heard and I’m delighted to have contributed to the development of this new career-enhancing grant scheme from the BSI.”

BSI Early Career Trustee, Dr Emma Chambers, said:

“Two years ago, I started as an ECR Trustee in the hope of supporting and promoting early career researchers. I wanted to encourage the BSI to provide more support and funding for ECRs – I’m proud to have played an important role in the development of the new and exciting BSI Career Enhancing Grants!”


If you have any questions about our new career development package, please email careers@immunology.org