University of Oxford, Department of Engineering Science
Founder, ZERO Institute Founders Programme Closing date: Oct 16, 2026
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Founder, ZERO Institute Founders Programme
Salary
£49,119 - £58,265 per annum
Closing date
Oct 16, 2026 12:00PM
Description
READVERTISEMENT OF VACANCY 186517 - PREVIOUS APPLICANTS SHOULD NOT APPLY.
The ZERO Institute, University of Oxford (https://zero.ox.ac.uk), has launched the residential ZERO Institute’s Founders Programme, enabling Founders to develop and deliver world-changing Climate Tech through accelerated lab-to-market translation.
We are appointing a one-year residential post to undertake Climate Tech research translation at the University of Oxford. The postholder will provide an original idea/IP they have developed to commercialise zero/low carbon research, with potential to deliver significant reductions in global CO2 emissions. The Founder will be supported to establish a Climate Tech venture with a proven unique selling point, a well-developed business plan and protected IP. Each Founder will have access to university labs and facilities, an academic sponsor, business development and incubation support, and the wider network of the ZERO Institute and the University of Oxford. The post is supported by Breakthrough Energy, the Quadrature Climate Foundation, Oxford Science Enterprises, and other sources.
This role is open to all applicants whose original idea/IP has been developed outside the University of Oxford or is not owned by the University of Oxford.
At the ZERO Institute we are committed to upholding equality, diversity and inclusion throughout our work, and applications from a wide pool of candidates are encouraged.
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Applicants Are Required To Submit
- Application Form (template provided), that details the basis of your innovation idea, your market understanding and a proposed plan for your employment in the Founders programme (maximum 2000 words).
- Curriculum Vitae, detailing your track record in research and innovation, your career history and evidence of your core skills relevant to the Founders programme.
- Concise Supporting Statement of maximum two pages, explaining how you meet the above selection criteria, with an emphasis on Essential Criteria 3-7 and Desirable Criterion 1 in the Job Description.
- Letter of Support from an Oxford faculty member (the ‘Academic Sponsor’), detailing the importance of your idea and how they and/or their research group can help your journey, and confirming that their department would be willing to host you if successful. Candidates must identify their Academic Sponsor from the University of Oxford. Several faculty members operating in Climate Tech research domains can be found at https://www.energy.ox.ac.uk/people/ and at https://zero.ox.ac.uk/about/people/. Prior to application, your Academic Sponsor is welcome to request further information on the programme, by contacting Andy Gilchrist (andy.gilchrist@mpls.ox.ac.uk).
- As part of your application, you will be asked to provide details of two referees and indicate whether we can contact them now.
Please upload all documents as PDF files with your name and the document type in the filename. All applications must be received by midday UK time on Friday 16 October 2026.
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Contact name
Andy Gilchrist
Contact email
andy.gilchrist@mpls.ox.ac.uk
The job description is available via the Apply Now button
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