An LCAL Associate is a researcher who, whilst not a Co-Investigator, has a formalised connection to the Centre. An Associate will benefit from access to the LCAL network and invitations to events and activities, including those open only to Associates.
Get Involved
Get involved with LCAL…
We currently have three formalised ways to get involved with the Leverhulme Centre for Algorithmic Life:
1) Join our mailing list here
2) Apply to become an LCAL Associate
Applications always open – more information can be found below
3) Apply for a Visiting Fellowship
Applications for 26-27 academic year close on 21 September 2026 – more information can be found below
Apply to become an LCAL Associate
Click to expand the tabs for more information about the LCAL Associate process
Researchers of all career stages and from all disciplines are welcome to apply to be an LCAL Associate. This includes postdoctoral researchers, staff on fixed term contracts, staff on teaching-only contracts as well as non-academics (e.g. industry, policy or third sector partners) with a clearly linked interest in LCAL’s research.
LCAL Associates should have research interests closely aligned with those of the Centre. We hope that Associates will help to raise the profile of LCAL within different disciplinary contexts, including by highlighting LCAL opportunities and activities to members of their academic departments or research networks.
We hope that LCAL Associate will actively participate in the thriving research environment of the Centre as appropriate for their career stage, for example: by attending or leading LCAL events, co-supervising PhD students, collaborating on grant applications, contributing to mentoring programmes, or representing LCAL at events.
LCAL Associate status is awarded by the LCAL Director, Louise Amoore, on the advice of the LCAL Management Group, which includes an ECR representative, and with agreement from the core LCAL staff team. Decisions to award Associate status are made quarterly in March, June, September and December, considering all applications submitted in the previous quarter.
Applications should be submitted via this Microsoft Forms link. In addition to a short justification for why they wish to become an Associate, applicants will need to include the name of a core LCAL member who supports their application.
Successful applications will demonstrate a clear fit with one or more LCAL thematic programmes, as well as a genuine commitment to contribute to the Centre’s activities.
Download the LCAL Associates information as a PDF: LCAL Associates
Apply for an LCAL Visiting Fellowship
Click to expand the tabs for more information about the LCAL Visiting Fellowship process
The Leverhulme Centre for Algorithmic Life (LCAL) is delighted to be able to invite applications for a limited number of Visiting Fellows to visit Durham or a collaborating institution during academic year 2026-2027 who wish to spend time with LCAL to complete a specific and defined research project.
An applicant should be a member of academic staff from another institution or a relevant independent researcher, either in the UK or internationally.
The applicant should be able to demonstrate that their research has substantive alignment with one or more of our Thematic Programmes or Clusters.
Where employed by another institution, the applicant must have the full support of their home institution and be able to submit a signed letter of support confirming this.
The applicant can be of any career stage, contract type, or disciplinary background.
Durham would normally be the host location for Visiting Fellows, however, applications are also welcomed to be located in Edinburgh if this is a stronger fit to the proposed research project. Visiting Fellows cannot currently be hosted at York, however, applicants would be welcome to include short visits to York as part of their proposed project and financial support for travel between Durham and York can be included in the application.
Visting fellowships will usually be six – twelve weeks in duration. The applicant must be willing to be physically located in an LCAL for at least 50% of the fellowship duration. International applicants are responsible for undertaking any necessary legal steps required to enable temporary residency in the UK.
The applicant must be willing to attend the regular LCAL events held during their Fellowship, such as our fortnightly crits and monthly seminars. The applicant will be expected to actively lead one regular LCAL event during their visit such as giving a guest lecture or leading a workshop.
PhD students cannot be supported through the LCAL Visiting Fellows scheme, however, those hosted by a Durham department are welcome to visit LCAL informally and join in our events for the period of their visit.
All activity and spend under the LCAL Visiting Fellows scheme must be completed in line with the host institution’s Visitors Policy. In the case of any discrepancy between terms, the institutional policy must take precedence.
Applicants must be able to articulate a specific and defined research or research-related project that they indeed to complete as part of their visiting fellowship.
Potential projects may include:
- A desk or lab-based research project that accesses Durham’s collections, technical equipment, or other resources
- A collaborative research project with a member of the Durham LCAL team
- A co-authored research output with a member of the Durham LCAL team
- A collaborative activity to generate research impact and/or research-informed wider public engagement
- Organising and running a research-informed workshop or event in Durham.
LCAL is looking to support a wide range of projects and researchers across disciplinary background. The above list is not intended to be exhaustive. However, all projects must be clearly defined with specific and measurable output/outputs.
LCAL is able to offer financial support for visiting fellows to cover the following:
- Reasonable travel expenses for the journey to and from Durham at the beginning and end of the visiting fellowship.
- Accommodation for the visit, where the accommodation type and cost falls within the DU Expenses policy.
- Non-staff costs directly related to the delivery of the research project including workshop costs, conference attendance, research consumables, or facilities usage.
LCAL is not able to support:
- Salary costs for the applicant, which must continue to be supported by the home institution.
- Funding for a research assistant or any other staff costs.
- Subsistence funds, except whilst travelling away from Durham for activities directly related to the Fellowship. LCAL is not able to provide funding for basic subsistence for the period that the applicant will be ordinarily resident in Durham.
- Any activities for which the applicant already has access, or could reasonably be expected to have access, to funding from elsewhere e.g. from grants or from their home institution.
Visiting fellows will be provided with the following for the duration of their visit:
- Desk space in LCAL in Durham or Edinburgh
- Invitations to participate in LCAL events and activities
- Access to the host institution’s facilities and collections as needed to complete the research project e.g. access to Library & Collections, technical resources and research equipment
- A ‘host’ member of staff from the core LCAL team
- Mentoring (where required) and wider support from members of the LCAL team
- Support with operational queries from the LCAL Centre Coordinator
Applications are open now for Visiting Fellowships for the period 1 January 2027 – 30 September 2027. Applications for this period will close on 21 September 2026. Applications for academic year 2027-2028 will reopen in Spring 2027.
All applications received before the closing date will be considered, however, we encourage early submission where possible and applications will be considered on a rolling basis. Outcomes will be communicated by 30 October 2026, or earlier if possible.
LCAL Visiting Fellowships will be awarded by the LCAL Director, Professor Louise Amoore, on the advice of the LCAL Management Group, which includes an ECR representative.
To apply, please submit the following documentation via email:
- CV (max 2 sides A4)
- Covering letter (maximum 500 words)
- Visiting Fellowship defined project proposal (maximum 1000 words)
Applications should be sent via email to [email protected]
Successful applications will demonstrate a clear fit with one or more LCAL thematic programmes, as well as a genuine commitment to contribute to the Centre’s activities.
Applicants are encouraged to contact [email protected] to arrange an informal discussion with the Centre Director before submitting their final application. Applicants are also very welcome to send any practical queries to this address.
Download the LCAL Visiting Fellows information as a PDF: LCAL Visiting Fellows