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Lead a lab at Janelia

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HHMI's Janelia Research Campus has spent two decades building technologies that reveal biology's hidden dimensions. From super-resolution microscopy to genetically encoded sensors to whole-brain connectomes, we have repeatedly redefined what’s possible in science. These advances emerged from a distinctive model in which tool-builders and biologists work together to identify roadblocks in biological research, invent new tools to address them, and deploy these technologies throughout the scientific ecosystem to transform entire fields.

Now we’re seeking the next generation of Janelia Group Leaders to push those frontiers even further. We want scientists at any career stage with original, transformative ideas for experimental approaches in imaging, molecular engineering, protein chemistry, mass spectrometry, and methods that don’t yet exist. Whether you’re a tool-builder who exclusively develops technology and collaborates with biologists, a biologist with a burning question that demands years of tool-building to solve, or a bridge between these worlds, we want to hear your ambitious and unconventional ideas.

 

What makes Janelia different

Janelia Group Leaders join a community built for long-term, high-risk science and tool building.

Freedom to explore

You'll have the freedom to work hands-on in small, hyper-collaborative labs and to pursue long-term, high-risk ideas.

World-class Support

You'll be able to leverage world-class facilities and support teams to turn your ideas into reality.

Inventing the Future

We're not looking for people who want to apply existing technologies. We're looking for people who want to invent the tools and methods that make impossible experiments possible and push science forward.

Appointment Overview

  • 100% internal funding
  • No teaching with minimal administrative duties
  • Small group size with hands-on research is expected
  • Up to 10-year term with 5-year review
  • Outstanding scientific support teams and shared resources

 

How it works

Appointment & term
  • Appointed for up to 10 years with a review at five years.
Funding & support
  • 100% internal funding.
  • Extended lab capabilities through the assistance from outstanding scientists in Janelia’s Support Teams.
  • Excellent mentoring by senior advisors.
  • No teaching with minimal administrative duties.
Lab size & expectations
  • Small group size with hands-on research is expected.
  • Two paid scientists in the first five years and four paid scientists in years 5–10.
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Who you are

  • You have an ambitious idea, a transformative problem to solve, or a technological approach that doesn't fully exist yet.

  • You're a late-stage graduate student, postdoc, faculty member, or industry researcher excited about leading a small, hands-on lab in a collaborative environment.

  • You thrive in interdisciplinary settings and want the freedom to pursue long-term, high-risk research without traditional academic constraints.

 

What you'll do

  • Lead a small, hands-on lab developing tools, methods, or experimental approaches that unlock new biological discovery.

  • Invent or refine imaging technologies, molecular tools, protein chemistry approaches, or other cutting-edge experimental strategies.

  • Collaborate closely with biologists, tool-builders, and Janelia's world-class Support Teams.

 

Application timeline

  • Application materials, including letters of reference, are due on February 3, 2026

  • Finalists must interview in-person at Janelia on May 7–8, 2026 to be considered 

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"Janelia was founded on the idea that tool-builders should work alongside biologists to solve important scientific problems."
-Luke Lavis

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Program Administration

Senior Director, Janelia Scientific Programs and Training

Zarixia Zavala-Ruiz

Senior Scientific Program Manager

Dominika Braverman