Help shape the future of food by mapping the evolution of the European alternative protein research and innovation ecosystem

The Good Food Institute Europe (GFI Europe) is a non-profit think tank at the forefront of the movement to transform meat production in order to solve some of the world’s biggest problems, from climate change and global hunger, to antibiotic resistance and animal suffering.

We work with scientists, businesses and policymakers to make plant-based and cultivated meat (grown directly from cells) delicious, affordable and accessible. Please check out our website, our 2024 Year in Review and our 2024 Europe Highlights blog post to find out more about who we are and what our charity does.

We are looking for a Research Fellow to work with us on a project to analyse the European alternative protein research ecosystem. This analysis will aim to help current and future innovators understand how they can best contribute to the development of this field and provide recommendations for how other stakeholders, including public research funders, can best support the further development and growth of the space.

How You Will Make a Difference: 

We need the best scientists in Europe to be engaged in plant-based, cultivated, and fermentation-made protein research and development. At GFI Europe, the goals of our SciTech work are threefold: 1) grow the technical research community, 2) enable and catalyse the work of this community, and 3) increase the research funding this community receives. 

Reporting to the Senior Research Funding Advisor or Senior Research Community Manager, you will contribute to all three streams of our work by applying your data analysis skills and knowledge of alternative protein science to generate insights and a holistic narrative to describe the evolution, characteristics, and relative competitiveness of the alternative protein field in Europe. 

Your responsibilities will include:

• Conduct a global data retrieval of grants, publications, and patents on topics relevant to alternative proteins and screen the results for inclusion/exclusion using an established methodology. 

• Conduct a range of analyses on the individual datasets to determine the evolution, characteristics, and relative competitiveness of the alternative protein research field in Europe when compared to other leading regions. 

• Support with the development of a range of project outputs including two thematic reports, a webpage, regional deep dives, blogs, and potentially other GFI Europe reports or academic publications. 

• Performing other tasks as required as a member of our small, nimble team. For example, this could include other Science and Technology work streams such as developing resources to support the growth of the alternative protein research community. 

Who We’re Looking For: 

You must have:

• A passion for GFI’s philosophy and mission.

• A BSc (or equivalent) in a science or engineering field.

• An existing functional understanding of the principles, methods, equipment, and techniques used in plant-based, cultivated, and fermentation-made protein research and manufacturing.

• Strong written communication skills including demonstrated experience compiling outputs such as reports, slide decks, or research publications.

• Strong data management skills including the ability to analyse complex data and produce clear and accurate outputs. 

• Strong team spirit and open and collaborative instincts (you may be required to work with colleagues in our SciTech team around the world). 

• A can-do approach: a self-starter with the drive and initiative to take responsibility for delivering impact and an ability to see projects through to completion.

• Comfort working remotely.

• Our team’s common language is English, so you’ll need to be confident working in English.

The ideal candidate may also have some of the following, although these are absolutely not requirements:

• Experience with research ecosystem mapping software and/or methodologies (e.g., Dimensions AI, SCOPUS, bibliometrix, ggplot2) up to and including the ability to utilize programming or scripting languages (e.g., Python, R).

• Experience working with data visualisation and/or design software (e.g. Datawrapper, Canva).

• The ability to work in European languages other than English, especially: German, French, Danish, Swedish. 

We want the best people and we don’t want biases holding us back. We strongly encourage people of every colour, orientation, age, gender, origin, and ability to apply. Because we value a diverse workplace, we prioritise an inclusive climate absent of discrimination and harassment during the application process and after you join the team.

The Fine Print:

• Terms of employment: Full-time (flexible hours), temporary for 26 weeks. Requests for part-time hours (30 hours/week or above) can be considered. Please state this in your application.

• Start date: 04 May 2026

• End date: 30 October 2026

• Location:  Flexible – we will consider applicants who are based in one of the following countries: UK, Netherlands, or Germany. 

• This is a remote role, and you will be able to work from home, or anywhere you choose. We are happy to consider supporting costs for co-working to enable you to work from an office if you wish. The whole GFI Europe team aims to get together in-person approximately twice per year for around 3-5 days at a time. Travel costs will be covered by GFI Europe within our travel policy.

• Salary: The salary and benefits package for all of our roles are researched and benchmarked based on similar nonprofit roles in the country/location of hire. Due to capacity, we cannot complete that research for all countries in advance, but an indicative salary is:

  • €37,954 per year pro rata if based in Germany.

• Right to work requirements: The successful candidate must, by the start of the employment, have permission to work in the country where they are based.

The application must be submitted before the deadline of 25 February 2026, at 23:59 CET. Submission involves completing a form and a CAT (both must be finished before the deadline). The CAT is sent automatically via email upon the form submission.