Intermediate Fellowships in Public Health and Tropical Medicine

Purpose

This scheme enables high-calibre, mid-career researchers from low- and middle-income countries to establish an independent research programme. Fellows must be based primarily in a low- and middle-income country.

Research should be aimed at understanding and improving public health and diseases of local, national and global relevance. Topics include:

• demographic, social science and health economic studies
• epidemiological, field and community based studies
• health care systems and policy research
• measurement of infectious and chronic disease burden
• population studies
• clinical trials and case control studies
• studies of disease mechanisms in the natural host
• determinants of disease susceptibility and resistance
• immunity or resistance in natural hosts or vectors.

This can include laboratory based molecular analysis of field or clinical samples, but projects focused solely on studies in vitro or using animal models will not normally be considered under this scheme.

This fellowship is part of a series of career awards aimed at building sustainable capacity in areas of research that have the potential for increasing health benefits for people and their livestock in low- and middle-income countries.

What's included

Fellowships are for up to five years (non-renewable) and provide support that includes:

• a basic salary for the fellow
• research expenses (e.g. consumables, equipment, collaborative travel, research assistance, technical support, fieldwork and data collection)
• training costs where appropriate and justified
• an inflation and flexible funding allowance
• support to attend scientific meetings.

Contributions to costs of the project which are directly incurred by the overseas institution may be provided.

The salary should normally be based on the pay scales of the employing institution and must be justified by the head of the institution. The salary level should be appropriate for the holder of a competitive grant and allow him/her to focus full-time on research.

If the fellow is already in receipt of a salary from the host institution, the host institution may use the salary to pay for a replacement member of staff while the Trust provides the fellow's salary for the duration of the fellowship. It is not expected that the fellow will receive a salary in addition to the one provided by the Trust.

Research-dedicated costs (excluding salary costs) should not exceed £60 000 per annum.

Training fees may be considered where a course leads to a recognised qualification in a discipline relevant to the fellowship research project and is a necessary part of the fellow's training. It is expected that registration for a higher degree should be done locally and PhD fees at overseas rates will not normally be provided.

Overseas allowances will be provided for periods of training or collaborative research spent outside the home institution country, where appropriate.

Eligibility

We will consider applications that fall within the Public Health and Tropical Medicine Interview Committee remit. This covers research on infectious and non-communicable diseases within the fields of public health and tropical medicine that is aimed at understanding and controlling diseases (either human or animal) of relevance to local, national or global health.

You must be a national or legal resident of a low- and middle-income country and should be either:

• a graduate in a subject relevant to public health or tropical medicine (e.g. biomedical or social science, veterinary medicine, physics, chemistry or mathematics) with a PhD and three to six years' postdoctoral experience, or
• a medical graduate with a higher qualification equivalent to membership of the UK Royal Colleges of Physicians (i.e. qualified to enter higher specialist training) or recognised as a specialist within a relevant research area, with three to six years' research experience.

You must have a relevant high-quality publication record and show potential to become a future scientific leader.

Applicants who do not have a PhD but who are educated to first degree or Master's level and have extensive research experience, as evidenced by their publication record, may be considered.

Due allowance will be given to those whose career has been affected by a late start or for personal reasons (e.g. time away due to maternity, paternity, adoption leave or other caring responsibilities, or ill-health).

You may apply to remain in your current laboratory (even if you already hold an established post), to return to one where you have previously worked, or to move to a new laboratory, in a low- and middle-income country.

In general, fellowships may be held in 'not for profit' institutions that are able to sign up to our Grant Conditions. Institutions that have not previously received significant funding from us will be required to submit information to enable us to assess eligibility. Applications will not be considered by a decision-making committee until all eligibility checks have been completed.

We do not normally accept resubmissions of fellowship applications.

Sponsorship and supervision

You must be based at an eligible sponsoring institution in a low- and middle-income country that will administer the fellowship for the full tenure of the award. You must have an appropriate sponsor who holds an established post for the duration of the fellowship and has a track record in research and research training.

Your sponsor must be able to guarantee that space and facilities will be made available for you. Your sponsor is expected to support you in your research and to ensure that you will be released from the majority of your administrative and teaching commitments to enable you to focus on research.

The time permitted for clinical duties or other non-research activity during the fellowship is normally restricted to a maximum of eight hours each week.

An additional sponsor(s) must be identified for periods outside the host institution, i.e. the institution(s) where periods of training will take place.

Application process

You must complete and submit a preliminary application form [Word 358KB] by the published deadline. The form should be emailed to phatic@wellcome.ac.uk.

Completed forms will normally be assessed within one month of the preliminary deadline. If the preliminary application meets the scheme's requirements, a full application will be invited.

A copy of the home institution's salary scale and justification of your salary level from the head of department should be submitted with the full application.

Your full application will be peer reviewed and, if successful, you will then be shortlisted for interview by the Public Health and Tropical Medicine Interview Committee.

Candidates shortlisted for interview will normally be notified four weeks before the interview date. Interviews will be conducted at our offices in London. Travel and accommodation costs will be provided.

Application advice

Applications are only accepted in the Public Health and Tropical Medicine Interview Committee remit. This covers research on infectious and non-communicable diseases within the fields of public health and tropical medicine that is aimed at understanding and controlling diseases (either human or animal) of relevance to local, national or global health.

This can include laboratory based molecular analysis of field or clinical samples, but projects focused solely on studies in vitro or using animal models will not normally be considered under this scheme.

You should give careful thought to identifying sponsor(s) who possess strong track records in research, training and mentorship. We would expect sponsors to provide you with guidance during the application process.

We reserve the right not to process an application if the scheme's eligibility criteria are not met or if the application has not been completed in full.

We do not normally accept resubmissions of fellowship applications.

You may not apply for more than one Wellcome Trust fellowship at any one time.

Successful applicants may have the opportunity to apply for Enhancement funding. Details can be found here.

Deadlines

Applications are considered twice a year. Details of the next application deadline are below:

• Preliminary application deadline: 27 September 2013
• Full application deadline: 6 December 2013
• Shortlisted candidate interviews: 18-20 June 2014

Schedule for preliminary applications submitted to 1 March 2013 deadline:

• Full application deadline: 21 May 2013
• Shortlisted candidate interviews: 25-27 November 2013

Late applications will not be accepted at any stage.

Fellowships must be taken up within one year of award.

Current award holders

This fellowship is part of a series of career awards aimed at building sustainable capacity in areas of research that have the potential for increasing health benefits for people and their livestock in low- and middle-income countries.

A full list of current fellows in Public Health and Tropical Medicine is available.

Contacts

Enquiries may be directed to phatic@wellcome.ac.uk, the appropriate stream or by telephone to the Grants Service Desk: +44 (0)20 7611 2020.

Immunology and Infectious Disease
E iid@wellcome.ac.uk

Populations and Public Health
E pph@wellcome.ac.uk

Neuroscience and Mental Health
E nmh@wellcome.ac.uk

Cellular, Developmental and Physiological Sciences
E cdps@wellcome.ac.uk

Genetic and Molecular Sciences
E gms@wellcome.ac.uk

See Contact us for our postal address.