Senior Research Fellowships in Clinical Science
Purpose
This scheme provides support for clinical investigators to further develop their research potential and to establish themselves as leading investigators in clinical academic medicine.
Fellowships are awarded annually to candidates of exceptional ability and outstanding promise.
What's included
The fellowship is for five years in the first instance, and provides:
- employment costs (including basic salary, employer's contributions, incremental progression, London weighting as applicable, and an allowance for inflation over future years)
- the essential costs of the research programme (e.g. consumables, equipment, collaborative travel, research assistance and technical support)
- an inflation/flexible funding allowance and support to attend scientific meetings, in addition to the requested essential costs.
We provide appropriate allowances to fellows based overseas.
The fellow's appropriate basic salary will be determined by the host institution, but it would normally be expected to be within the salary scales for academic and senior clinical lecturers. We are prepared to consider salary requests at consultant level for fellows who currently hold or who are awarded an honorary consultant contract during the tenure of the fellowship.
This fellowship is subject to competitive rolling scientific review every five years, and will be renewed on the basis that the Trust and the host institution will jointly fund the Senior Research Fellow's salary through a '50:50' partnership for the duration of any renewal period.
Eligibility
You must have a relevant connection to the EEA. If you are a non-UK candidate, please contact the office for advice before submitting a preliminary application.
You should be a clinical scientist with a medical, dental, veterinary or clinical psychology qualification and have no more than 15 years' clinical and research experience from the date of your first medical, dental, veterinary or British Psychological Society-accredited psychology qualification. (Due allowance will be given to those whose career has been affected by a late start or interruption for personal/family reasons.)
Successful candidates will have made significant progress towards establishing themselves as independent clinical investigators. A research degree (PhD/MD), together with evidence of advanced (postdoctoral) research training (typically at least three to five years), is expected. They will have published consistently in their chosen area of research, placing substantive papers in leading journals.
Candidates will not normally hold a tenured academic post in a university in the UK or Republic of Ireland, or a consultant post in the NHS.
The proposed research should fall within our normal funding remit. We do not normally consider proposals for clinical cancer research (see our policy on cancer research funding, particularly point 3).
Sponsorship
Your sponsoring laboratory must be in an eligible NHS or academic institution in the UK or Republic of Ireland. The laboratory should not be a Research Council (or other directly Government-funded) unit or institute.
Your sponsor must have a contract of employment with the academic institution or, in the case of an NHS employee, an honorary academic appointment. He/she must also have tenure beyond the duration of the proposed fellowship.
For research to be carried out in a developing country, an appropriate overseas institute and sponsor must be identified. The Wellcome Trust Centres for Research in Clinical Tropical Medicine can offer support for researchers carrying out projects in clinical tropical medicine in developing countries.
You must have the full support of your sponsor, who should give an undertaking that, conditional only on your sustained performance as a research worker:
- if a suitable vacancy arose locally or elsewhere, support would be given to you as a candidate for the post
- the sponsoring department will, during the tenure of the fellowship, actively seek to develop the post, at least at senior clinical lecturer level, or to arrange for a suitable new post for you.
You must have an undertaking from your sponsoring department that you will:
- be granted the status and benefits of a senior lecturer
- have practical control, if necessary, of a number of patients for investigative work, under the normal supervision of the head of department
- have conferment of consultant status during the period of the fellowship, where appropriate and where local circumstances permit
- not be expected to carry out more than eight hours a week of routine clinical or teaching duties.
You may apply to remain in your current laboratory, to return to one where you have worked before or to move to new laboratory.
In terms of renewal, fellowships will be subject to a competitive, rolling scientific review every five years. Senior Research Fellowships will be renewed on the basis that the Trust and the host institution will jointly fund the Senior Research Fellow's salary through a '50:50' partnership for the duration of any renewal period.
Application process
A preliminary application form [Word 232KB] should be completed and submitted to the Trust by the published deadline.
Please consult the guidance notes [Word 105KB] before completing the form.
- An electronic copy of the completed form (as a Word document) should be emailed to the appropriate science funding stream (see Contacts).
- Three hard copies (one to be the signed original) should be sent to the Trust's postal address, marked for the attention of the appropriate funding stream.
Applications must be complete, with the correct number of copies. Incomplete or incorrectly completed forms will not be accepted. Faxed applications will not be accepted. Please do not send any additional material.
You will be notified in writing of your, or otherwise, in reaching the next round of the competition. Decisions will not be available by telephone. In some instances, we may recommend that candidates apply for an Intermediate Clinical Fellowship.
Short-listed candidates will be invited to submit a full application, to be returned to the Trust no later than the published deadline. (Full application forms will normally be sent to short-listed candidates within one month of the preliminary deadline.)
Full applications will be considered by the relevant Funding Committee. Note: candidates carrying out research in the areas of public health and tropical medicine will be considered by the Public Health and Tropical Medicine Interview Committee.
Applications will be further short-listed for interview, which will be held about a month after this review process.
Fellowships must be started within one year of award.
Application advice
You are encouraged to contact the office prior to submitting a preliminary application to discuss any queries that you might have.
Successful candidates will have made significant progress towards establishing themselves as independent clinical investigators. A research degree (PhD/MD) together with evidence of advanced (postdoctoral) research training would be expected. Successful candidates will have published consistently in their chosen area of research, placing substantive papers in leading journals.
A previous unsuccessful application under this scheme does not necessarily preclude a new application. You are encouraged to consult the office before making a second submission.
You may not apply for more than one Wellcome Trust fellowship scheme at any one time.
Deadlines
This is an annual competition.
- Preliminary application deadline: 18 September 2009
- Full applications invited by: 16 October 2009
- Full applications due by: 7 December 2009
- Funding Committee review: April/May 2010
- Candidates interviewed: June 2010
Current award holders
Senior Research Fellowships in Clinical Science are tenable for up to five years in the first instance. They are subject to a competitive, rolling scientific review every five years; renewed awards are funded through a '50:50' partnership.
A full list of current Senior Research Fellows in Clinical Science is available.
Contacts
Enquiries may be directed to the appropriate funding stream, or by telephone to the Grants Management Helpdesk: +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
Physiological Sciences
E
phs@wellcome.ac.uk
Molecules, Genes and Cells
E
mgc@wellcome.ac.uk