Intermediate Fellowships in Public Health and Tropical Medicine

Print the contents of all the tabs on this page (excludes global navigation tabs)

Purpose

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

Research projects must be in the area of public health or tropical medicine, aimed at understanding and controlling human and animal diseases of local, national or global health importance. Some fundamental biomedical studies are acceptable, but projects focused solely on in vitro or animal model studies 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 developing 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)
training costs where appropriate and justified
an inflation/flexible funding allowance and 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

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 human and animal diseases of local, national or global health importance.

You must be a national or legal resident of a developing 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.

Please note that researchers based in the restructuring countries of Europe and Asia are not eligible to apply for this scheme.

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, either by a late start or by interruption, for personal or family reasons.

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 developing 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 Funding 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 developing 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.

You must identify appropriate supervisors who will provide independent support, mentorship and advice in all relevant research areas for the duration of the fellowship award.

A sponsor may also be nominated as a supervisor where appropriate.

Application process

You must complete and submit a preliminary application form [Word 236KB] 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 short-listed for interview by the Public Health and Tropical Medicine Interview Committee.

Candidates short-listed 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

Some underpinning biomedical studies are acceptable, but if the project is focused solely on in vitro or animal model studies then it is not normally eligible under this scheme.

You should give careful thought to identifying supervisors who possess strong track records in research, training and mentorship. We would expect supervisors to provide you with guidance during the application process and support in all relevant research areas for the duration of the fellowship.

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.

Deadlines

Applications are considered three times per year.

Next preliminary application deadline: 5 March 2010
Full application deadline: 14 May 2010
Funding Committee review: October 2010
Interviews: November 2010

Schedule for full applications submitted for 25 September 2009 deadline:

Funding Committee review: February 2010
Short-listed candidate interviews: March 2010

Schedule for full applications submitted for 18 December 2009 deadline:

Funding Committee review: April/May 2010
Short-listed candidate interviews: June 2010

Late applications will not be accepted at any stage.

Fellowships must be taken up within one year of award.

Contacts

Enquiries may be directed to phatic@wellcome.ac.uk, the appropriate 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

See Contact us for our postal address.