Early Postdoctoral Training Fellowship for Clinician Scientists

Provides up to three years support for clinicians who have recently gained a higher degree and wish to obtain high-quality postdoctoral training that will lay the foundations for a successful independent research career.

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Purpose

This scheme is for talented clinicians who have recently obtained a higher degree (typically a PhD) and who now wish to undertake a period of postdoctoral training in the best research environments in the UK and overseas.

It will enable successful candidates to obtain high-quality postdoctoral training that will lay the foundations for a successful independent research career. Fellowships can be tailored to enable individuals, where appropriate, to continue to progress their clinical training.

This scheme is now closed to new applications. A new Postdoctoral Research Training Fellowship for Clinicians scheme, for individuals at this stage in their career, is now available.

What's included

Awards are for up to three years (see 'Eligibility') and the total cost of a Fellowship would normally be capped at £350 000.

The Trust will provide you with a full clinical salary (pre-consultant level) set by the host institution (according to age and experience), and research expenses for the first two years of the Fellowship. It is expected that a significant proportion of this time will be spent in a new high-quality research environment, either in the UK or abroad. Appropriate allowances are provided for fellows based overseas.

In the third year of the Fellowship the amount of research time is decreased to 50 per cent to allow you to make a managed reintegration into your clinical training programme (if appropriate). The Trust will provide full research costs for the third year, but your Fellow’s salary will be funded on a 50:50 basis between the Trust and an appropriate clinical training position.

The Fellowship is designed to be flexible to the needs of the trainee, and within the suggested framework the individual may tailor the scheme to meet their specific research/clinical training needs. Applicants are encouraged to contact the Office for further advice.

The Trust will also provide the following for the duration of the grant:

support to attend scientific meetings
Flexible Funding Allowance
an inflation allowance.

No funding is provided for examination fees.

Support funds for research staff or substantial equipment are not normally provided. It is expected that an appropriate laboratory(ies) will be selected and that the majority of the necessary equipment and facilities required for the proposed research will be made available to you.

Fellowships may be taken up on a part-time employment basis, where appropriate.

You are advised to consult your training authority when designing the clinical component of your application. Clinical work during the first two years of the Fellowship is normally restricted to eight hours or two programmed activities per week.

Eligibility

These awards are open to individuals with a relevant connection to the European Economic Area for Fellowships to be held in a UK or Republic of Ireland institution.

Typically, you will be about to complete your higher degree or be within one year from the date of your PhD viva at the full application submission deadline (e.g. if the full deadline is in February 2012, your viva should not have occurred before February 2011).

Medical and dental candidates: you should have completed your foundation training, hold a National Training Number (NTN) or equivalent, and have demonstrated significant progress towards gaining the core clinical competences that would be expected of a ST level Trainee/IATP Academic Clinical Fellow.
Veterinary candidates: should have a degree in veterinary medicine (e.g. BVSc, BVM&S, BVMS, BVetMed, VetMB) and some experience in clinical practice.
GPs and clinical psychologists: you are advised to contact the Trust to clarify your eligibility.

Sponsorship and supervision

You must have an eligible sponsoring institution in the UK or Republic of Ireland that will administer the Fellowship for the full duration of the award.

You will require:

a sponsor who can guarantee that the host institution will administer the award for the full tenure of the Fellowship - he/she must have a contract of employment with the host institution and have tenure beyond the duration of the proposed Fellowship
a mentor who will provide you with independent support and advice for the duration of the Fellowship
a research sponsor in every laboratory who must be able to guarantee you access to space and resources for the required period and provide relevant scientific guidance.

A sponsor may also be nominated as a research sponsor or mentor on an application. However, we would not expect a single individual to be proposed for all three roles. The Trust would also expect a member or members of this supervisory team to be able to provide you with support in relation to your clinical training requirements.

The Trust does not normally accept resubmissions of full applications for its fellowships. Please see 'Contacts' for further advice.

Application process

Awards will be made following a rigorous review process and interview. The process consists of three stages:

Stage 1
A preliminary application form should be completed, via the Trust’s eGrants online application system and submitted at any time before the published deadline. (Note: select the ‘Early postdoctoral training fellowship for clinician scientists’ form in the ‘Scheme Name’ drop-down menu, then select ‘Clinical Postdoctoral Fellowship’ to choose the preliminary application form).

Stage 2
If a full application is invited, you will be asked to complete the full application form (available in eGrants). The application form will require you to provide information additional to that provided in the preliminary application, particularly in relation to the details of the research project.

You are strongly advised to refer to the Additional information for completing the clinical postdoctoral fellowship form, which provides an overview to help guide you through the application process. The application will be reviewed and, if successful, you will be shortlisted for interview at our offices in London.

Stage 3
If you are shortlisted for interview, you will be asked to provide further information on your application, prior to the interview itself, via eGrants. At this stage, you will need to provide the detailed costs and information on issues such as human participation, the use of biological samples, and the potential for the research to generate results with the potential for commercial exploitation.

Application advice

You are encouraged to contact the Trust if you have any queries regarding the scheme, a potential application or career issues.

Reviewers typically assess:

your research and clinical career to date
the scientific merit and feasibility of the proposed project
the significance of the science
the suitability of the supervisor, mentor, sponsor and host environment.

Successful candidates will have a good track record of achievement, indicating enthusiasm and aptitude for a long-term career in academic medicine. In addition, robust knowledge of the scientific background should be apparent, and the research should be focused and practicable within the timescale proposed.

You should give careful thought to the choice of supervisor, mentor and research sponsor(s). These individuals will be expected to provide guidance during the application process, and support throughout the Fellowship.

You will need to discuss your clinical training plans with local advisers in your specialism before submission. Your sponsor is encouraged to view his/her support as part of a longer-term commitment to your career aspirations to be a clinical academic.

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

The Trust does not normally accept resubmissions of full applications for its fellowships. Please contact the Office for further advice (see 'Contacts').

Deadlines

This scheme is now closed to new applications. A new Postdoctoral Research Training Fellowship for Clinicians scheme, for individuals at this stage in their career, is now available.

The schedule for preliminary applications submitted to 5 April 2013 deadline is as follows:

Stage 2 - full application deadline: 1 July 2013
Shortlisting outcomes: August 2013
Stage 3 - pre-interview information due by: 10 October 2013
Shortlisted candidate interviews: 21-22 November 2013

Contacts

Enquiries may be directed to 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

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.

Current award holders

A full list of current award holders is available.