Early independence: clinician scientist fellowship in Swindon

Apply for an early independence fellowship to support your career transition within the Medical Research Council (MRC) remit. You must:

• be a registered healthcare professional
• have a PhD or equivalent
• show evidence of career consolidation and past productivity
• show clear plans for establishing your own research niche that enables a step-change towards independence

We will fund your salary and project costs (80% of the full economic cost) up to five years (pro rata for part-time fellowships). You may choose to apply for joint funding from one of the collaborating organisations.

Who can apply

This funding opportunity is open to organisations with standard eligibility. Applications are welcomed from applicants of all nationalities, including those not currently located in the UK, however, this is subject to the fellowship being based at an eligible UK-based research organisation.

Eligibility Criteria

You can apply if you are a registered healthcare professional. This includes, but is not limited to:

• nurses
• midwives
• allied health professionals
• healthcare scientists
• pharmacists
• clinical psychologists
• doctors
• dentists
• general practitioners
• veterinarians

To be eligible to apply for the early independence clinician scientist fellowship you must:

• have completed a PhD or equivalent
• show evidence of skills, experience, career development and productivity across past appointments
• have your own research plans that do not significantly overlap with those of your current group leaders or proposed sponsors
• have a research focus that is within the MRC remit to improve human health
• have the support of an eligible organisation
• intend to be clinically active during or after the award

There are no eligibility rules based on age or years of postdoctoral experience. You must have completed a PhD or equivalent before the fellowship award can start. If you have not yet completed your PhD you should contact the relevant programme manager before submitting an application.

Funding Available

There is no limit to the amount of funding you can request. However, all costs must be fully justified and demonstrate value for money. Your application must be for an amount that:

• is appropriate to the project
• can be justified in order to meet the objectives of your proposed research

We will fund 80% of the full economic cost and 100% of permitted exceptions. The clinician scientist fellowship will cover the full cost of your salary and provide funding for:

• support for a small number of research and technical staff as justified by the project
• visa fees and international health surcharge costs for fellows
• research consumables
• equipment
• travel costs
• training activities
• data preservation, data sharing and dissemination costs
• public partnerships and related activities

This award will also support a period of research overseas, at a second UK organisation or within industry, whichever is most appropriate. You may spend up to 12 months of your award at a second organisation.

What We Will Not Fund

We will not fund:

• costs for PhD studentships
• publication costs
• funding to use as a 'bridge' between grants
• costs for sponsors
• costs for mentors
• costs for a large research team
• costs for senior staff included under any role

Joint Funders

We collaborate with royal colleges and charity funders to offer jointly-funded clinician scientist fellowships. These awards offer the prestige of having the relevant organisation co-fund your fellowship and may offer additional opportunities to report on your project, present your work at meetings and take part in professional networking.