MRC Fellowship Opportunities

Dr Jo LatimerProgramme Manager

Plan of Talk

•Background about MRC

•Next Steps of MRC Funding•Fellowships•Research Grants

•Tips on writing good applications

•Assessment of Fellowships

Medical Research Council

• Established in 1913 and is one of seven Research Councils who come under the umbrella of RCUK

• Funded mainly by Government (accountable to Parliament, reports to DIUS)

• Independent in deciding which research to support

• In 2005/06, the MRC spent >£560 million on research and training support in our institutes, units and universities

RCUK, Research Councils UK;DIUS, Department of Innovations, Universities and Skills

Our Mission

• Encourage and support high quality research with the aim of maintaining and improving human health

• Produce skilled researchers, and to advance and disseminate knowledge and technology to improve the quality of life and economic competitiveness in the UK

• To promote dialogue with the public about medical research

Fellowships & Research Grants

Opportunities for Non-Clinical Scientists

PhD studentResearch Assistant

Post on Grant

New Investigator Awards

Research Grants

Post-Doc 1

Post-Doc 2(+)

Lecturer

Readership

Professorship

Studentships via Doctoral Training

Account

Intermediate Awards Career Development

Senior Fellowships

Non Clinical Appointment

Fellowship Opportunities

Grant Opportunities

Opportunities for Clinical Scientists

Pre- registration House Officer

Senior House Officer

Specialist registrar

Certificate of Completion of

Specialist Training

Consultant

Research Grants /Collaboration grants

Clinical Academic

Career Path

Clinician Scientist Fellowship

Senior Clinical Fellowships

Clinical Research Training Fellowship

MRC Provision (Clinical

Fellowships)

New Investigator Research Awards

MRC Provision(Grants)

MD or PhD

Lecturer

Senior lecturer

NHS Clinical Career Pathway

Professor

Opportunities for Clinical Scientists

INTEGRATED ACADEMIC TRAINING PATH Foundation Programme

Specialist TrainingAcademic Position

Medical School

CCT

MB

Intercalated BSc

MB/PhD

Graduate Entry

Training

Academic Foundation Year

F1 F2

Academic Status

Academic Clinical

Fellowship

Clinical Lectureship

Senior Lecturer

Further specialty/sub-specialty

training

Senior Clinical Fellowship

The timings of personal fellowships are indicative – there is flexibility according to individual career progression

Clinical Training

1 2 3 4 5

MRC

Fellowship

Clinical Research Training

Fellowship 3-4 years

Clinician Scientist

Fellowship up to 4 years

(

Opportunities for AlliedHealth Professionals

Nurses, midwives, radiographers, psychologists, other AHPs

Masters degree or equivalent postgraduate research-oriented qualification

ELIGIBLE FOR

Clinical Research Training

Fellowship

Health Services and Health of

the Public Fellowship

OR

PhD, DPhil, MD

PhD, DPhil, MD

ELIGIBLE FOR

Health Services and Health of the Public Fellowship

Clinician Scientist Fellowship/Career Development Award

Senior Clinical/Non-Clinical Fellowship

Summary

PhD trainingClinical Research

Training Fellowship

PhD studentship

Post-doctoral training

Clinician Scientist Fellowship

Career Development

Award

Established investigator

Senior Clinical Fellowship

Senior Fellowship

Clinical Non-Clinical

Fellowships: Pre- to post-doctoral Awards

Research training towards a PhD for clinical scientists or post-doctoral research training for

non-clinical scientists

•Clinical Research Training Fellowships

•Health Services and Health Of The Public Research Fellowships

Fellowships: Intermediate Awards

Post-doctoral/further post-doctoral experience consolidation of skills. Transition from postdoctoral researcher to

independent investigator

•Clinician Scientist FellowshipOpen to medical & dental graduates up to Consultant grade, nurses,

midwives and other health profession researchers

•Joint Collaborative Career Development Award in Stem Cell ResearchOpen to clinical & non-clinical applicants

•Career Development Award in BiostatisticsOpen to non-clinical post-doctoral researchers

•Career Development AwardOpen to non-clinical post-doctoral researchers

•Department Of Health Clinician Scientist AwardOpen to medical & dental graduates up to Special Registrar grade, nurses,

midwives and other health profession researchers

Fellowships:Senior Awards

Awards for independent scientist/team leaders: national/international recognition

Senior Clinical Fellowship

•Open to medical & dental graduates up to Consultant grade, nurses, midwives and other health profession researchers

Senior Non-Clinical Fellowship

•Open to non-clinical post-doctoral researchers, nurses and other health profession researchers

Award Support for Intermediate/Senior

• Personal salary

• Research support for staff

• Research expenses

• Travel allowance

• Capital equipment

• Up to one year in research centre overseas/2nd UK Centre/UK Industrial Training (2 years for CDA)

• No age limits

• Can return from a career break

• Awards can be held part time

• Support for maternity/sick leave

• Procedures are designed to minimise

discrimination

Features of MRC Fellowship Awards

New Investigator Research Grant (NIRG)

Applicants are expected to be at the beginning of their independent research careers. They will:

•have a PhD, D Phil or an MD

•have institutional support

•have a minimum of three years post qualification research experience (account will be taken of career breaks)

•be within three years of the start of their first established academic appointment (or within five years for clinicians and this may be at Senior Lecturer level)

•be in a senior post doctoral position taking their first steps towards establishing themselves as an independent principal investigator

•receive funds for three years including: Salary of the principal investigator where they do not hold a tenured position; Support for an additional research, technical or other post; consumables; equipment; travel costs.

What makes a good application?

What might cause an application to fail?

Elements of successful proposals:

• Emphasis on track record for established investigators /potential for early career investigators

• Need a clear rationale for the research - less detail about long-term experimental plans i.e.

• Clarity & Succinctness key

• Methodology - Preliminary Data

• Collaborations

• Look at recent quality of work & productivity• Quality of proposed training environment

• High-risk/high pay-off research encouraged

• Lack of good track record/publication record

• Applicant’s lack of appropriate experience

• Unfocused, overambitious project

• No clear hypothesis, or not hypothesis-driven

• Methodology not sufficiently detailed

• Project not intellectually challenging

• Training element incomplete/unclear

• Unoriginal, pedestrian approach

• Centre has no international standing in research area

• Lack of infrastructure/facilities in training environment

An application will fail because:

• Demonstrates applicant is looking for breadth of research experience

• Should look for a centre:• offering good career development and research

training opportunities• which is the most appropriate for the applicant’s

particular research area

• If applicant needs to remain where they are:• Should spell out reasons for this • Explain what additional training they will gain if

they stay

Seeking another centre:

Assessment Procedure

The Process:

Referees

Shortlisting

Panel Interview

Assessment of Fellowships

• Led by designated panel members

• Collecting evidence against key criteria

• Questioning by other panel members

• Private scoring and discussion

• Review of final ranking, including strategic importance of the area for training

The Interview

• Potential of the individual - to develop into a competitive researcher

• Quality of the environment

• Quality of the training proposed

• Relevance / value of any proposed period overseas or in industry

Assessment of Fellowships

Fellowship Applications vs. Awards

Where to Start?

Information on Fellowships

Thank you!

Contacts•General Enquiries

fellows@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk

students@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk

grants@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk

•Scientific queries via Programme Managers

Details on MRC web-site under each Research Board(http://www.mrc.ac.uk/OurResearch/

TheResearchBoards/index.htm)

•Post Award Administration

(award letters, payments & queries)amt@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk