MRC Fellowship Opportunities Dr Jo Latimer Programme Manager

MRC Fellowship Opportunities Dr Jo Latimer Programme 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 Non Clinical Appointment Fellowship Opportunities Grant Opportunities Ph. D student Studentships via Doctoral Training Account Research Assistant Post on Grant Post-Doc 1 Post-Doc 2(+) Intermediate Awards Career Development Lecturer Readership Professorship Senior Fellowships New Investigator Awards Research Grants

Opportunities for Clinical Scientists NHS Clinical Career Pathway MRC Provision (Clinical Fellowships) Clinical Research Training Fellowship Clinical Academic Career Path Pre- registration House Officer MRC Provision (Grants) Senior House Officer MD or Ph. D Specialist registrar Lecturer Clinician Scientist Fellowship Senior Clinical Fellowships Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training Senior lecturer Consultant Professor New Investigator Research Awards Research Grants / Collaboration grants

Opportunities for Clinical Scientists INTEGRATED ACADEMIC TRAINING PATH Medical School Foundation Programme Academic Position Specialist Training Academic Status MB Intercalated BSc CCT Academic Foundation Year Clinical Training Academic Clinical Fellowship 1 2 3 Clinical Lectureship 4 5 MB/Ph. D F 1 Senior Lecturer Further specialty / sub-specialty training F 2 Graduate Entry Training MRC Fellowship ( Clinical Research Training Fellowship 3 -4 years Clinician Scientist Fellowship up to 4 years Senior Clinical Fellowship The timings of personal fellowships are indicativethere is flexibility according to individual career progression –

Opportunities for Allied Health Professionals Nurses, midwives, radiographers, psychologists, other AHPs Masters degree or equivalent postgraduate researchoriented qualification ELIGIBLE FOR Clinical Research Training Fellowship OR Health Services and Health of the Public Fellowship Ph. D, DPhil, MD ELIGIBLE FOR Health Services and Health of the Public Fellowship Clinician Scientist Fellowship/ Career Development Award Senior Clinical/Non-Clinical Fellowship

Summary Clinical Non-Clinical Ph. D training Clinical Research Training Fellowship Ph. D studentship Post-doctoral training Clinician Scientist Fellowship Career Development Award Established investigator Senior Clinical Fellowship Senior Fellowship

Fellowships: Pre- to post-doctoral Awards Research training towards a Ph. D 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 Fellowship Open to medical & dental graduates up to Consultant grade, nurses, midwives and other health profession researchers • Joint Collaborative Career Development Award in Stem Cell Research Open to clinical & non-clinical applicants • Career Development Award in Biostatistics Open to non-clinical post-doctoral researchers • Career Development Award Open to non-clinical post-doctoral researchers • Department Of Health Clinician Scientist Award Open to medical & dental graduates up to Special Registrar grade, nurses, midwives and other health profession researchers

Fellowships: Senior 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/2 nd UK Centre/UK Industrial Training (2 years for CDA)

Features of MRC Fellowship Awards • 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

New Investigator Research Grant (NIRG) Applicants are expected to be at the beginning of their independent research careers. They will: • have a Ph. D, 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

An application will fail because: • 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

Seeking another centre: • 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

Assessment Procedure

Assessment of Fellowships The Process: Referees Shortlisting Panel Interview

The Interview • 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

Assessment of Fellowships • 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

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/Our. Research/ The. Research. Boards/index. htm) • Post Award Administration (award letters, payments & queries) amt@headoffice. mrc. ac. uk