MRC Fellowship Opportunities

1. MRC Fellowship Opportunities Dr Jo Latimer Programme Manager

2. Plan of Talk • Background about MRC • Next Steps of MRC Funding • Fellowships • Research Grants • Tips on writing good applications • Assessment of Fellowships

3. 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

4. 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

5. Fellowships & Research Grants

6. Opportunities for Non-Clinical Scientists Grant Opportunities Non Clinical Appointment Fellowship Opportunities PhD student Studentships via Doctoral Training Account Research Assistant Post on Grant Post-Doc 1 Intermediate Awards Career Development Post-Doc 2(+) New Investigator Awards Lecturer Senior Fellowships Readership Research Grants Professorship

7. Opportunities for Clinical Scientists NHS Clinical Career Pathway MRC Provision (ClinicalFellowships) Clinical Academic Career Path MRC Provision(Grants) Clinical Research Training Fellowship MD or PhD Lecturer Clinician Scientist Fellowship New Investigator Research Awards Senior lecturer Research Grants / Collaboration grants Senior Clinical Fellowships Professor

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

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

10. Summary Non-Clinical Clinical

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. Award Supportfor 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)

15. 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

16. 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.

17. What makes a good application? What might cause an application to fail?

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. Assessment Procedure

22. Assessment of Fellowships The Process: Referees Shortlisting Panel Interview

23. 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

24. 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

25. Fellowship Applications vs. Awards

26. Where to Start?

27. Information on Fellowships

28. 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