Clinician scientist fellowship

Apply for funding to support your move to independent investigator in a medical research field.

Your research can focus on any area of MRC’s remit to improve human health.

You must:

• be a registered healthcare professional
• have a PhD or equivalent
• show evidence of career progression
• show clear plans for developing as a leader in your specialist area of research.

Your research plans must not overlap with those of your current group leader or proposed sponsor.

There’s no limit on the amount of funding you can apply for.

We will fund your salary and project costs for up to five years. We will fund 80% of the full economic cost.

You may also choose to apply for joint funding from one of the collaborating organisations.

This is an ongoing scheme. Application rounds open three times a year, closing in January, April and September.

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.

Who is eligible

To be eligible for the clinician scientist fellowship, you must:

• have completed a PhD or equivalent
• have the skills and experience that match those of the ‘transition to independence’ career stage in the MRC applicant skills and experience criteria, such as showing evidence of career progression and productivity across past appointments
• have your own research plans which do not significantly overlap with those of their current group leaders or proposed sponsors
• have the support of an eligible research organisation.

There are no eligibility rules based on years of postdoctoral experience.

You are not eligible to apply if you have previously held a comparable intermediate fellowship from any organisation.

Medical and dental graduates Medical or dental graduates should have specialty registrar or consultant status, or be at the equivalent level in general practice. If you have not completed your specialty training, you must have plans in place for doing so and have consulted your deanery before applying.

Non-medical healthcare professionals For non-medical healthcare professionals, you must have completed your professional training.

Veterinarians If you are a veterinarian, you may apply if you are a registered vet and a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. Your proposed project must be relevant to human health.