Clinical Research Funding and Fellowships

Research Councils

Some schemes encourage applications from all disciplines (eg MRC or Welcome Trust). These are highly competitive and a strong academic CV and experience of research is required. It is important to seek advice before applying for these posts and the best person to contact is either a senior academic or the Postgraduate Convenor for the relevant Research Institute.

Charities

It is also possible to apply to a charity that awards funding in the area in which you are interested. You should discuss your application with your potential supervisor and further help with the application can be obtained from the Postgraduate School if you wish.

Scottish Translational Medicine and Therapeutics Initiatives (STMTI)

The Wellcome Trust together with the four Scottish academic medical centres plus support from the pharmaceutical industry have collaborated to offer a PhD programme to create academic clinicians with expertise in translational medicine or therapeutics.  This scheme was launched in the Autumn of 2010 and will provide excellent opportunities for aspiring academic clinicians.

Further information

Scottish Clinical Pharmacology and Pathology (SCP3) Programme and Scottish Translational Medicine and Therapeutics Initiative (STMTI) programme

Below are links to the BMJ adverts inviting applications for the next intake to the Scottish Translational Medicine and Therapeutics Initiative (STMTI) programme and the Scottish Clinical Pharmacology and Pathology (SCP3) Programme. As you probably know these are highly prestigious programmes funded by the Wellcome Trust and the MRC respectively, which offer superb opportunities to highly-selected trainees. The focus is on cardiovascular/metabolic, inflammation, musculoskeletal, neuroscience and reproductive health themes, as such the programmes should generate significant interest from local PIs. The selection processes for both programmes are very similar: both are rigorous and modelled on existing national research training schemes with each applicant attending for a personal interview which, if successful, is followed by a project defence interview a few months later.  Professor Anna Dominiczak, Head of College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, and Professor Iain McInnes, Director of the Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, represent Glasgow on both of the selection panels.

 
STMTI
http://careers.bmj.com/careers/view-job.html?id=20059270

SCP3
http://careers.bmj.com/careers/view-job.html?id=20059272

University of Glasgow

The ‘Entry level Fellowships’ funded by the college of MVLS are to enable junior researchers to become more competitive when applying for substantive fellowships. This has been very successful and over 75% of these research fellows have been successful in achieving this during their first year of research. These posts are not tied into a ‘run through’ training scheme as this allows greater flexibility in the choice of project.

IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU PLAN A FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION WELL IN ADVANCE WITH YOUR SUPERVISOR AS WELL AS OTHER SENIOR ACADEMICS WHO WILL GIVE YOU THE HELP, ADVICE AND IF REQUIRED, INTERVIEW PRACTICE.

Examples of National opportunities

Help and Support

For assistance with applying for funding for clinical research fellowships and training please contact the Clinical Academic Pathways Administrative Co-ordinator, Audrey Hillis.   It is most important that before making an application, that advice is sought in order to ensure that the application is appropriate and of high standard before it is submitted.

Academic General Practitioners

Intermediate clinical fellows

Opportunities are available for those who wish to pursue a career in Academic Medicine to apply for postdoctoral training support