School of Infection & Immunity

Wellcome Early-Career award provides funding for early-career researchers from any discipline who are ready to develop their research identity. Through innovative projects, they will deliver shifts in understanding that could improve human life, health and wellbeing. By the end of the award, they will be ready to lead their own independent research programme. 

Calls are held three times a year, usually in February, May, and September. Grant amount - Salary and up to £400,000 for research expenses, for up to five years.

Eligibility

• You can apply to this scheme if you are an early-career researcher and you are ready to design, plan and deliver your own innovative research project.
• Should have a PhD or at least four years equivalent lab-based experience.
• Not eligible if you hold, or have held, an equivalent fellowship at this career stage.
• You may also have some postdoctoral experience in your proposed field of study, but no more than three years.

The BBSRC Fellowships scheme will provide support for researchers wishing to undertake independent research within a host laboratory and gain leadership skills. The scheme will support the transition of early-stage researchers to fully independent research leaders.

Call is yearly, usually May.

Grant amount - up to £400,000 (Fund up to 80 per cent of - organisation must fund the rest up to three years).

Eligibility

• Potential to become a future research leader and wish to conduct independent research within a host lab to gain leadership skills.
• No limit on the number of years of postdoc experience.
• Applicants should not hold, or have held, an equivalent competitive fellowship that provides the opportunity to establish an independent research group.

Royal Society Career Development Fellowship is for early career scientists from underrepresented groups in STEM, providing them with research funding and high-quality training opportunities to build a strong base for a successful research career. 

The scheme will initially run as a pilot with researchers from Black heritage. If successful, the pilot may be broadened to researchers from other underrepresented groups.  

Call is yearly, previously in November.

Grant amount – Up to £690,000 over four years to cover the Research Fellow’s salary and associated on-costs (at 80 per cent), directly allocated costs (at 80 per cent) and research expenses.

Eligibility

• Self-identify as being from a Black heritage including mixed Black background.
• Have a PhD or will have one by the time the funding starts; but have less than 24 months post-doctoral experience.
• Both UK and non-UK domiciled researchers who wish to conduct their research in the UK are eligible. 

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Global and European Postdoctoral Fellowships are open to researchers of any nationality who wish to engage in R&I projects by either coming to Europe from any country in the world or moving within Europe.

The standard duration of these fellowships must be between 12 and 24 months. Applications will be made jointly by the researcher and a beneficiary in the academic or non-academic sector.  

Global Postdoctoral Fellowships fund the mobility of researchers outside Europe. The fellowship lasts between two to three years, of which the first one to two years will be spent in a non-associated third country, followed by a mandatory return phase of one year to an organisation based in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country. Only nationals or long-term residents of the EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries can apply.

Call is yearly, usually September.

Grant amount - provides support for the recruited researcher in the form of a living allowance, a mobility allowance, if applicable, family, long-term leave and special needs allowances. Funding is also provided for research, training and networking activities management and indirect costs.

Eligibility

• Should have a PhD degree at the time of the deadline for applications.
• Must have a maximum of eight years of experience in research, from the date of the award of their PhD degree, years of experience outside research and career breaks will not count towards the above maximum.
• Should comply with mobility rules:
  • They must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the beneficiary (for European Postdoctoral Fellowships, or the host organisation for the outgoing phase (for Global Postdoctoral Fellowships) for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the call deadline

The Human Frontier Science Program Long-Term Fellowship (HFSP) fellowship program supports proposals for frontier, potentially transformative research in the life sciences.

Applications for high-risk projects are particularly encouraged. Long-Term Fellowships (LTF) are for applicants with a PhD in a biological discipline, who will broaden their expertise by proposing a project in the life sciences which is significantly different from their previous PhD or postdoctoral work.

Call is yearly, and the deadline will likely be May.

Grant amount: Fellows are granted a living allowance as well as a research and travel allowance. Depending on their specific situation fellows may also qualify to receive a child allowance, a parental leave allowance and a relocation allowance.

Eligibility

• At the start of the fellowship, the fellow must not have been working for more than 12 months in the host institution/host country.
• HFSP fellows cannot concurrently hold an HFSP Fellowship and another paid employment position.
• Applicants must propose to work in a country different to the one where they did their previous PhD work or first post-doctoral studies.
• Applicants must have at least one lead author publication by the submission deadline of the Letter of Intent.

The Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship is for early career researchers, with a research record but who have not yet held a full-time permanent academic post, to undertake a significant piece of publishable work.

The Fellowships are intended to assist those at a relatively early stage of their academic careers, and it is hoped that the appointment would lead to a more permanent position for the individual, either within the same or another university.

Call is yearly, usually February

Grant amount - Fellowships are three years on a full-time basis. Leverhulme Trust will contribute 50 per cent of the Fellow’s total salary costs (up to a maximum of £28,000) in each year of the award - balance is to be contributed by the host university. Includes up to £6,000 per annum in research expenses.

Eligibility

• Studies of disease, illness and disabilities in humans and animals or research that is intended to inform clinical practice will not be funded.
• Applicants must not yet have held a full-time permanent academic post in a UK university, nor may Fellows hold such a post concurrently with the Early Career Fellowship.
• All candidates must have submitted their doctoral thesis for viva examination not more than four years prior to the application closing date.

Wellcome Career Development Award provides funding for mid-career researchers from any discipline who have the potential to be international research leaders.

They will develop their research capabilities, drive innovative programmes of work and deliver significant shifts in understanding that could improve human life, health and wellbeing.

Calls are held three times per year, usually in April, July, and November.

Grant amount: provides a salary for the grantholder (if required) and research expenses and usually lasts for eight years. All budget requests must be justified.

Eligibility

• You can apply for a Wellcome Career Development Award if you are a mid-career researcher, and you are ready to lead a substantial and innovative research programme.
• You will have completed one or two substantial periods of research after your initial training and made important contributions to your area of research.
• You will probably have experience of working collaboratively. You may have directed, or closely guided, the work of others.

The MRC Career Development Award supports talented post-doctoral researchers to lead their own research plans and establish their own research team to make the transition from post-doctoral researcher to independent investigator.

Calls are held twice a year, usually in April or September.

Grant amount: no limit but costs must be justified.

Eligibility

• Must have a PhD, although will still consider applications if you can show that your skills and experience match those of the transition to independence career stage.
• You do not need to have a specific period of postdoctoral experience.
• You are not eligible if you have previously held a comparable intermediate fellowship from any organisation.

UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships support talented people in universities, businesses, and other research and innovation environments.

They also allow universities and businesses to develop their most talented early career researchers and innovators or to attract new people to their organisations, including from overseas.

Calls are announced on an ad-hoc basis.

Please note that this scheme involves an internal selection process with deadlines that fall well in advance of the UKRI submission deadline.

Grant amount: no limit but costs must be justified. For four years, with the possibility to extend for a further three years.

Eligibility

• Tackle ambitious and challenging research and innovation and to develop your career.
• Early career researchers and innovators who are transitioning to or establishing independence or who may be developing their own original and ambitious plans within a commercial setting.
• No eligibility rules based on years since PhD or whether the applicant currently holds a permanent/open-ended academic position or job role.

Royal Society University Research Fellowship is for outstanding scientists who are in the early stages of their research career and have the potential to become leaders in their field.

These long-term fellowships provide the opportunity and freedom to build an independent research career in the UK or Republic of Ireland and pursue cutting-edge scientific research.

Call is yearly, usually September.

Grant amount: applicants can apply for up to a maximum of £1.87 million over eight years. Funds can cover contribution to the award holder’s salary, indirect and estate costs, research expenses, contribution towards research assistance salary and associated indirect and estate costs, support for a new four-year PhD studentship(s).

Eligibility

• Three-eight years of research experience since PhD completion.
• Does not hold a permanent post at a university.
• Does not hold/has not previously held an equivalent fellowship that provides the opportunity to establish independent researcher status.

ERC Starting Grant is for talented early-career scientists who have already produced excellent supervised work, are ready to work independently and show potential to be a research leader.

Call is yearly, usually in October.

Grant amount: up to €1.5 million for five years.

Eligibility

• Researchers of any nationality with two-seven years of experience since completion of PhD, a scientific track record showing great promise and an excellent research proposal.
• Applications for an ERC grant must be submitted by a single Principal Investigator (PI) in conjunction with and on behalf of their host institution.

ERC Consolidator Grant is for scientists who wish to, or have recently, established a research team.

Call is yearly, usually in February.

Grant amount: up to €2 million for five years.

Eligibility

• Researchers of any nationality with 7-12 years of experience since completion of PhD, a scientific track record showing great promise and an excellent research proposal.
• Applications for an ERC grant must be submitted by a single Principal Investigator (PI) in conjunction with and on behalf of their host institution.

Wellcome Discovery Award provides funding for established researchers and teams from any discipline who want to pursue bold and creative research ideas related to human life, health and wellbeing.

Calls are held three times per year, usually in April, July, and November/December.

Grant amount: covers research expenses and usually lasts for eight years. All budget requests must be justified. Lead applicant must contribute at least 20 per cent of their research time to this award; if based in the UK or Republic of Ireland, salary cannot be requested. Co-applicant and staff salaries can be requested.

Eligibility

• You can apply for a Wellcome Discovery Award if you are a researcher who wants to pursue bold and creative research ideas.
• An award can be held by an established researcher or a team of researchers led by an established researcher. Team size will depend on the proposed research. It will usually range from two to eight applicants, including the lead applicant.
• Lead applicants are encouraged to put together diverse teams.

ERC Advanced Grant is for an established, leading principal investigator who wants long-term funding to pursue a ground-breaking, ambitious project.

The Principal Investigator should be exceptional leaders in terms of originality and significance of their research contributions.

Call is yearly, usually in February.

Grant amount: up to €2.5 million for five years.

Eligibility

• Applicants for the ERC Advanced Grants are expected to be active researchers who have a track-record of significant research achievements.
• Applications for an ERC grant must be submitted by a single Principal Investigator (PI) in conjunction with and on behalf of their host institution.

Royal Society Faraday Discovery Fellowships are prestigious long-term awards that will support emerging research leaders to undertake high-quality, original research.

The programme is aimed at outstanding mid-career researchers. It is a two-stage application, where applicants submit a summary of their proposed research and CV, before being invited to submit a full application.

Call is yearly, please check the website for details.

Grant amount: up to £8 million over ten years

Eligibility

• Must meet the Royal Society’s definition of a mid-career researcher.
• Primary area of research is within the Royal Society’s remit of natural sciences.

MRS-sponsored Daphne Jackson Fellowships provide two- or three-year part-time fellowships for scientists wishing to return to medical research after a career break of at least two years, from a paid research position, taken for family, health, or caring reasons.

The Fellowships must be undertaken at a Scottish university and involve a challenging research project that addresses a question of relevance to human health or disease.

Call is yearly, please check the website for dates.

Grant amount: provides a Fellowship salary paid on the University pay scale; £5,000 consumables per annum; and £1,500 extraordinary expenses (for courses, attendance at conferences, training, and equipment).

Eligibility

• Have a PhD, or ideally at least three years research experience (academic or industrial) prior to the career break (with evidence of research impacts and outcomes).
• Have had a career break of at least two years, from a paid research position, taken for family, caring or health reasons.
• Be resident in the UK at the time of application and have the right to work in the UK. We will consider applicants with a Tier 2 visa or those able to apply for a Global Talent Visa.

The Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship (DHF) programme aims to support outstanding early career scientists who require a flexible working pattern due to personal circumstances, such as caring responsibilities and/or health-related conditions.

Call is yearly, likely October.

Grant amount: up to a maximum of £1.87 million over eight years.

Eligibility

• You currently have, or will have by the start of the fellowship, a need for flexible support due to personal circumstances. This can include parental responsibilities, caring responsibilities, and/or clinically diagnosed health conditions that create a need for a flexible working pattern.
• Up to six years of research experience since your PhD by the closing date of the round
• You do not hold a permanent post (including proleptic appointment) in a university or not-for-profit organisation.
• You do not hold, or have not previously held, an equivalent fellowship that provides an opportunity to establish an independent research group and therefore independent research status.
• Your research is within the Royal Society’s remit of natural sciences.

Clinical Research Training Fellowship

Clinical research training fellowship welcomes applicants to apply for funding to undertake a PhD or to reacquire research skills.

Your research can focus on any area of Medical Research Council’s (MRC) remit to improve human health.

You must be a registered healthcare professional, either:

• Planning to undertake a PhD or similar
• A PhD graduate working outside of research, usually five or more years ago

You must be at an appropriate point in your clinical training to undertake a PhD.

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

We will fund your salary and project costs for three years.

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

Clinical Scientist Fellowship

Apply for support to become an independent researcher in a medical research field.

Your research can focus on any area of Medical Research Council’s (MRC) remit to improve human health.

You must:

• be a registered healthcare professional
• have a PhD or equivalent
• show evidence of career development
• show clear plans for developing as a leader in your field

We will fund your salary and project costs for up to five years. We will fund 80 per cent of the full economic cost (FEC).

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

This is an ongoing funding opportunity. Application rounds close January, April, and September.

PhD Opportunity

• Lead applicant career stage: Postgraduate training.
• Administering organisation location: UK.
• Funding amount: Salary and research expenses covered.
• Funding duration: Three years (full-time equivalent).

Pleaste note, Wellcome Trust opportunities listed for non-clinical scientists at each career stage are also available for clinical scientists.

The Chief Scientists Office Clinical Academic Fellowships aim is to build research capacity in the Scottish NHS by providing the opportunity for early-career clinical professionals to undertake a PhD.

The eligibility for this scheme includes doctors and dentists in training, GPs, GDPs, NMAHPS, healthcare scientists, and pharmacists.

Please contact the Chief Scientists Office if you have further questions: csofellowships@gov.scot.

CSO Early Postdoctoral Fellowship

This scheme provides three years of salary and consumable support to early career health researchers to enable then to develop their careers.

Calls are held once a year, usually in March.

Eligibility

The scheme has wide eligibility, the main criteria are:

• A PhD, MD, or Clinical Doctorate in a relevant field.
• Less than two years of research experience post PhD.
• A proposed project with CSO’s remit.
• Supported by a Scottish HEI

Details of previously funded Early Postdoctoral Fellowships are available on the Funded Projects page

Candidates should submit an application using the new CSO Grants Management System. You will need to make an account before you will be able to apply.

Academy of Medical Sciences fellowships provide five years' salary and consumables to enable talented clinicians to pursue academic research alongside their clinical practice in order to make long-term improvements in healthcare.

Versus Arthritis offer up to £750,000 to support excellent mid-career researchers in the field of arthritis and related musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders for five years.

In total, they will invest around £3 million in our Career Development Fellowships.

Versus Arthritis is committed to strengthening the future of arthritis research by supporting research careers and building skills within the UK arthritis research community.

The enhanced Career Development Fellowships aim to attract and retain talented medical, veterinary, nurse, and allied health professional or science graduates committed to a research career in any discipline relevant to arthritis and related musculoskeletal diseases.

The aim is to build the capacity and numbers of researchers in mid-career stages by supporting talented individuals, providing them with the opportunity to develop an independent career and progress towards higher-level appointments.