Fellowships
Fellowships are prestigious early-career awards for researchers who have not yet achieved a tenured position.
If you are planning to submit a fellowship based at the IoO, you can find information on the support available here.
This page gives a listing of some of the major fellowship opportunities available. Further fellowship opportunities are available from funders with specific disease-related remits (e.g. Cancer Research UK Fellowships and British Heart Foundation Fellowships).
If you are considering making a fellowship application, please visit the funder’s website for further details of the fellowship itself and the funder’s scientific remit. Always refer to the latest version of the funder’s guidance and eligibility criteria.
The first table below lists opportunities for non-clinicians, and the second table is for clinicians and allied healthcare professionals. Within each table, the order indicates approximately the level of experience required (from junior to senior).
For PIs
Please download this PowerPoint slide to include in your presentations when attending conferences and external events.
Fellowships for Non-Clinicians
Funder | Fellowship | Eligibility | Application process |
| Junior Fellowships | |||
| Wellcome Trust | Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowship | In final year of PhD studies / no more than 2 years' postdoc experience | Deadlines per year: 2 Two-stage application process. |
| BBSRC | Future Leader Fellowship | No more than 5 years' postdoc experience | Deadlines per year: 1 Single-stage application process. |
| Royal Society | Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship | No more than 6 years' postdoc experience. Must be able to demonstrate a current need for flexible support due to personal circumstances | Deadlines per year: 1 Single-stage application process. |
| UCL | UCL Excellence Fellowships | Must have been awarded a PhD prior to application (no upper limit of experience) | Deadlines per year: 1 Single-stage application process. |
| Intermediate Fellowships | |||
| ERC (European Research Council) | Starting Grants | 2-7 years since completion of PhD | Deadlines per year: 1 Single-stage application process. |
| Wellcome Trust | Sir Henry Dale Fellowship | No more than 7 years' postdoc experience | Deadlines per year: 3 Two-stage application process. |
| Wellcome Trust | Career Re-entry Fellowship | At least 2 years' postdoc experience. Must have had a continuous career break of at least 2 years. | Deadlines per year: 2 Two-stage application process. |
| BBSRC | David Phillips Fellowships | At least 3 years' postdoc experience | Deadlines per year: 1 Single-stage application process. |
| MRC | Career Development Award (CDA) | No fixed limits for amount of experience (but 3-7 years' postdoc experience would be typical) | Deadlines per year: 2 Single-stage application process. |
| Fight for Sight | Early Career Investigator Award | At least 3 years' postdoc experience | Deadlines per year: 1 Two-stage application process. |
| Royal Society | University Research Fellowship | Between 3 and 8 years' postdoc experience | Deadlines per year: 1 Single-stage application process. |
| Senior Fellowships | |||
| Wellcome Trust | Senior Research Fellowship in Basic Biomedical Science | Between 7 and normally 12 years' postdoc experience | Deadlines per year: 3 Two-stage application process. |
| MRC | Senior Non-Clinical Fellowship | No fixed limits for amount of experience (but a considerable amount of postdoc experience is required) | Deadlines per year: 2 Single-stage application process. |
| ERC (European Research Council) | Consolidator Grants | 7-12 years since completion of PhD | Deadlines per year: 1 Single-stage application process. |
Fellowships for Clinicians and Allied Health Professionals
Funder | Fellowship | Eligibility | Application process |
| Junior Fellowships | |||
| MRC | Clinical Research Training Fellowship | Provides support to undertake a PhD | Deadlines per year: 2 Single-stage application process. |
| Wellcome Trust | Research Training Fellowship | Provides support to undertake a PhD | Deadlines per year: 3 Single-stage application process. |
| NIHR | Doctoral Training Fellowship | Provides support to undertake a PhD | Deadlines per year: 1 Single-stage application process. |
| Fight for Sight | Clinical Fellowship | Provides support to undertake a PhD | Deadlines per year: 1 Two-stage application process. |
| Intermediate Fellowships | |||
| MRC | Clinician Scientist Fellowship | Post-PhD. Allows fellow to establish their own team and made the transition to independent investigator | Deadlines per year: 1 Single-stage application process. |
| Wellcome Trust | Postdoctoral Research Training Fellowships for Clinicians | No more than 2 years' postdoc experience | Deadlines per year: 2 Two-stage application process. |
| Wellcome Trust | Intermediate Clinical Fellowship | Post-PhD | Deadlines per year: 2 Two-stage application process. |
| NIHR | Post-doctoral Fellowship | No more than 3 years' postdoc experience | Deadlines per year: 1 Single-stage application process. |
| Senior Fellowships | |||
| NIHR | Career Development Fellowship | No more than 7 years' postdoc experience | Deadlines per year: 1 Single-stage application process. |
| MRC | Senior Clinical Fellowship | Generally at least 5 years' postdoc experience | Deadlines per year: 1 Single-stage application process. |
| Wellcome Trust | Senior Research Fellowships in Clinical Science | Generally at least 3-5 years' postdoc experience | Deadlines per year: 3 Two-stage application process. |
| NIHR | Senior Research Fellowship | Outstanding individuals who are currently independent researchers | Deadlines per year: 1 Single-stage application process. |