Wellcome Trust - Funding the best science Dr Candace Hassall Science Programme Manager Basic Science Careers Fellowships for Researchers Day: Imperial.

Wellcome Trust - Funding the best science

Dr Candace HassallScience Programme Manager

Basic Science Careers

Fellowships for Researchers Day: Imperial College

London July 3 2007

• an independent research-funding charity

• established 1936

• funded from private endowment

• managed for long-term stability and growth

• interests range from science to history of medicine

The Wellcome Trust

Mission and strategic aims

• advancing knowledge• using knowledge• engaging society• developing people• facilitating research• developing our organisation

Our mission is to foster and promote research with the aim of improving human and animal health

We work to further our mission through six strategic aims:

Aim 4. Developing people:

• To provide training and career support schemes to attract and retain the highest quality individuals in biomedical research

• To stimulate research capacity building to address priority areas of science, or career gaps, by developing tailored

training and career initiatives

• To work with others on key issues related to research careers

To foster a research community and individual researchers who can contribute to the advancement and use of knowledge

Research Training Fellowships

Senior Research Fellowships

PhD Programmes for Clinicians

Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowships

Intermediate Clinical

Fellowships

Research Career Development Fellowships

Senior Research Fellowships

Senior Research Fellowships

BIOMEDICAL SCIENTISTS CLINICAL SCIENTISTS

University Awards

Flexible Travel

Awards

Research Career

Re-EntryFellowships

Principal Research Fellowships

INTERMEDIATE

SENIOR

BIOMEDICAL & CLINICAL SCIENTISTS

IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Intermediate Fellowships

MSc/PhD Programmes

Research Training Fellowships

4 Year PhD Programmes

Personal Support Schemes

International Senior Research Fellowships(in India, South Africa, Czech Republic, Estonia,

Hungary & Poland )

EARLY CAREER

FlexibleTravel

Awards

Based in the UK or Republic of Ireland

Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowships

Research Career Development Fellowships

Senior Research Fellowships

BIOMEDICAL SCIENTISTSBased in the UK or Republic of Ireland

Research projects can be based in the lab, the clinic or the field and may involve experimental or theoretical approaches

University Awards

Flexible Travel

Awards

Research Career Re-

EntryFellowships

Principal Research Fellowships

Early career

Intermediate

Senior

4 Year PhD Programmes

Personal Support Schemes

Application process for personal support schemes

•Preliminary applicationAssess eligibility and suitability of

person (and project) in relation to the schemeDecision on whether to invite full

application or not

•Full applicationDetailed external peer review of

person, project and placeApplication and referees’ reports

assessed by appropriate Wellcome Trust Funding CommitteeDecision on whether to invite

candidate for interview or not

•InterviewDecision on whether to make an

award or not

Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowships• for the best newly qualified post-doctoral

basic science researchers

• candidates are expected to identify an important biomedical research question and to develop and deliver their own personal programme to achieve their research aims.

• flexible support for four years to enhance research skills, career development opportunities and promote independence

• training to be undertaken in the laboratories of choice – in the UK and overseas

• annual competition - deadlines for the next round to be announced soon

Flexible Travel Awards • Provide enhanced opportunities for mobility

and collaboration in the UK and overseas

• Enable successful scientists to obtain experience in new disciplines, interdisciplinary areas or in an emerging aspect of their own field

• Awards either enable internationally competitive established post-holders to undertake a sabbatical in order to enrich their research programmes and initiate significant new collaborations.

• Or, provide personal support and research expenses for up to two years for non-established post-holders researchers to obtain experience either in a new discipline or in an emerging aspect of their own field

Research Career Development Fellowships• Candidates must have made intellectual

contributions to research that have been published in leading journals, and be able to demonstrate their potential to carry out high quality independent research

• Awards now for up to 5 years

• 3-6 years’ post-doctoral research experience

• Includes salary, research expenses and research assistance if justified

• Preliminary application required which can be made at any time

• Considered twice a year

Senior Research Fellowships in Basic Biomedical Science

• For outstanding individuals of exceptional ability to continue their independent programmes of research

• 5-~10 years post-doctoral research experience

• 5 year award funded in full (fellowship salary and research expenses) by the Trust

• Renewable for five year periods with 50% fellowship salary funded by the host institution

• Annual competition - preliminary applications considered early each summer

Principal Research Fellowships

• Candidates with an established track record of research at the highest level

• Basic and clinical

• Seven years’ salary and research support

• Renewable for five year periods with 50% salary support from the host institution

• Must have a guaranteed position at the end of the Fellowship

• Often used to bring top academics (back) to the UK

• Preliminary application required

Research Career Re-Entry Fellowships

• To enable post-doctoral scientists to return to independent research after a decision to take a career break of at least 2 years

• Awards can be for up to 4 years

• Possible to include re-training costs e.g. MSc

• Preliminary application required

University Awards• To allow universities to attract/retain strategically important research

staff, technologists or analysts

• Two varieties:

• Three years’ project support and salary support for 5 years (50% year 4; 25% year 5)

Applicant takes up a permanent post at the end of the award

Career technologists/analysts Trust provides 75% of applicant’s salary for the first 5 years Then the applicant takes up a post which is guaranteed for at least

a further 5 years

Support on project and programme grants

In appropriate circumstances, researchers

can request personal salary support on a

Project or Programme grant application as:

A named Research AssistantA Co-applicantThe Principal Applicant

www.wellcome.ac.uk

•IMPORTANT:

- check scheme details in advance when thinking about next steps and making plans - then check again nearer the time - things may well have changed

http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/