Wellcome Trust -
Funding the best science
Dr Helen Fisher
Science Programme Manager
Molecules, Genes and Cells
Fellowship for Researcher Day: Sheffield University
October 18 2007
Overview
• Background on the Trust
• Science Funding personal support schemes
• Application Process
• Contacts
Background
The Wellcome Trust
• an independent researchfunding charity
• established 1936
• funded from private
endowment
• managed for long-term
stability and growth
• interests range from science
to history of medicine
Wellcome Trust Mission
“To foster and
promote research with
the aim of improving
human and animal
health”
Strategic Aims:
Strategic Plan
2005-2010
Fostering Biomedical Science
• spend £2 billion between 2005 2010
• ensure the single biggest element
of our funding supports
investigator-led research and
career fellowships
• retain around 10% of funding
each year to respond flexibly to
unanticipated opportunities
• continue to support the Wellcome
Trust Sanger Institute as a worldleading centre for genomics
research
What do we fund?
• Biomedical and veterinary research
• Technology transfer activities
• History of Medicine research
• Biomedical ethics research
• Public engagement
Funding Streams
Immunology and Infectious Disease
Populations and Public Health
Neuroscience and Mental Health
Physiological Sciences
Molecules, Genes and Cells
Medical Humanities
Personal Support
Strategic Aim 4: Developing people
•To foster a research community and individual
researchers who can contribute to the advancement and
use of knowledge
• 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
Personal Support Schemes
BIOMEDICAL SCIENTISTS
CLINICAL SCIENTISTS
Based in the UK or Republic of Ireland
BIOMEDICAL & CLINICAL
SCIENTISTS
IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Principal Research Fellowships
SENIOR
International Senior Research Fellowships
(in India, South Africa, Czech Republic, Estonia,
Hungary & Poland )
Senior Research
Fellowships
INTERMEDIATE
Research Career
Development
Fellowships
EARLY CAREER
Sir Henry Wellcome
Postdoctoral Fellowships
4 Year PhD
Programmes
University
Awards
Flexible
Travel
Awards
Research
Career
Re-Entry
Fellowships
Senior Research
Fellowships
Senior Research
Fellowships
Intermediate
Clinical
Fellowships
Flexible
Travel
Awards
Intermediate
Fellowships
Research Training
Fellowships
Research Training
Fellowships
PhD Programmes for
Clinicians
MSc/PhD
Programmes
Personal Support Schemes
BIOMEDICAL SCIENTISTS
Based 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
Senior
Principal Research Fellowships
Senior Research
Fellowships
Intermediate
Research Career
Development
Fellowships
Early career
Sir Henry Wellcome
Postdoctoral
Fellowships
4 Year PhD
Programmes
University
Awards
Flexible
Travel
Awards
Research
Career ReEntry
Fellowships
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
• research to be undertaken in the
laboratories of choice – in the UK and
overseas
• annual competition - deadline for the next
round - 5th November 2007
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 nonestablished 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 Assistant
 A Co-applicant
 The Principal Applicant
Application process for personal
support schemes
• Preliminary application
 Submit to most appropriate Stream
 Trust assess eligibility and suitability of person
(and project)
 Decision on whether to invite full application or not
• Full application
 External peer review of person, project and place
 Application and referees’ reports considered by
Stream Funding Committee
 Decision on whether to invite candidate for interview
or not
• Interview
 Decision on whether to make an award or not
Assessment of Full Applications
PERSON – PROJECT – PLACE
•Track record of applicant
•The importance of the question
•The approach to the question and feasibility
•Sponsor / Supervisor
-Support vs. independence
•Research environment + good training
“...it involves techniques with which the applicant appears to have
no prior experience and for which no preliminary data are proposed.”
“...the work described in this application is over-ambitious, it could not
be achieved in the life time of the investigator.”
“The poor writing, referencing and proof reading of this application
significantly detract from its overall quality.”
“I had only one problem with this application, I had no idea what they
were trying to do...”
A ‘Good’ Application
• Clear hypothesis/research plan
• Not over/under ambitious
• Supportive preliminary data
• Appropriate collaborators
• Good presentation
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
•talk to Trust staff if you are thinking of applying
always have a plan B, C and D!
Office Contacts
• Immunology and Infectious Disease
• 020 7611 8352
• [email protected]
• Populations and Public Health
• 020 7611 8764
• [email protected]
Office Contacts cont.
• Neuroscience and Mental Health
• 020 7611 7337
• [email protected]
• Physiological Sciences
• 020 7611 7298
• [email protected]
Office Contacts cont.
• Molecules, Genes and Cells
• 020 7611 8420
• [email protected]
www.wellcome.ac.uk